Receiving a gift is generally thought to be a pleasant experience. However, certain gifts can be a disaster rather than a delight and might leave you with feelings of sadness, anger, or disappointment. Sometimes it's the circumstances surrounding the presentation of a gift that can change its meaning from exciting to hurtful.

I decided to learn more about what makes an awful gift and asked our Panda community to share their worst experiences yet.

To learn more about gift giving, bad gifts, and the importance of gift wrapping, Bored Panda got in touch with a gift wrapping expert, aka The Gift Wrapping Queen, Jane Means. Read the full interview below.

More info: Instagram | janemeans.com

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community When I was 10, I lost my cat to the road because my mother didn't believe in indoor cats, I was devastated. A few weeks later for x-mas, my aunt gave me a book called 101 Things To Do With A Dead Cat. I spent the rest of the evening crying.

20 years later, I sang Ding Dong the Witch is Dead in my head at her funeral. She was a hateful woman.

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If you have ever had trouble choosing a gift, you are not alone. These things can get tricky and time-consuming, but Jane might have a solution for you.“We often rush buying gifts during those time-poor occasions, such as Christmas and the holidays. You spend your well-earned cash on gifts that leave the recipients disappointed. A good idea is to buy gifts throughout the year and place post-it notes on them. Keep them ready in a bottom drawer. Gifts don’t have to be valuable, but it’s important to think about the recipient when buying.”
#2

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Nothing. My family forgot to get me anything at all for Christmas one year. The husband and kids all forgot. I was in my 40s but felt like a child that had been kicked. I've never forgotten how it felt.

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#3

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My mother bought me a dress from a high-end fashion catalog that I had been drooling over for weeks. I was ecstatic until I noticed it was the wrong size. I was about to tell her the seller made a mistake, but she cut me off, saying "Something to work towards will motivate you to lose weight." She intentionally ordered a medium, I wear XL. My Christmas gift was just a new way to fat-shame me.
She told me about her plans to buy an expensive NFL team jacket for my brother's birthday... Something he and my father had both admired.
She said she was ordering a size medium. He wore an XXL. She said she refused to buy a larger size "so he'll get off his lazy butt and do something about his weight."
I told her she was psychotic and cruel and that she shouldn't bother buying it since neither of us would be coming home for any more celebrations.
She told me I was disgusting and selfish and an embarrassment.
Nice, huh?

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We all have been in a place where re-gifting might have been the best option. Whether you went with it or not, gift wrapping is also part of a gift, and it might change how the recipient will perceive your gift.“The whole point of gifting is to make the recipient feel valued and special so the gift is as important as the wrapping. If you do re-gift items, it’s crucial that you make a note so you aren’t giving the gift back. If you received a gift that’s not likely to be appreciated, you may be better off selling it on an online marketplace, such as eBay, and buying something you or they want with the proceeds.

The other suggestion is to gift something completely unsuitable as a joke, and then take the recipient out for coffee and cake in their favorite café.

If you are re-gifting anything, the wrapping can look amazing, which heightens the senses, only for the recipient to be disappointed at the final stage. When re-gifting anything, choose carefully who it goes to,” wrote Jane.
#4

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community At the time I was mortified my great-aunt gave me underwear for Christmas, but now that I realize she was very poor but a complete sweetheart, it was actually the best present I have ever received. It's not a coincidence she was born on Valentine's Day, and I miss her every day.

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#5

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Our Christmas gift at work was a chocolate-covered apple. For the Christmas potluck (yes, we had to provide for our own party) I sliced mine up and brought it. The boss's face!

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If you happen to always struggle with gift-giving and worry about choosing a bad gift, here is what Jane suggests to you.

“It’s always a good idea to find out and note down anything your friends and family like. It’s easy to engage in conversation to find out what they love, what their hobbies are and what is their favorite color, etc.

The best place to get feedback is to go on a shopping trip with that person as you quickly hear their desires and feedback. (I have often run back to the shop to buy something when a friend has commented how gorgeous a particular item is and not bought it!)

Anything personalized or with some humor is always well received… for instance, you could have a T-shirt made up with ‘Gardening Guru’ if they are green-fingered, or subscribe to a magazine they are likely to enjoy reading with a box of their favorite tea. This makes their leisure time enjoyable throughout the year, and it’s the thought that counts.

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Although I’m not a personal shopper, I love to take my time buying gifts and always put a lot of thought into the process. As we are so busy with our gift-wrapping service at Christmas, it’s vital that I buy early and be organized. Gifts do not need to be valuable, but it’s the thought and first impressions that count, and presentation is everything.”
#6

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My weirdo father gave us 3 boys each a special present one year. He gave me a dirt bike (imagine my excitement), my brother the key (to my dirt bike, and I didn't get one), and my other brother - he gave all the gas. Apparently, nothing worked without something from my brothers. We all had to get along to make it go . . . . I'm not sure if my pop was genius or demented. (Probably both)

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#7

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My inlaws expected a gift for every single holiday (including birthdays, retirements, and anniversaries) even when we were struggling, but when my birthday came around they gave me a card without anything written inside except their names. A gift isn’t necessary, but you can’t even say something nice?

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Whether you are experienced with gift wrapping or not, Jane runs an online gift wrapping course “Wrap with Jane” where you can learn or improve your skills. Luckily for you, dear Pandas, this course is now 20% off with promo code BOREDPANDA.

And here is just one of the tips Jane has for you today on difficult gifts to wrap. “Usually, this depends on the size and shape. For instance, if you’re trying to wrap something huge like a bicycle, a roll of paper won’t be wide enough and will not mold around the item well. For extra-large items that are a weird shape, I always opt for a paper tablecloth or some fabric. It is larger in size and can mold easily around the gift.”

“We recently gift-wrapped a drum kit for a well-known celebrity with 32 meters of fabric!”
#8

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A birthday card from my dad, three months late, and he spelled my name wrong.

