To not understand the trend for 'hampers' as presents

[Lockdownlumpy]

Am I the only one who doesn't get, or go in for this trend?
My Facebook is full of people selling or making 'hampers' but I'm not talking about a wicker basket and luxury food, these are a plastic basket with a few things from the pound shop wrapped in cellophane.
I just don't get it. Most contain pound shop shampoo and soap. For me those are essential items and therefore not a great gift, unless they are lovely luxury or special versions that I would never justify buying for myself.
If you and your family like these I am not knocking you at all, taste is individual after all.
I'm just wondering, am I the odd one out here? Or anyone else like me and just doesn't get it?

** Yes- starvation and rescue by the native Americans is what we all need. Going blind due to lack of adequate medical care. Being blown away, stripped naked and killed in a tornado

Thats the good old fashioned Little House on the Prairie way.*

@WillSantaBeComingToTown- there’s still almost two months of 2020 to go, and the way the year has been to date, I wouldn’t rule any of those things out...

I remember the commercial hampers you used to get in the 80s - always several things that no one wanted, like tins of oxtail soup. They would eventually find their way into the Harvest Festival donations the following September.

When I was a young single mum on my uppers, a "hamper" full of toiletries or cleaning stuff or food basics worked have been a welcome gift as it meant I had more cash available for the other stuff I needed.
It's all a matter of perspective and need.
If you're skint then all donations are gratefully recieved.

Frankly I'd be delighted with hotel chocolat hamper. The bigger the better!

I think I chose my thread title badly. The 'hampers' was supposed to convey things which are not actually traditional hampers but rather cellophane wrapped baskets.

A better title would be 'to not understand the trend for Facebook hampers as presents'. If only there were an edit function!

But putting together £20 of £1 items from Poundland doesn't mean it doesn't have to look as nice as the ones that people are selling for £20 (but don't contain £20 of items) @ancientgran.

I did something similar for my sisters many Christmases ago and I just got some nice tissue paper (from Poundland) and a big Christmassy gift bag. Wrapped the lot up nicely and popped them in the bag surrounded by the rest of the tissue paper. Lovely present and the wrapping cost me about £2 each. But I will admit I love having presents to open rather than seeing all the presents at once so maybe that influenced me!

It doesn't matter now as we grown ups gave up presents for each other about 20 years ago. The kids gets presents but, as a family, we decided it was a nice idea to use the money we save on buying presents for each adult, to have a 'next level up' box of chocolates or some nicer wine, or spend a little more on our own kids or partner or treat our little family to a visit/meal after Christmas. DH's family are following suit this year. Even at £20 per adult we're keeping £280 in our pockets (four sisters, one BIL, 3 adult nephews all with partners, 2 adult nieces - 1 with a partner) which will pay for Christmas food and a trip out.

I must admit luxury hampers to me are from places like John Lewis or m and s etc.
I've never had one myself but any I've seen on line do look nice. My late sil used to send us a box of wine at Christmas which was very welcome and lasted till the new year. However, if anyone did buy me a hamper with chocolates or shower gel etc I'd be over the moon too! It's the thought that counts isn't it? Someone making a nice parcel of things you use is a good idea I think. It's a nice idea for a child too as most use toiletries etc and makes a nice stocking filler for them. People are looking to make a bit of money this year too. Good for them , so why not? Plus they have to buy the cellophane and put them together too which must be tricky to do neatly and make it look a nice present.

I think some people like them and that's ok.
Personally I can't stand them, not any variety of hamper, because I'm a fussy bugger and the chances of me liking everything in them is remote, so it feels wasteful, usually of about half the contents.

But for those who do like them, why not.

I am definitely in favour of giving and getting presents that can be used up. I don't need more stuff, and I don't think many people do. So some nice food or drink, bath stuff, or whatever is great. If someone then wants to wrap it nicely and put it in a container, that's lovely.

We used to make one up for my granny every year. Not necessarily luxury, but nice things. She was mostly housebound, so we all used to put stuff in to make up a huge box, including alcohol. Not fancy, but she used most of it.

@Lockdownlumpy

Frankly I'd be delighted with hotel chocolat hamper. The bigger the better!

I think I chose my thread title badly. The 'hampers' was supposed to convey things which are not actually traditional hampers but rather cellophane wrapped baskets.

A better title would be 'to not understand the trend for Facebook hampers as presents'. If only there were an edit function!

Now you see I was sent a £50 one for my birthday I don't really like chocolate much and so it was thoughtless and wasted gift (I didnt waste it I donated it to an organisation that does presents fro families as it has a 2021 expiry).

I asked for no gifts- so the giver wasted £50 and annoyed me a bit.

But putting together £20 of £1 items from Poundland doesn't mean it doesn't have to look as nice as the ones that people are selling for £20 (but don't contain £20 of items) Yes that is possible but as I said some people might not be able to or want to whatever. Personally I'd probably be happier with £6 from poundland than some of the stuff I've had in a luxury hamper, obviously depends on the stuff but I'd rather have some shampoo and some bars of chocolate that will all get used than look at a luxury hamper that cost £100, the contents also being worth alot less, and most of it going in the bin or the food bank.

