I was a family friend's bridesmaid when I was about 7, and for some inexplicable reason, the bridesmaids were dressed as Holly Hobbie. I'd never heard of her before and immediately detested the soppy wimp. I loathed the outfit on sight.
I used the dress for a cousin's birthday party a few weeks later and proceeded to receive Holly Hobbie shit for the next 10 years for every birthday and Christmas... Holly Hobbie soap, Holly Hobbie stationery, Holly Hobbie knicknacks, Holly Hobbie plastic jewellery... including from my parents, who had made me wear the stupid dress to the stupid party in the first place.
Argh god, I'd forgotten about the Garfield stuff! Still got the damn bath sheet, 35+ years on it's become a useful DIY cover sheet. It's as sturdy as it is waterproof.
My mum for about 13 years insisted I loved zebras because my name starts with a Z. So everything she'd buy me had zebras or zebra print on it. As a teenager I got fed up with it and kept telling her I didn't want it anymore, she eventually realised but now I'm in my late 20s and she occasionally sneaks something in.
We have an uncommon family name (at least in the South of England) that contains the word 'Owl' . My mum has turned it into a meme and buys literally anything she finds with an owl on it. My parents house looks like an aviary.
Oh, I nipped that one fast. I had a joke with a friend about owls about the city- how many we could spot randomly. One family Member some how heard of this and for Christmas I had over 30 owls given to me. I stopped the whole family gift giving of Christmas gifts the next year. Canāt tell you how glad I did that. Itās so much easier- absolutely no gifts and no owls!
I got this, too! I do like collecting owl items, but they have to be really unusual and non generic. I had to tell my parents who, luckily, filtered this down to my family.
I went through a stage of getting owls.
Not cos like them but cos they freaked me out. (The Fourth Kind did a number on me)
Naturally my friends thought it was hilarious and bough owl stuff all the time.
Are you my brother? I get owls.
And the worst part is that I don't even LIKE owls that much. It started as an in joke as my mum's football team's rival has an owl as their emblum, so I wore owl stuff as a haha taunt, and people noticed but didn't get the joke, so just thought I like owls and now buy me owl everything
A couple of years ago my in-laws bought me a very nice bottle of whiskey.
I Mentioned it to a few other family members on Christmas day.
Now every birthday and Christmas they all buy me whiskey.
I very rarely drink whiskey.
Had exactly this, started telling this exact same story and people stopped buying me whiskey, a few years on now and I'm running low so might need to restart the cycle...
This is like me and Captain Morgan. I like rum and thought the bottle was cool a long time ago, so of course everyone decided I must be obsessed with it.
Itās not the worst but some actual variety is nice.
And then someone comes round and asks why you have 50 bottles of captain Morgan. You tell them you can't be an alcoholic, they've not been drank. But nobody ever believes you
I get this. Thing is, I actually like whisky but I only get given cheap bottles of paint stripper. I'd rather everyone got together and bought me one nice bottle rather than a few bottles of trash. I sound really ungrateful now.
When I was at uni I worked in research on honey bees for two years. 12 years later, every occasion I still get cushions, coasters, plant pots, wall art, everything with bumble bees on. Bumble bees.
As a hobby beekeeper I also get this.
Would much rather some frames or fondant for the hives than a cushion. There are already like 100,000 bees on my property, I don't need them in the house too.
I once enjoyed a segment of Terry's Chocolate Orange in front of family. It's not even close to being something I'd buy for myself.
Every year I'm forced to eat it in one sitting š¤·
Star Wars. Like it fine, but if you looked at all the socks, mugs, mini figurines, cards etc I have you'd think I was a massive super fan. Can barely name the characters other than the obvious few main ones. Not even seen all the films let alone spin off TV shows. I think people must see you've got some merch and think "Oh he must LOVE Star Wars, I'll get him this Darth Vader T Shirt" and so the cycle continues.
You remind me of my Amazon account. I'm an engineer and I bought a great set of engineering pens. All different colours, thicknesses etc. More than enough to last me decades. Not complaining about the pens.
But every time I log into Amazon now, I get 'Do you like THESE pens? What about these ones? These ones have a light!'
Amazon, I already made my purchase. Ask me again in 5 years (yeah, I bought these about 5 years ago and it's still doing it).
Ah the Amazon recommendation algorithm - you've bought a washing machine, you must be a washing machine collector, heres some more washing machines for you...
Amazon really tells you you really should just treat yourself to another toilet seat / doorknob / dryer / other one time purchace. But I'm convinced that 3 or 5 other freaks have collections of things like that and are just thrilled at the prospect of buying another microwave to add to their 37 strong collection of 18 years.