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#9

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Over the years I have collected quite a stash of gifts that I have never used for one reason or another. Someone once gave me a nose hair trimmer in the shape of a great, big, yellow finger, for example. So I understand the motivation behind this thread. I just don't agree with it.

Every time I have chosen and given a gift to anyone, it has been done with the intention of improving that person's day, even if it only raises a brief smile. When I receive a gift I only consider what is in the giver's heart rather than what is in the parcel before me. So even if the gift is a great, big, yellow finger, I am grateful for it, because it shows that the giver cares enough to go out, choose it, buy it, and wrap it. And great, big, yellow fingers can't be that easy to wrap.

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#10

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community No one wished me Happy Birthday when I turned 11. They completely forgot about it because it was on a Monday and we had to celebrate it on the weekend (which was fine by me). I just wanted someone to say something nice to me on the very day I was born, even if I wouldn't get a present. Instead, I got yelled at for "being selfish".
For me, it wasn't the worst birthday present, but the worst birthday "day".

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#11

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I'm not religious, but my grandparents are. When I was 14 they gave me a copy of The Purpose Driven Life, a Christian book. I stuck it on my shelf and was like, oh well, whatever, not gonna read it. I felt kinda crappy about it because they made it clear they thought I was going to hell.
Six months later my best friend pulled it off the shelf and started flipping through it, reading passages ironically, and found $20 bills tucked into the pages randomly.
Like. They were trying to pay me to convert? It was pretty funny at the time. We shook the cash out and spent it on pizza. That part of the present was great actually. But the book, not so much.
In hindsight, I laugh about it. I thought this list could use a laugh, a lot of these are sad.

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#12

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community This text for me from my mother.
"Your uncle died today, happy birthday".

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#13

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My family went on vacation to Disney World while I was in school and sent me complementary hotel toiletries as a gift.

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#14

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My mother-in-law came to visit us for Christmas. Our relationship was already rocky as she would wait for my husband to leave the room and then start berating me about my weight.
(I was hit by a car when I was walking while pregnant, so I put on a lot of weight from bed rest and just haven't been able to lose it.) And when she wasn't making me feel self-conscious, she was talking down to her partner and generally treating him badly.
She's also a hoarder who lives on attending and doing yard sales. Lives. For. It.

I didn't have high hopes for Christmas. I wasn't expecting any gifts from her, and I was okay with that. Four or five gifts in for my husband she tossed me a small package.
Inside? A rusted angel ornament.
"I hope you like it, I couldn't sell it at the yard sale for a nickel."

The trash gained an angel that year, and now she doesn't gift me anything at all anymore.

Bonus, she doesn't come to visit anymore either. Merry Christmas to me!

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#15

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My mom has received some pretty awful gifts. One year, my dad got her a pedometer for her birthday and nothing else. For mother's day, my grandparents gave her a broom. I still feel bad for her.

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#16

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Almost all the gifts I received from my late aunt. Old-fashioned, worn-out bags or clutches that she wouldn't wear anymore; stained clothes (which sometimes had holes too); outdated touristic guides from the '60s; any object that she wanted to get rid of; useless flyers and ads that she'd collect from her vacations. I felt angry and humiliated, and all the "gifts" ended out in the trash bin after her visits.
There is a lesson I learned from this - never treat people like that. Get a proper gift. A flower or some fresh fruits are rather cheap and will always be better than your personal trash. And if you still decide to give personal items, make sure they have some value (such as a useful book, a jewel, or an old painting).

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#17

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community The same distinctive bottle of alcohol I gifted them 2 years earlier.

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#18

When I was a kid I had a favorite Barbie doll with long hair. I loved her so much and brought her with me everywhere. I had an Aunt who told me she was going to do something for my doll for my birthday and so I thought she was making her a little outfit or something, so I gave her the doll and on my birthday she gave her back to me with her hair chopped short and she said, "isn't it so chic? She looks so modern and pretty!!" I was legit so upset about it. It's not like her hair will grow back you jerk!

I'm 43 and still salty about it. I was talking to my mom just the other day because the aunt had called for the first time in a while and I just squinted my eye and she knew I was thinking about what she did to my doll, lol.

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#19

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A bottle of wine with the price tag still attached - $1.00.

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#20

After 25 years of marriage, husband forgot my birthday. When I reminded him, he insisted I was wrong, but said he had my card in his car. He came back with a sloppy stupid note written on trash from his car. We're divorced, of course. Maybe he remembers his new wife's birthday, I don't know, as long as he remembers my support check, I'm very happy.

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#21

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A metal strap watch. From my ex. Despite him knowing that I absolutely hate metallic stuff. I don't wear even any kind of jewelry. I despise wearing any. All this after 6 years of being together. The added insult was him saying 'giving you gifts has become an obligation'

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#22

Trust issues! At Christmas when I was 7 or 8 I was on the phone with my auntie who lived abroad and she said she would send me something for my birthday (which was a few weeks later). I was excited - what kid wouldn't be? My birthday came, but the gift didn‘t. I thought nothing of it....maybe it takes so long, because the package comes from abroad (neighboring country). I checked the mailbox every day after school - it was long after Easter when I finally stopped. It didn‘t get lost in the mail, she simply forgot.
Moral of the story: Never promise something you can't or won't keep - especially to a child.

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#23

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A book on how to handle my introverted mindset.

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#24

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I grew up in a rural area. Neighbors were miles away. I was the youngest of 3 and we were many years apart in age.
In other words, I only had “school” friends.
Yet, my parents got me multi-player board games. Like, sorry, you won’t be getting to the Head Of The Class in this Game Of Life.

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#25

Suddenly a lot of makeup... Right after I came out as nonbinary.
I got back at her by using it to do goth makeup, clown makeup, and sfx stuff and sending her pictures.

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#26

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I got a rotten pumpkin... Worst. Birthday. EVER.

