Second hand gift

[RoachPussy]

I’ve just seen the perfect book as a gift for someone and when I’ve searched online an oxfam online store are selling a copy in ‘very good condition’ for £13 with p&p whereas new it’s £25. Is it wrong to buy the second hand book?

No I think it shows that you’ve found the perfect gift because you had to go the extra mile and not just one click from Amazon.

Nothing wrong with that. A lot of books I would love to get given as a gift I could only get secondhand because they are out print.
My 14 year old daughter's most wanted gift this year is an old secondhand comic book from 1986.

That's fine. Good idea. I think more and more people are buying second hand stuff which is great.

For what it's worth my daughter's christmas present from her grandparents is going to be 100 playmobile people. I think they cost £60 and she will love them. She won't care they are secondhand.

Having said that your friend maybe be old fashioned/snobby and not like it - but she probably wouldn't even know it's second hand. Books don't tend to come in new packaging.

As long as its in good condition its fine.

Depends on the attitude of the gift recipient I suppose! I would never mind a secondhand anything but some people do.

Make sure you get it with a little time to spare to get something else if the 'very good' condition turns out to be less than accurate, I've had a few things that couldn't be gifted in that condition (once presented DD with a sticker book with only about two stickers left! Poor thing)

I love a well chosen book and am always happy with second hand. Just FYI "very good" is bookseller for "not bad for second hand." ("Good" means "well at least it's not been dropped in the bath."). I wouldn't be at all bothered though.

Depends. I found that often descriptions are not 100% true and started staying away from ordering second hand books now. The hassle to return or even argue with a seller is not worth it.

Also think of how the recipient handles books. I know one whose bookshelves are full of books which show that they are well read and survived a lot. Another friend prefers to showcast books, he reads them but only once and then they are on display. The second one would be mortified to receive a second hand book.

I would just explain 'i found this in a second hand shop and thought it was perfect for you', I'd be perfectly happy with that, and avoids any 'omg did she just grab this off her bookshelf and wrap it?'

Not at all. I found a book for my nephew needed as a uni reading list as a birthday gift and he was delighted. I think (hope) most people are now more receptive to second hand stuff, particularly books. I've got my partner a copy of The Outsiders for Christmas as he's never read it - I think it's an important book to read considering especially that S E Hinton was a teenager when she wrote it.
I would actually prefer a second hand book as it shows someone else benefitted from it. I also love the smell of old books!

My Amazon gift list has a big note in capitals at the top to say buy secondhand if poss.

I think it is absolutely perfect.

I’ve gone for it! There were quite a few photos of it on the oxfam website so I think it’s going to be good. It’s for my nephew and I usually budget £25 so I’ll get him something extra with the saving.

My best Christmas as a child (possibly best of my life) was the year my mum and dad bought me loads of Sindy furniture and clothes second hand out of the local paper. They could never have afforded to get me that much brand new. I can still remember how happy I felt.

I give second hand items as gifts. A recent present was a book in almost new condition and it was well received.