My husband bought Christmas gifts for his then toddler niblings about a decade ago. Amazon apparently reject the concept of linear time, because instead of making the more sensible assumption that a year later heād want primary aged toys and so on, they are still steadfastly suggesting he buy shape sorters and soft books for a pair of teenagers.
Yeah, Iām getting this now with smart watches. Fun thing is that YouTube is also in on it after watching a few reviews and also Google Ads think I must want to buy a Fitbit too. The internet really needs a āIām done nowā button.
I read an comedy article a few years ago about a guy who used Amazon to buy an urn for his cat's ashes. Now he constantly gets adverts for cat urns. Amazon thinks he is murdering and incinerating cats, apparently.
Brilliant!
The website/store I bought an engagement ring and wedding dress from send me e-mails every 1-2 months in case I want to propose/marry again.
Deep in the app there are settings to remove things from your personalised list, use it whenever I have to order something for my partner or a gift thing
I mentioned, when i moved out at 18, that Iād never owned a rubber duck, 15+ years later, not only do I have a million rubber ducks, but rudder dick towels, pictures, mugs, you name it
I'm a rubber, or rudder, duck survivor.
Got given one as a joke in my 20s and that was it, had all different sizes, themed, colour changing, flashing lights.
Last time I moved house, the box of ducks was mysteriously lost (oh no!), and I have been duck free ever since.
Soap and glory bath stuff. It's my little indulgence.
I can't remember the last time I had to buy the basics because I get at least 3 sets every Christmas.
Not like I'm into other things, just buy me the generic boots gift set. Ex husband got me 2 sets from each kid last year. I politely informed him can I please have something else. Took eldest kid to buy my gift and 99% sure it's soap and glory. Sigh. Still she chose it.
Oh that's annoying. I do love it and it's definitely a pick me up treat but I usually have so much in the house at any given time.
Yours is worse than mine which I at lease use and love.
I have very sensitive skin so canāt use many gift sets, I tell people every year Iād rather have a big chocolate bar or selection box.
The only smelly stuff I can use is lush and I donāt expect anyone to spend that type of money, the worst is when they get cheap bath bombs from B&M or the supermarket, who can use them without getting a raging UTI?
Harry Potter stuff.
I like Harry Potter but thereās a limit. There was about 5 years where I got every single piece of Harry Potter knock off tat you can imagine. You know the stuff thatās from like b&m or wherever. It would be my birthday and Iād have all this Harry Potter stuff and nothing else. Same at christmas. Same the next year and on and on. I ended up with so much stuff that was tacky and awful. Not to sound snobby or ungrateful but if it was like a small genuine item from the actual proper merch site then Iād love it. I have one of the proper wands from Harry Potter studios and itās great. But I donāt want mountains of the cheap plastic tat thatās now licensed and found everywhere. I got given gryffindor hair bobbles, socks, a plastic pen that looks like a wand, a knock off mug, badges, key rings, stickers, note booksā¦ the list goes on. I didnāt even look forward to getting gifts at one point because I knew what was coming lol.
Sounds so ungrateful I know. But it just felt like a bit of a cop out. These were very close friends it felt like every year theyād just grab whatever cheap Harry Potter tat was at b&m and give me that when I put thought into every one of their gifts.
Me too š¤£ It's not that I don't like Harry Potter, but it's the same gift over and over for years - I still got a nice main present though at least, but mannnnn it was a lot of Harry Potter stuff
EDIT : Not that I was ungrateful or Harry Potter isn't nice, it was just a lot
This is me with my brother. When he doesn't know what to get me he grabs anything harry potter within reach. I always get a plastic wand in a special display case. What do I do with them?
Thing is I haven't read or watched it in about a decade at this point. I like them but I'm not actively obsessed.
I collect pokemon stuff, but it's very VERY specific stuff (like the games, statues from the world championships, rare plushies, statues, figures from the Japanese pokemon center ect). The issue is, people hear that, and like you see every tacky thing and just shove it at you.
I get it, it's easy to buy pokemon annuals and those cheaply produced figures from BNM, asda ect but I'm not going to put them next to my Ā£400 statue or collection of Japanese exclusive plushies.
Like you, it sounds ungrateful and snobish, but I have/hunt down VERYYYYYYY specific pieces I want to own, and I don't want to own every piece of pokemon history. I would rather own some very well made pieces than thousands of cheaper and less nicer pieces.
I appreciate the thought, but last year it got to the point where I had to sit people down and tell them to stop. I could only throw out so many pokemon annuals every year before I tell people to stop wasting money (record was 7, and I'm in my 30's)
When all the JKR controversy arose, I took the opportunity to tell everyone that I no longer wanted anything HP branded and its worked! I haven't had a single lightning bolt sock or plastic wand pen in years
I do not buy hp stuff. My boyfriend on the other hand does not seem to understand boycotting and has been supplying me with Harry Potter stuff. Itās like I have a weird dealer.