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#27

Spoons.
My dad thought it would be a fun joke to give his son, fresh home from college after having eaten nothing but soup for a month...spoons. For Christmas. This was after I had told them all about what I had been going through. It was the first present I opened. I was so heart broken while he just giggled like he'd done something clever. I just dropped them and went back to my room and locked the door sobbing. Both me and Mom were so upset by that Christmas and the lack of effort he put into getting us anything that we actually didn't celebrate Christmas the next year. I don't know if he ever learned anything from the experience. I've given up caring about people who don't even know me...

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#28

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community For my 17th birthday, my mother gave me a carton of cigarettes. This was about a month after my stepfather and I had a knock-down drag-out fight, which I lost. She made her choice as to which one of us was more important. I was living with my father at the time. The worst part? Christmas was three weeks later and guess what I got for that one?
Another carton of Marlboros.

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#29

There was a year when one sister got a scrapbook set (complete with scissors, paper books, embellishments, etc). Another sister got a new TV, brother got tires for his truck... I got a pair of $7 earrings that were hideous.

Husband: sister and brother had tons of presents, beautifully wrapped, including new PlayStation... He received a black garbage bag of clothes- not in his size, with the clearance Kmart sticker on them. Nothing wrapped nicely. Just the trash bag.

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#30

For my 35th birthday, my mother gave me absolutely nothing, not even a card. I wouldn't have cared, but 6 days earlier, she gave my husband a card, $100 and a beautiful cake. One of the many reasons she is no longer allowed in my life.

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#31

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A birthday card, wishing me a Happy 30th Birthday. On my 29th birthday. From my mother.

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#32

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not a gift for me, but my in-laws gave my son a trash can a few birthdays ago.

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#33

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Used soap! My grandparents were poor farmers and never gave gifts to my brother and me. Except for one year, I received a gift in the mail, wrapped and everything! I was 9 and felt so special. Inside was a large, pink, scented heart soap. Okay .. then I noticed a line around the middle, it opened up and there was a key made of soap inside. It had been used a few times already. I was so sad!! It took me years to realize how poor they really were and had probably gotten it from their church not knowing that it had been used! But at 9…

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#34

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Everything my mom and stepdad bought me as a kid. Literally, everything felt like it was designed to remind me that they had no idea who I was or were intentionally ignoring what they should have known about me.
Usually, really girly/feminine gifts when I was an overt tomboy (trans but we didn't have the verbage for that in the 90s), but not as like a manipulative tactic, they didn't care that I was a tomboy at all, they weren't trying to change me, they just didn't bother to notice anything about my personality. I kept just asking to go to the library more often or get new books, and the closest thing they did was get me American Girl books which were waaay below my reading level and not my preferred genre. I pointed out a cheap boys' bike at a thrift shop, and they got me a more expensive one that was a brand new heavy pastel pink cruiser with streamers. Even when they'd ask what I wanted they just didn't listen.
To their credit I never told them I didn't like the things they got me, that felt like it would be super rude, but it was hurtful and uncomfortable enough over the years that I stopped talking about my birthdays in hopes they would just forget.

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#35

When I was seven, my great-grandma bought my 2 cousins hundreds of dollars worth of toys, which I got to see them open. Then I was given my gift, volume 1 of an animal encyclopedia that you got for free with any purchase at the grocery store. I was pretty excited at first thinking about all the books I was going to have to read when the rest of the series came, until I found out volume 1 was the entirety of my present.

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#36

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community The Evil Goat Puzzle. My uncle took a photo of some mountain goats, got the photo turned into a 2,000-piece puzzle, and gave it to my grandparents. It would've been cool, but the resolution of the photo was so bad, and the colors were all the same (just gray, black, brown, and white) so it took us MONTHS to finish. Every time anyone visited my grandparents, they'd have to work on the Evil Goat Puzzle. My grandparents just couldn't manage it on their own.

(Oh, I forgot to mention! When my grandparents first started working on the Evil Goat Puzzle, my uncle decided to help them. They made a lot of progress in the first couple of days. Unfortunately, they'd started it on the kitchen counter, so they had to move it to another table. My grandma was about to move it using some cardboard, but my uncle got frustrated and took the whole thing apart. It was a bad, bad day.)

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#37

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Used foot lotion. It was a secret Santa in the family that year. My youngest sister gave it to me. I guess she was too young to realize she could spend money instead of stealing it from our mom's closet 🤷‍♀️

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#38

I still laugh about this. I absolutely do not like cake. Don't like the texture. Don't like the sweetness. Just not a fan. Never was. For my birthday I always ask for a pie instead of a cake. My wife and I were together for several years at this point and she knows my unusual dislike of cake and had always gotten me some type of pie. I loved every one. One year. She gets me a chocolate cake. I'm weird and don't like chocolate either. The wife and kids were happy to finish the cake. I bought myself a pie during my lunch break.

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#39

“What Is The Worst Gift You Ever Received?”: 45 Undeniably Bad Gifts, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I got a sponge with a face drawn on it for my birthday, courtesy of my Uncle Corey. He didn't get any birthday cake.

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#40

Got a trip to spain from my mother. As soon as we took of, she told me I have to pay for it.

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Merenwen Alcarin
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#41

A baby pink, polyester pants suit with a matching bejeweled sweater. For my 30th birthday. Apparently I was a “grown up” now and expected to dress as such. Shrug.

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#42

my dad gave me a pizza pan he originally bought to try out on a frozen pizza because he forgot to buy me an actual gift

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#43

not me, but my husband. my mother didn't like him, but then again, she didn't like anyone. she gave my husband a mcdonalds happy meal toy one year. and another year, she gave my brother cans of slimfast, all wrapped individually.

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kitteh floof lover
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#44

One year, I gave lovely gifts to my brother, his wife and two kids for Christmas - but all I got was a fake potatohead with watercress for hair.
I kept waiting for the 'real' gift, but none came...