My sisters did one for my birthday recently and I loved it cos they did it themselves and it was full of things they knew I'd like. I did also get PJ's and bed socks that I'd asked for in a separate present.

I get a port and Stilton hamper every year from my aunt. I don’t drink port or eat Stilton.

I don't normally do these things but DD is 1st year of university and it's been a pretty crap start for them this year so I've done her a 1st December bag to cheer her up. It's just a big gift bag with lots of bits and pieces in that she will like, chocolate, a book, Xmas earrings, a bottle of wine, some nice pens, fluffy socks and hot chocolate etc.

I've also got a bigger one for when she goes back to university after Xmas but it's full of practical stuff, shower gel, cleaning stuff, tampons, toothpaste etc just to save her some money.

When I was a child I would see hampers (the wicker basket with straw kind) full of tins and packets and centre stage would be a cake or chocolates and I thought they were fabulous. We never had one at home as my mother used to say they were not worth the money as once the items were removed and totted up you were paying half the cost of the hamper just for a basket!

I can not recall ever receiving one like that but a family member makes up hampers (cellophane and ribbon wrapped) every xmas for personalised gifts to specially selected people and I have had some lovely ones. It obviously gives her pleasure to do this.
The current trend for new baby hampers which are made up in the shape of a large cake or similar designs look lovely but I have seen basic ones advertised at £60 which contain not much more than a few cloths, socks and a little teddy!

I have made them for low income elderly relatives who we had no idea what to buy so we filled it with products that actually used or would but couldn't afford eg M&S foods

I've never seen this before but then I don't spend much time on Facebook. Having looked at the pictures, though, what it makes me think of is raffle and tombola prizes at Christmas fairs. I think they're perfectly acceptable for that, though where the market is this year is anyone's guess, as all that stuff will be cancelled presumably.

@Yesyoudoknowme

Oh god the lockdowns have brought out the 'I'll make crap and sell it on FB' brigade hasn't it? The absolute worst one I continually see is someone who is selling a second hand book (yep, sold as such) which is wrapped in brown paper and a few other bits (think hot chocolate sachet, small bath bomb kind of thing) for...... wait for it...... £15!!!!!!!!! I know people are trying to do anything to get in a few quid but really? You also have no choice as to the book you get

This might appeal to single people (or people with rubbish partners) who have to buy a present for themselves. At least the book would be a surprise.

The work hampers dh gets sent are amusing. Random weird health food nut bars, airline packets of nuts, a bottle of elderflower cordial. Nothing goes together and I'm sure they just do a massive lucky dip of any single person snacks they can find and just lob them in.

I think it is the personal touch that makes the difference, a £100 F&M hamper doesn't do it for me but one of my kids sent me a cream tea in a box when the first lockdown started. Four scones, two fruit two plain, a little pot of jam and some clotted cream. Don't know what it cost but I'm sure it wasn't £100 and it was lovely and I was thrilled. It isn't always the money.

We get a couple of F&M hampers as client gifts every year. What an absolute rip off they are, they're completely wasted on me. We give most of the stuff to the food bank and the fresh stuff to family, none of us like smoked salmon or £15 teabags, although the baskets sell really well on eBay and the Stilton is nice enough.

@WillSantaBeComingToTown The Hotel Chocolat one wouldn't do it for me either (I'm more a Cadbury kind of girl) but Mum loves the stuff so hopefully she'll enjoy it!

Maybe the problem with a hamper is that there's always something you won't use, like a mug, stale candy/chocolate, weirdly flavoured salad oil or cheap body lotion. Those either end up in the bin which feels wasteful or collect dust in your shelves for years making you feel guilty each time you look at it.

Also, isn't hamper a slightly old fashioned phrase for goodie bag? At PR events, the goodie bag/going home gift is always a highlight even though it usually contains the most mundane travel sized items & snacks but it still feels special. I would actually prefer to get a goodie bag full of random everyday items over those fancier cellophane hampers.

@flaviaritt I agree, these type are among the nastiest, people making and selling these could trying to make some much needed income. There is a lady on my local group that makes things, anyone with a heart could surmise she must be special needs, but the horrible replies on her items are appalling, probably made by the many on here. Recently her carer came on and said its trashed her confidence in making any thing, it was her 'little business'
I was brought up that clothes were never given as a present nor household Items, as all necessities and I have done the same with my boys, I dont understand buying a child clothes, nor an adult and as for vouchers, a massive NO, but others do it and it's their choice.

I love vouchers, my DD buys me an Amazon voucher for Christmas, birthday and Mother's Day, it means that I can have treats, usually books, without feeling I'm wasting money as it is a present. Her presents last me ages and I've still got some birthday credit on my account and next month it will get topped up.