Bad, Bizarre, or Baffling Gifts share your stories

[Anonymous]

My dad gave me a hunting knife with a carbon steel blade. It was the freaking coolest gift ever. I used to sleep with it under my pillow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIL got my not quite 2 year old a book called "Leo the Late Bloomer" because she thought his vocabulary was so lacking compared to his same-aged cousin, the golden grandchild. I guess to help him with the self-esteem issues she assumed he must struggling with given his inferiority?

My mom gave me this book for my kids! (She was an elementary teacher and gave me a bunch of her old books.) It's kind of a classic and I have read it to them but that book would NEVER be written today.

Why on earth not? It illustrated that children are on different developmental paths when they are young, but everyone catches up. I thought it was perfect. My son couldn't read until he was nearly 8, and this book reassured him that he'd get it" some day.

[Anonymous]

At my cousin's bridal shower my other cousin regifted her a book I got her from her own registry (she got divorced within 6 months of marriage) Bitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My uncle owns a porta potty company. One year he gave everyone coupons for one free rental of up to 7 days. He kept telling everyone, "that's a $1400 gift right there!" My aunt was beyond mortified. She'd just had twins at the end of November that year and tasked him with getting gifts for the family swap. She saw he had a stack of envelopes and figured he'd gone the gift card route.

So . . . did anyone actually use their coupon?

Honestly a great gift if you have a large party or home renovation!

[Anonymous]

I'm a high school teacher. One year, a senior was telling me that his mom really liked me at conferences, and had gotten me a Christmas gift that was "kind of extravagant, but you'll like it."

The last day of class before break began, his mom arrived in my classroom with two giant shopping bags full of Disney character plush toys, all new with tags. There was a big Cheshire Cat, the cat from Cinderella, the dogs from Lady and the Tramp, and all the princesses. They were the big ones, not minis.

I have no idea why she/they thought I was into Disney, but they spent quite a bit of money on these things, and I ended up lining them up along the window sills in the classroom.

I am not a Disney type person, I don't think. I am serious and wear dark colors. The student was an 18 year old hockey playing rugged type, and I doubt the gift was due to his input, but..who knows? It was one of the most lavish gifts I've ever gotten from a student, but...I still wonder why.

[Anonymous]

My DH’s dad and stepmom have gotten me some pretty interesting gifts over the years.
They lived abroad when we got married so stepmom didn’t attend my bridal shower. The day before the wedding they insisted on presenting me with a bridal shower gift and made a big deal on how DH and I needed to come to their room and open the gift in front of them. It was negligee. I’ve never been so creeped out and embarrassed in my life. Since they lived abroad I had only met them once before and was now opening skimpy negligee in front of my future in-laws. So weird. I thanked them and then returned it post-wedding. No way I could wear something sexy that my FIL had seen and bought!

[Anonymous]

Several years in a row, starting when I was 20 and my sister was 16, she would write "I can't believe how old you are!" in her card to me, which at the time I found very hurtful. But we're both in our 50s now and I bet she has forgotten it.

[Anonymous]

My BIL and his wife are the worst. It's always a regift. One year plastic plates and a plastic bowl (for me) clearly dirty and used toys from their kids, they gave my three year old a microwave s'more maker, and a book with an inscription from their child's god-parents to their child on the inside cover, which was opened in front of the god-parents. Honestly, it would have ment so much more if they just had their children make us a Christmas card. I kept and used everything except the s'mores maker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My name is Sarah, and I am tall. My mom gave me “Sarah, Plain and Tall” the book for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Geez.

I’m sure you are not plain, but that is a very good book! AND, the Sarah in it can sing.

[Anonymous]

Came back from a trip to see my parents. Dropping off some stuff to my Mom’s friend who lives near me. I’ve been doing this for years. This drop off was around Xmas.

As I hand it to her, she tells me to wait she has something for me. She hand me a bag. When I get home I see she has given me a dusty cat mug (obviously been on a shelf for years) and a half eaten bag of mixed nuts.

[Anonymous]

So many.

One year my ILs gave my then 3 year old Christmas rattles, teethers, and squeaky toys. For a birthday gift. Because they had gotten the same thing for their then 2 month old grandchild and thought it was cute. I’m pretty sure there is generally no gift that is appropriate for both a 2 month old and a 3 year old.

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old dd was opening a gift from her grandparents. She slowly took out a piece of pink princess fabric. (she is the original tomboy) As she slowly turns it over she says thank you. Grandma speaks up and says "its extra fabric! I made your cousin a dress and this is what was left!" DD was great she said " Wow grandma that was so nice of you. Do you have a picture of the dress you made?" I was incredibly proud of dd for acting nicely. We laugh about it every year. She is sixteen now and will always shake a gift and if it is quiet she will make some comment about hoping that it is extra fabric! She is getting a used car for Christmas this year and we plan to wrap the keys in a box of fabric. (Grandma will not be there when it is opened)

[Anonymous]

My inlaws wrapped a pen they got for free from a financial advisor. It had his name and number on it. Dh and I had no financial problems. All the other daughters and the other dil got jewelry. What is more sad is that I was not the dil the hated. Mil is 5"1". I am 5'9". When she gave me clothes, they were always her size.

[Anonymous]

A tshirt with a card from my cousin saying "So you finally have something else and can stop wearing that awful shirt you wear every day!"

The ugly shirt (it wasn't the same shirt, just a different shirt every day that looked the same) I wore every day? Was called my freaking school uniform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many.

One year my ILs gave my then 3 year old Christmas rattles, teethers, and squeaky toys. For a birthday gift. Because they had gotten the same thing for their then 2 month old grandchild and thought it was cute. I’m pretty sure there is generally no gift that is appropriate for both a 2 month old and a 3 year old.

My mother does something similar to this. She keeps getting very babyish board books for my 3yo and to make it worse we already own most of them (e.g., Boynton's The Going to Bed Book, Goodnight Moon, etc.)