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Kirsten Mikkelsen
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#45

nothing at all! any and all gifts are appreciated here

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muffin kid
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#46

A coupon for an online dating service... At a time when I wasn't even halfway my divorce and my children didn't want anything to do eith me under the influence of their father. So I was absolutely NOT feeling like a new relationship.

Thank god my children eventually reached out to me and we were reconnected after 2 years :)

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MCB
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#47

Every year on Christmas morning I have to sit and watch as my kids, husband, and mother in law open gifts that I have spent a lot of time and thought into getting while I'll be lucky to even receive one gift. Also, this year on my birthday I didn't receive anything.

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Nikkie Nothing
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#48

my cousin once gave me a plus-sized catalog to banana republic. for my birthday. needless to say, it made me feel terrible. i love making him feel bad about it though :)

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your sarcastic bestie
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#49

When I was 15, I went to my boyfriends family for Xmas, his mother gave me dish cloths “For when we get our first place together”

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Ruth Cross
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#50

Coal in a iPhone box...

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23points
Organized Chaos
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#51

my birth

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Final score:
21points
Cole Grosso
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#52

A pair of used socks from my aunt and uncle. The icing on the cake is my sister got an adorable fluffy deer plush while being told she was their favorite niece. They didn't even try to whisper. -_-

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Final score:
21points
Introverted Idiot
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#53

In the Netherlands we have a holiday called Sinterklaas where it's costum to give kids a big bag filled with gifts on December the 5th. When i was 10, someone (i assume my moms abusive ex) left a huge "present bag" filled with just trash. He also told me i would probably grow up to become a red district worker. Once again, i was only 10 years old.

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Final score:
20points
Seraphine
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#54

A pair of China pig figurines. One was in a baseball uniform, one was in workout gear. I do not play baseball, nor am I a gym person; I don’t like pigs and I don’t collect figurines of any type. This was from a boyfriend for whom I’d bought clothing from his favourite store and a game he’d been in raptures over. China frigging pigs.

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Final score:
19points
supertall
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#55

I've had my share of forgotten birthdays and hideous gifts (I love you, Gran, but Hulk-green, hairy winter boots, reminiscent of Mr Burns' gorilla vest or artificial grass with long, stiff, 4cm long bristles?! Where did you even find those?)

But the worst gift, and I say this with a heavy heart as a lover of all books, came from my mother. A few weeks before my 24th birthday, I told her my boyfriend and I were getting married. My birthday came and I received a small stack of books (not wrapped, no card, just handed over to me) which as a bookworm, I was excited about until I saw what they were. My mom being a devout catholic (me, not so much) gave me: 1. book on the evils of premarital sex (well, that boat had sailed already and you had me out of wedlock, mother!), 2. pamphlet on how the more children one has the better and a refresher on how sex works (I'm 24, mother! Also, your only child?) and the top prize goes to number 3: oversized, fully illustrated encyclopedia-size tome on procreation, family planning, etc. One of the chapters featured a series of full-page images of a woman, stripped naked, on a table with her legs open among blood, faeces and other unidentified gore, at various stages of giving birth. She was surrounded by men, fully dressed in black and wearing masks (mind you, I didn't particularly expect them to be naked as well!) somehow giving the feeling that this was a ritual performed by a cult and not a normal hospital birth. I was traumatised that day enough that I never wanted to have children. The books *somehow* were lost when I moved in with my husband. Never read any of them.

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Final score:
19points
Min Cee
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#56

QUARANTINE ON MY SWEET SIXTEENTH... thanks to my lovely friend who gave it to me.🤣 I was not really ready to deal with that at the time so I just slept the entire day. At one point I got up because I got hungry and Im sitting on the couch having tea when my little sister (13) comes up to me and asks " So, you're 16 now...how does it feel?" And I, still half asleep replied " I'm too old for my age' then put my cup away and crept back into bed. One year later, it still remains one of our family inside jokes. I got an e-poster my little sister designed this year with this "quote" on it🤣

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18points
Fadhuwa Hussain
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#57

My brother once got me to wrap my own Christmas present, saying it was for his girlfriend's parents. I was so careful to do a nice job and make it look perfect for them. Then to my surprise the gift that I had been so happy to help wrap and make special had my name on it... I guess I should have been happy for the present - it was a cassette tape of my new fave band at the time (I know, I am dating myself) but I felt so let down that he would trick me like that when I put so much effort into what I thought was helping him do something nice for someone else.

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18points
Martina Moreau
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#58

I was about 12. I desperately wanted to learn to play the guitar but I didn’t possess the instrument. One day my dad came home with a toy guitar. I was so disappointed and so angry that I tossed it in the closet. I never did learn guitar.

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17points
Chrissyfox
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#59

For my 21st, my mother gave me a bunch of flowers (carnations). Not great for a milestone birthday, but not the worst... until she told me that she was going to give me a family bracelet, but after she had it valued, decided to keep it! I think, actually telling me that, was one of the meanest things she could have done... To this day I can't even look at carnations without being reminded of that.
And yes, she's very well off. And no, I won't get that bracelet when she dies, as 1) she eventually sold it and 2) I'm pretty sure I'm not in the will anymore.

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Mads
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#60

A funeral plot for my 18th birthday

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17points
Steve
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#61

My old boss gave me a gift card for a restaurant I don't enjoy, Swiss Chalet, and worked for only one restaurant in the entire franchise.

Said store was on the other side of town, which I never go to.

I don't remember the amount specifically, but I think it was either $25 or $50.

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16points
CG
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#62

Everything that I was given from my MIL.

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16points
Inside looking out
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#63

I lived with my boyfriend in college, and we had to walk 7-8 blocks to the laundromat from our apartment. For Valentine’s Day one year, he bought me a folding cart, so I didn’t have to wait for his help to do “our” laundry. I could do it all by myself.

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Deanna Crichley
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#64

I was once given a button-up furry coat… without the buttons.

