Lubbock, Is It Okay to Give A Used Gift For Christmas Charity?
A Lubbockite recently took to Reddit to ask a question that I've been mulling over this afternoon- is it okay to give a used item as a charity "gift"?
They say you should listen to your gut about most of these things, and I did have an immediate gut reaction-no. Not just "no" but "of course not", until I read a little further:
The child I have asked for Nintendo switch games. My son has quite a few he played 1-2x and doesn’t play anymore. I know they ask for NEW items but do you think they would accept used games? I’d love to repurpose these as they are perfectly good.
Do you see why I've been thinking it over now? When my daughter was little, I bought her plenty of used video games, because I could give her a lot more for a lot less. Video games are not like other toys that get handled by the child as an object of play, but as one Redditor smartly put it:
I think used games with good cases is one of the only acceptable things because the physical contact isn’t with the games it’s with the device.
Also, it's beyond easy to "wipe" the game into a "new" status by deleting any old saved data. Really, it seems to just come down to the condition of the game and the box. The only thing missing is the thin plastic wrap on the outside. If I were that kid, I'd rather have more games than a game that happens to have a plastic wrap. But importantly, I am NOT that kid, and I can't speak for them.
I totally get the notion that every child deserves something new to unwrap for Christmas. And I certainly wouldn't want a kid to have to settle for a used doll, used clothing, or anything like that. So what's the answer here?
One Redditor did the Good Work, and the thing no Millenial wants to do- make a phone call. I also really despise making phone calls, so they are totally the hero here. Here's what this particular charity (Angel Tree) said:
Just got off the phone with the Lubbock location, while they won’t accept the used games by themselves, you would be able to bundle in the used games with some new ones. Another alternative is to donate the used games directly to some kids at the shelter.
That seems perfectly reasonable, but I would like to offer one more suggestion. You could trade in the used games at a game store (like Ralph's Records, for example). Then, you could use that credit towards a new, wrapped game.
I want to thank the Redditor that asked this question for their generosity. Many Lubbock children live in poverty, and a gift they can have fun with and be proud of is important.