He wanted the gift bag back....

[ButteredRadishes]

.. my friend gave DD a birthday present in an gift bag in December.

He just asked if he could have the gift bag back? We didn't keep it, because we always just reuse gift bags (as I'm sure 99% of people do!)

I asked him why he wanted it... "it was expensive"

Is it quite strange to expect some one tinga e the gift bag 6 months later...but then return it to it's owner??

Really weird behaviour!!

That's very odd. The gift bag is part of the gift surely? I too reuse them.

Hehehehe!!!

One Christmas, my DS and DIL came to stay. They took back home all of the gift bags! Ones they'd given me gifts in and ones other people had given me. I did laugh!

Why didn’t he wrap the present in cheap wrapping paper if he didn’t want to give away his expensive gift bag?

I always reuse gift bags. I thought everyone did.

That's really weird. Oh, well he can't have it.

He'll learn !

Really weird!!

My in-laws often make “oh are you keeping it” comments about gift bags… like I’m going to unpack the hand cream, fluffy socks, chocolate bar and shower gel and juggle them all the way home 🙄

Well he shouldn't have bought an expensive one then !
Tell him next time to go to Card Factory.

The rule on gift bags is never write on the tag so the person you gave it to gets to reuse it!

your friend is odd and stingy.

How odd. Presumably he wanted it back so he could reuse it himself.

At least now I know who is actually buying the new gift bags. I can't remember the last time I needed to.

Yeah, I keep them but give them to other people ti keep. I can't imagine asking for one back more months later! Just pointedly buy him a similar one to replace it!

Yes, absolutely!! They are meant to be reused. Also, never write your message on the actual gift bag because that means I can't use it anymore. And if at possible use generic designs. I've still got a few "welcome baby boy" bags that I'm finding impossible to shift. Since ds was born all my friends have had girls and now most people I know are done with having babies.

Not a chance 🤣🤣

It would be mildly less weird (still stingy) if he'd asked for it back at the time but six months later? 😂weirdo

I was reluctant to use gift bags initially as they seemed like a waste of money but actually they are a good way of preventing waste as they can be used several times. If anyone writes on the label, it's easy to cut it off. As long as you're given gifts, as well as giving them, it seems like a good deal. Perhaps op's friend doesn't get gifts?

Mr dm always gave me my bags back to reuse. I gave the same bag back to someone who used it for my birthday present 2 months ago. No problem with it. One year a local store had a closing sale and I bought loads of Christmas bags. I got years and years out of them. They make gift giving so much easier for people like me who are useless at wrapping. I wrap gifts in lovely tissue paper. TK Maxx is great for this. Job done with no stress.

How strange! 😂 If he’d asked for it back at the time then fair enough I suppose but six months later?! Hahahaha!

Maybe for his next birthday you could buy him a set of gift bags 😆 Making sure to wrap them in one a gift bag that you are reusing of course.

I do to show ‘look how special you are, this is gift bag is new bought specially for you you lucky fecker!’ 😂. I also do always reuse really and only buy new if there’s no appropriate design/size in my stash. You know when they’re recycled anyway even if they’re in mint condition as the gift tag is usually missing altogether!

Yes, very weird. Is this standard behaviour from him or out of character?

Next time you give him a gift, give it to him in that bag.

But obviously he's BU to ask. You're supposed to just add to the gift bag pool, handing over gifts in bags you have with the expectation that they will be reused but not seen again by you.

Although if it does come back your way, you must not be surprised, annoyed or insulted as it makes sense that if you give a bag to your DM, she could give it to your sibling, who in time could give it to you.

How odd! Has he helped himself to something his partner had bought for a specific occasion? In which case, why not just say to the partner?

Well you know now at least. Next time you pass the bag straight back to them once the gift has been given. My mother and I tend to reuse the gift bags and so the bags basically spend half a year at her house and half a year at mine 🤣. Everyone else though just keeps the bags and I’m sure reuse it down the line with friends and family.

Completely bizarre! Everyone reuses gift bags surely?! Just say "Seriously?! I reused that ages ago. Everyone reuses gift bags!" and see what he says.

I’ve got a really nice plastic one with Disney princesses on which is probably 10 years old. The moment has passed to give it to daughters friends as they are all teenagers so it only gets used “in house” for husband usually and then goes back in the bag and wrapping paper drawer.

Yes !
Definitely do this 😂