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15points
Radish The Rabbit
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#65

I got a cheap Christmas decoration from a great aunt I don’t really know. She had me for the family secret Santa. She got it for me because apparently “I was too old for toys” I was 10 at the time.

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15points
Viola Yarrow
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#66

Three offcuts sawn off a log and varnished for a wedding gift. Apparently the person was trying to pass them off as high-end 'plates. We passed them off as high-end bin fodder

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15points
Peej Maybe
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#67

My ex MIL once got me a tomato red blouse with a high neck & had long streams that were to be tied to make a large bow at the neck. It was hideous. To top it off she got me a size 12 (I've always been a petite person). 🙄

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14points
The Redhead
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#68

Not me but my grandmother. I was the oldest of all her grandchildren and from the time I was 4 until her last grandchild turned 18 about 25 years later, every grandchild gave her chocolate covered cherries for every special occasion. I have 12 siblings and cousins. Turns out grandma was allergic to cherries but my 12 year old uncle who took me shopping that first time wasn't. Grandma was too polite to tell her progeny until all of us were out of school.

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14points
Two_rolling_black_eyes
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#69

This is going to sound ungrateful. A sewing machine. I had saved up and bought myself a basic but reliable sewing machine which I loved and used all the time. My MIL had a fancy sewing machine and was upgrading to an even fancier one so for my birthday gave me the one she was replacing, saying now I could sell my old one. I appreciated the kind thought but preferred my own trusty machine. I knew it would sound ungrateful so I sold my machine as instructed. The gift machine was "temperamental" and I never really enjoyed sewing as much as I had before.

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11points
Sue Denham
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#70

For a wedding gift in 1970, my Dad presented me with a 1968 Mercury Colony Park with a 390 Cubic Inch engine, seating for 6 adults, 4 kids in back, got about 12 mpg. Similar to the family wagon in the movie Summer Vacation.
Perfect for a A1C (E-3) stationed in Marysville, CA, traveling to Tacoma, WA frequently (sarcasm font needed).

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11points
Rick Olson
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#71

A few years ago I finished writing my PhD after years of work. My supervisor gave me a chocolate biscuit past its sell date for months. I never had the chance to defend my PhD so I gave up a few months later

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Ha Ka
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#72

When I was 5 my mom told us 3 kids that my dad would be coming home from work with a big surprise. He was going to be bringing home some big present. She got us pumped up. I was so excited and my mind went crazy imagining all the wonderful things he could be bringing home. Sure enough, he had a big cardboard box with him when he came home and he put it on the floor for us kids to open. When we opened it, it was a filled with plastic closet hangers. What a let down.

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11points
Andrea Purzycki
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#73

Not me, but a friend of mine... she received a box of condoms from her husband on Christmas after purchasing him a nice gift. It broke her heart and was the last straw in their failed marriage. I still feel bad for her when I think about this.

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Ben Cantatore
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#74

Oh, I have another. One year, my now ex-husband didn’t get me any gifts, and instead told me he’d buy me any plastic storage containers I wanted… because he wanted more space in our shared dresser and wanted me to put my clothes under our bed.

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10points
supertall
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#75

I had a guy "friend" who was jealous of my relationship with one of his friends. So on my birthday, he gave me a large box filled with cow manure, and on top of it was a small box contain a uterine bolus (which is a medication for a prolapsed uterus of a cow).... we all worked together in a cattle feedyard. Needless to say, we were not friends after this.

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DDP
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#76

The cheapest weaving loom my rich aunt could buy.

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9points
Meep :b
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#77

For my high school graduation, now many years ago, my aunt hand sewed me a polyester caftan that looked like something Mrs Roper from "Three's Company" would wear. It was basically a tent with a hole for my head and two holes for my arms and made with hideous fabric. I know she meant well, but seriously, what 18 year old would wear something that looked like it belonged to a 55 year old - no me.

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Robin Roper
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#78

My mother told me she would buy my wedding dress. I didn’t know she ‘forgot’ until the dress shop called to say there were only a few days left if I still wanted it. I felt so embarrassed calling to remind her. In retrospect, I wish I would have bought my own dress and waited to see if she would notice.

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9points
Book Editing Maven
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#79

A coffee bean candle for my 30th birthday, from some "friends" who commented sarcastically that the gift could help me "chill a bit". It was a dreaded birthday for me, I felt old and done, and I was going through a rough time in my life. The last thing I needed was sarcasm. But 10 years later I gave one of these friends for his 40th a Yankee candle called "Sweet nothings", so... 🤷🏼‍♀️😚

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Final score:
8points
Magazine
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#80

A biiiiig pack of white paper napkins. I know they're given with a good heart, but I don't even use paper napkins. My grandma is convinced we need a lot of Christmas gifts because we enjoy opening them so much (the youngest of the siblings is 25) so instead of getting one good one or just not giving us anything, she buys a bunch of like, two dollar items and wraps them instead. It's annoying and a waste, but she insists so we deal.

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7points
WayoftheStarPrincess
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#81

A bible, received for Christmas when I was in 9th grade.

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7points
Al Majkrzak
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#82

My brother and sister-in-law (SIL hated me) gave me a Christmas gift that was the free gift that came with the cologne purchased for someone else.

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7points
TV Junkie
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#83

My grandpa got me a really cheap piano keyboard and spelt my name wrong. I was disappointed, but then a few months after he died. Now I keep a wrapping paper with my name he spelt wrong and the keyboard in safe places. I miss him.

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7points
Crybaby
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#84

My mother, a woman I do love very much, is a horrible gift giver. For my 25th birthday (which she forgot) she presented me with a recycled tin (think of a decorative container to hold fancy soaps) and pasted my god-awful 8th grade school photo on the lid and then filled the tin witch Q-tips. Why Q-tips? I have no idea!!! For the second and final gift (and I should preface this by saying my birthday is a few days after Christmas and I despise getting Christmas themed gifts, which she knows) she presented me with a set of the ugliest, tackiest snowman dishes. They still had the heavily marked down price tag, which meant she found them on super sale and then kept them in her “gift closet” until unloading them on me. It was horrible. She spent a total of 6 minutes and $9 on the whole catastrophe. I am very much a “thought that counts” person so it was the fact that she put not a modicum of thought into those gifts. Between forgetting my birthday and the gifts, my feelings were so hurt I sat in the parking lot of the restaurant and cried before driving home.

I have asked my mother about this a few times. Her responses vary from “that never happened” to “I was trying to be funny” to “you were too selfish to appreciate the kind gesture” She has never apologized

My mom does not struggle with mental illness, she is not in the early stages of dementia, and she really does put a lot of thought into the gifts she gives other people, just not her children apparently…

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DrLivingstonipresume
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#85

My boyfriend died on my 25th birthday. Self inflicted.

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sarah downer
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#86

My then husband presented me with a broken watch that he’d picked up in one of the charity shops he ran.
This is the same man that would give me a detailed and long list of items he wanted. If I didn’t/couldn’t buy the entire list he would go out after Christmas and buy the missing gifts for himself.

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Brenhines Cidu
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#87

A puzzle 😭 I just don’t like puzzles and I can barely do them-

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6points
lydtheweirdo
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#88

A store had a stack of Mystery Gifts and my dad decided to buy one for each of us kids. My sisters pulled from the "Girls" pile while I, a boy, hesitated.

My dad shot me an angry look and, as usual, said something abusive while he took something from the "Boys" pile for me.

With no excitement whatsoever, I unwrapped it -- and found a weird baseball-themed board game.

I didn't like baseball then and I don't like baseball now. But the important thing is, gender stereotypes weren't upset. Thanks, dad!

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Roman Hans
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#89

My high school graduation 1992. Our family priest gave me $20, which was a huge deal! My godfather who was an international pilot for a major airline got me a novelty pencil.

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Regina Granat
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#90

On Christmas day, I received a $10 gift certificate to Super America (gas station) from my older brother, his wife & 2 adult kids (all 4 working full time, youngest kid was 28).
Dinner was at 1p & the gift certificate was date-stamped “December 25, 11am”. I think I said something snarcastic like “way to go all out & really put an effort in”…🙄
This is the same brother who got me a ‘mug tree’ w/4 coffee mugs when I was in 5th grade.
Worst gift giver EVER 😹…every Christmas we all took bets for who was gonna get the worst or most insulting thing.

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Mj - MSP
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#91

At the time they were suspect at best but over the years they became legendary. My aunt bought for my new wife and I a hand blown glass boar Xmas or ornament and a monkey (with his arms out holding two candles, wearing some sort of military garb) lamp. This lamp still sits beside my now wife of 16 years chair, sadly the boar only made it a couple years. The lamp holds a significant amount of sentimental value as my Aunt Linda had since passed. She was definitely one of a kind.

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MrMojorisin
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#92

Reece's pieces


I'm allergic to peanuts

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Chickens are fluffy
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#93

My grandmother asked my mom what I wanted for Christmas. (I was maybe 8?) I said I wanted a treasure chest like books talked about. Nothing inside, just a wooden chest. My mother came back to say to my grandmother thought it too expensive. I was bummed, but let it go. Same Christmas, I got something small, but my cousin Zack got a wooden chest filled with toys.

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Gwyn Adams
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#94

My MIL gave my 15 yr(F) daughter a sweater comb to pick off the lint balls from her sweaters. We had a big laugh and chalked it up to, “Oh, Grandma…”. Bless her heart.

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Gina Whitt
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#95

Several years ago my elderly next door neighbour died of colon cancer in October. At Christmas his widow gave me his used underwear. (At least they were clean)

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Andrew Thomas
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#96

im bout 14 and they completley forgot :(

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~ SuperCarsFan ~
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#97

We used to babysit my brothers kids lot. there's a large age gap between him and my husband and I. Anyway, he said the two girls every year Christmas week wouldn't pay bills or skip rent or something so we could buy all of them some nice things for Christmas and do it invariably get us some leftover lotion or bubble bath from Bath and Bodyworks, or something. It was left over from a gift someone else gave them. even when my brother remarried we would give everyone something nice and also pitched in most of the money for a karaoke machine for his two daughters. no one got us anything except his wife managed to find us a pasta serving dish from the 99 Cents store before we went home that afternoon. We always helped them out with babysitting etc. And then I had a baby and I couldn't give bothered to come to our welcome, baby party much less send a card or even make a phone call. it's terrible to say that I am so sad and angry after all we did for them, but I am. I stopped talking to them for several years, because I just felt so sad that they never cared and never would. My sister and brother clean out my dad's house when my brother graciously moved my father into a retirement home. My brother takes great care of my dad. But this tiny thing to me is it didn't ask me if I wanted to help nor did they save so much as a photograph which is really all I would've wanted; some pictures. The sad thing is, I can't seem to make myself not care about them, even though they don't care about me. it's the same with my sister; she will send some cheap crappy gift like the tiniest all over the basket with five chocolates in it for Alex my son for Christmas. we always try and send her something nice. but the reality is she doesn't care either. for a while, my husband and I weren't getting along and I told my sister about it, but she never called to check on me, I had cancer and I told my brother and sister about it they never called to see if I was OK. I just broke my leg two months ago. Do you think that is one of them can call and see how I'm doing nope I'm astounded that I still care about people that don't care about me at all. I'm not sure how to fill that void with other people sigh what do you do to not miss what is supposed to exist?

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Nene Miu Miu
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#98

When i was a kid, people would ask me what i wanted for Christmas, and i would quote Lucy from Peanuts, answering “real estate.”

Around age 14 i got a box of gift wrapped dirt from a cousin. It spilled on me as i was tearing the paper. I was too mortified to appreciate the joke back then, but now it’s funny

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Sunshine Daydream
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#99

Growing up in Alaska my moms side of the family was really upset that My mother would get with a white man SMH Every Christmas my cousins would get 3 to 4 gifts a piece. My brother and I would get 1 gift to share. Usually like the smallest box of Legos or one year we had to share I think it's called Pick up sticks ?? The game with the colorful plastic sticks that you take turns to pick them up with out moving any other stick. And all because we were half white. She used to have the letter from them telling her how bad a idea it would be to marry a white man. My parents tried to make it up to us but we were poor as heck and most of the time if we didn't get adopted by a family for Christmas we didn't get any gifts. I was always so happy to be adopted by a family because 99% of the time they dropped off a big box of food along with the gifts and they normally got everything on your wishlist.

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Exhausted Panda
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#100

While in college, my boyfriend handed me a gift for my birthday. When I peeled off the wrapping paper, I found a jewelry gift box underneath. I was not looking for an engagement ring, but I do like jewelry!
Inside the box was a membership to a gym. Not a thing that had been discussed at all! Then he proudly told me that he got a gym membership also and when he signed up, he got a free membership.( my gift )

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Jen Mart
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#101

A coconut monkey, A coconut turtle missing a leg & A vase with a hole in the side of it. All from the same person, different years...

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MCathenaE
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#102

Life

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Paul Ellis
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#103

A mug in which my face was so badly photoshopped that it looked like I didn't have a nose.

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Hestia
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#104

Cancer

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Spamming Troll 2.0
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#105

When I was 6 my grandma stopped over during my birthday party. Not even getting out of the car, she handed me my gift which was in a brown paper bag. It was a box of tissue with a fuzzy pink dog cover. Since it was the only gift I can ever remember her giving me, I use to brush the dog and put barrettes in its fur, while of course still being on the box of tissue.

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Susan Navarro
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#106

As adults, we siblings and our spouses really didn't expect gifts anymore from "Mom" . But when she decided to stop and gave us her reasons, it was bizarre. Because she didn't like one siblings spouse, (and they have since divorced) she didn't want to give gifts to him, so she wouldn't give any to anyone because she didn't want to be caught singling him out. But didn't start back up after the divorce, so as not to make the divorced sibling feel bad. She also took down all wedding photos, again to not make the one sibling feel bad. She kept giving her grandkids money till they turned eighteen, then cut them off too. Not for lack of funds either, and gifts had always been money, because she couldn't be bothered. Now that the grandkids are getting married and having babies, she's saying she doesn't have to give them gifts because she's the grandma? And she never acknowledges anyones birthday or anniversary anymore, not a card not a call not a word. Not even the grandkids. Quote unquote, I can't be bothered. And to be clear, it's not the material thing that matters, but the complete lack of caring. An example we are intending make sure is not passed down thru the generations

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firecrackershrimp
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#107

30th birthday. Half a doz wrapped gifts. All IOUs. The worst part? I never received any of them

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samlhalverson
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#108

Shortly after our father died from multiple illnesses directly related to alcoholism, my brother bought me a very large bottle of brandy. I didn’t drink then, and I still don’t.
The same year, my mother bought me (a tomboy) three pairs of old lady tights, giant flowery underwear and microwave dishes for the microwave I didn’t own.

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Kay Phillips
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#109

A box full of Avon lipstick SAMPLES. My brother got family heirlooms the same Christmas.

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Madb vonMesser
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#110

Super rich girl, lived in like a three story house and was my best friend at the time. It was Valentines day and I spent like $15 on this over-priced little stuffed animal she really wanted, plus the price of a big box of chocolates. This girl gets like, an actual $20 a week for allowance and is allowed to ask her parents for money. But she got me a $1.99 box of stale chocolates and a card that was 50¢ that she quickly wrote her name very large in the blank. The worst part is that when she gave me the card my name was spelt wrong on the cheap envelope. I thanked her and didn't much care until about a year later when she gave me the same stuffed animal I gave her last year and claimed she spent $30 dollars on it "so I better like it." She looked super embarrassed when I reminded her that was the gift I got her last year. Needless to say we are no longer friends.

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popkjnhbvgc
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#111

Not receiving a gift at all. I realize that is not exactly what the question was supposed to mean. However, if they gave you any gift, they gave you the gift of thinking about you. No gift means they were not thinking of you and/or they couldn't be bothered to get you anything.

I did once receive a book from goodwill that had pages missing. Though, the person was not well off and it was a book he thought I would like. His heart was in the good place.

I also once received Squatty Potty. You are supposed to place your feet on it so you can poop easier. It was an office Christmas gift that I opened in front of the whole office.

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beeker
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#112

My husband and I have a contemporary home, almost modern compared to the homes my in-laws have. Their tastes are very conservative and traditional - nothing wrong with that, but our home has bold colors, clean simple lines, etc. I have received many gifts over the years I would never use or have chosen for myself, but the best/worst one was a ceramic rooster, about 18 inches tall, for holding cooking utensils. I cannot fathom why anyone in the world who knew us or had ever been to our home would think that was a good gift.

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ThisIsMe
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#113

My wife pre-paid for a weight loss consultation and program with a medical clinic. That one really hurt.

...despite the fact that I needed it and it started me down the road towards significant weight loss...

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LakeMonster
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#114

My Grandma always gave me things that I already had or clothes that were at least one size too small. However, for my 13th birthday, I got an NBA tank top and athletic short pair. Sounds good, right? The problem is, they looked ugly AF and they were three sizes too small. Also, I’m not a tank top kind of person.

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QuanτumSpace2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣
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#115

We got a gift certificate for beef printed on color copy paper. No bar code. No code of any kind. It was a serious gift that literally said it was good for 10 dollars worth of beef wherever beef is sold. WTF? At least my in-laws were able to use it where they live.

Also my grandma would always buy me clothes in the wrong size, for the wrong season, with no tags attached.

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Final score:
3points
hamptliz
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#116

Peanut butter cookies from my grandmother. I'm deathly allergic.

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Final score:
3points
Goldie Gold
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#117

My husband has given me bath towels for my birthday… not once, not twice, but three (3) times lol!

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Final score:
3points
Lore
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#118

Porcelain dolls, I have a fear of porcelain dolls, and the dolls gave me nightmares, and I’m pretty sure they were cursed, because I couldn’t look at them without being scared, but the story has a happy ending, my mom got rid of the demonic dolls from hell, and I slept soundly knowing that the dolls are gone, hopefully forever.

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Final score:
3points
Charlie Spring Fan (He/Him)
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#119

For my sweet sixteen, my dad got me a book on how to be a better person. When I got upset he said, "Well, I told you I wasn't buying you a car." (Because he bought my sister a car for her 16th.) Suffice to say I still have to work on my self-esteem.

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Final score:
3points
Gwyn Adams
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#120

my pet fish died and the day after my friend gave me a book on how to make sushi. i think it was meant to be funny but it wasnt to 10 year old me

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Final score:
3points
gerald.
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#121

Makeup from my sister in law.

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Final score:
2points
Anita Ledford
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#122

A clock, that tells me what day it is. Great gift as an adult, but I got it when I was 12...

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Final score:
2points
Bekki Sala
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#123

It's a tie!
1. My brother in law gifted everyone a brand new pair of sneakers one Christmas. He got me a necklace repair kit.
2. For our first wedding anniversary, I got my husband a wooden box with some of our first dance song lyrics engraved on the inside. One of my gifts from him was a sign for my desk at work that said "You don't have to be crazy to work here, we'll train you."

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Final score:
2points
Freelove
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#124

I was especially excited that day and my rival was too jealous, so he popped two tarantulas in a box, wrapped it and gave them to me. I was happy to recieve it but when I opened it, it ruined the day somehow, 'cause I'm arachnophobic.

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Final score:
2points
Maddy Panda
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#125

My dad had gotten sick in spring and spent a week in hospital. My mother was more ashamed than worried about him because he slept in underwear at home and he had no pyjamas the first day until she bought some. So for Christmas, we all got “hospital stuff”: robe, pyjamas, slippers, and the like. We were 13 and 8 years old. She may as well as given us a card that said “Merry Christmas. You’ll be dead soon.”
The following year she bought us each one big gift: skis! I was over the moon! Definitely did not expect a gift like that. Then she decided they were too high-maintenance and decided to get cheap, plastic “backyard skis”. She brought the others back, only found one cheap pair, and gave them to my brother. She chose not to get me another gift because it was too much hassle.

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Final score:
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Time Travelling Kelli
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#126

The first is a weird gift... An old friend gifted me a squash for my 13th birthday. It was in a box on the porch. Nothing was said about it.

The second is the gift of life :'}

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2points
Gay Doctor of Plague
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#127

An axe and a saw.

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1point
suskaa
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#128

My little brother was born on Christmas and he's really annoying. He also digs his nails into my skin when he gets angry at me, which is technically domestic abuse, but he only does it because I'm so much bigger than him, so his punches and kicks don't hurt me. DISCLAIMER: I do not physically hurt him until he hurts me, and I only do it to stop him.

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Final score:
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Sooploosh MacSchnibble
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#129

Life.

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1point
Squidward
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#130

A bowling ball. Parents promised that if I graduated they would get me a car. I graduated and got a bowling ball. No I didn't bowl but always told parents we were going to bowling alley when we went out causing trouble. Guess I deserved the bowling ball lol

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Final score:
1point
Vince Eagle
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#131

The worst gift I ever got Was A some socks that weren't for me

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Dyson A Lopez-Eddy
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#132

This happened to my grandfather. One year my mother was wrapping Christmas presents in boxes we had around the house. My mom got my grandfather something he wanted (I don't remember what) and wrapped it in a cereal box. My papa tried so hard to be thankful "Is this what you eat every morning," until we told him his gift was in the box. We were all chagrined. Even worse incident that same Christmas was when we bought my uncle fairly something on his list but wrapped it in an apple iPad box

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I am an Alien
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#133

I was 7 when my grandma gave me one of those bad watches that break immediately, it broke in 6 seconds. I was so sad but my grandma got me a really cool one, so it all works out.
-_(")_/-

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1point
Calvin Gramling
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#134

My aunt and uncle gave me a toilet light…

I like them and they’re nice but still.

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Final score:
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CertifiedCatServant (he/him)
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#135

The gift of life.

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Andrzej Ruszkowski
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#136

A toilet bowl cleaner shaped like a penguin. The gift giver thought it whimsical.

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Final score:
0points
shawn mckinney
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#137

A bowling ball. Parents promised that if I graduated they would get me a car. I graduated and got a bowling ball. No I didn't bowl but always told parents we were going to bowling alley when we went out causing trouble. Guess I deserved the bowling ball lol

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Final score:
-1point
Vince Eagle
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#138

A fellow teacher I met my first year at the second campus of my private school in NY. She told me she had forgotten to buy a secret Santa gift and asked if I could pick one up for her. I bought a nice bottle of wine and a gift bag and gave it to her in her classroom. For some reason while we were out that night she started yelling at me, I left and went back to the school party. I had no idea what triggered her (still don't). The last day of school before break I found a gift from her on my chair with a card written out from her, I was surprised to say the least. It wasn't until I got home that I saw it was the same bottle of wine I had bought for her.
So a) she didn't turn in her secret Santa, someone was left without a gift and b) she decided to be petty about it. We both kept working at the school but I would go the long way between classes so I could avoid seeing her.
Still have no idea what I did to annoy her. I assume she went back to her home country or elsewhere, not sure.

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Final score:
-2points
Hammer
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