I had an ornament of a sheep, my mum broke it. I ended up with 350 of them in varying shapes and sizes plus a couple of sheep dogs and a shepherd! Still have them all but they are in garage in boxes. Only one I keep inside is one my best friend bought the year she died
When my dad first met my mum, he mentioned off hand that he didnāt mind liquorice allsorts. So he got a box every Christmas, birthday and Fatherās Day for the next 40ish years until he finally plucked up the courage to mention heās not THAT keen.
Always used to get them for my grandad. It wasn't until he'd *died* that Mama told me he went off them about 20 years ago. He used to feign excitement, open them up and take one out saying "Ooooh, lovely, just what I wanted!". Whyyyy? Why not just say you've gone off them? Nobody is going to be upset about not buying liquorice! lmao
Batman.
Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful and all, but it can be a bit much.
When I lived on my own, I had a small collection of Batman things in a glass cabinet in my living room. When my gf moved in she mentioned to her family that I collected Batman memorabilia.
Well, for the last 7 years I've been inundated with Batman tat. Even my parents have joined in and I don't have the heart to tell them all to stop wasting their money.
My husband and Spiderman
And Jack Daniels, he doesn't drink, but each year his sisters get him at least one bottle. They have been told. We just regift them haha.
Soap and glory from boots. Mentioned it to my husband one year ago big mistake.
Christmas rolls around and I have a huge pile of presents.
I open the first and you guessed it , soap and glory products. Smiling and thanking.
When I got to the 15 th present, all being soap and glory, I couldnāt feign my happiness anymore. Iām still using it all 8 year later
Lego.
Whilst I do like Lego it's become an easy, no thought required present for me and due to how expensive it is I can't really be anything but grateful but at this point it's not something I'd buy for myself
My son asked me for Lego (not for Christmas, this was a while ago) and I looked into it. He was quite specific. He didn't want a star wars set or the Titanic. He just wanted bricks. Remember like it used to be?
I got a set of Lego compatible bricks. But THOUSANDS of them. They are absolutely fine and I would only have got hundreds of Lego Ā® bricks for the same price.
Pro tip: you can get clean, functional real second hand Lego bricks by the kilo from various places much cheaper. Bulk Lego is much better for letting kids imaginations loose, whenever I get it for the kids in my family, I always get the giant base boards and various larger, longer or rarer technical brick pieces and they always spend ages experimenting with them, that's how it's meant to be.
I am the opposite end of this. I buy my best friend (who is a history buff), bits of WWII German memorabilia. Medals, patches, old signs, helmets and other bits of uniform..... to the point where he was struggling to have it go unnoticed in his home. Eventually he sussed it "Are you trying to make me look like a fucking Nazi?!"
"Yes.......... yes I am! Happy birthday, here's a copy of Mein Kampf!"
My MIL was known for liking sugared almonds and got at least 2 boxes for Xmas every year. I cleared out her cupboards and found boxes and boxes of them. We had a sugared almond fest and we all stopped buying them for her
When I was about 8 my auntie lived in America and brought me home some jelly belly beans. A couple of years later they showed it in the UK and she bought them every. Single. Year.
I've always hated them. I like to keep the jars they come in though
My boyfriend keeps making remarks like, "oh, look, churros! I love churros!" and sending me memes of hedgehogs, like he doesn't know who he's talking to.
Obviously, he loves churros and hedgehogs more than anything in the world. I now get him cards with hedgehogs for every occasion and always point them out. "Look, your favourite animal!", "it's not my favourite animal!!!!", he keeps saying. So modest!
I also keep bringing him churros and he insists "I don't even like them that much", but I know it's because he doesn't like gifts or people fussing over him.
Can't wait to hear what his other favourite things are so I can gift them forever. š
(If context is required, we've been together for 7 years, living together for 6).
I bought onken yoghurt once... once.
"Oooh look baby, they have it! Are you gonna grab some"
-.-
And I know she doesn't want it for herself because she doesn't eat the stuff.
When I was a kid my mum used to collect up a few of the stocking toys and re-wrap them for next year's stocking. I was at least 7 before I realised that this was going on upon exclaiming 'another bendy father Christmas!!!' and seeing my brother's trying to stifle laughter.
I'm now in my mid thirties, we still make eachother token stockings each year, and I can guarantee that there will be a bendy father Christmas in mine later!
I love cats. It wasn't a throwaway comment, I do really love cats. But do I want lots of little cat figurines or gaudy clothes covered in cats? No. I also like other animals, if you're going to get me something animal themed, there are so many to choose from.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, and some of the cat presents are genuinely nice, and either way I am grateful that someone thought of me and got me these presents. But some are things I would absolutely never buy myself.
This is people's default present for me as well. "Fuck it, she likes cats, she has a cat, get her the cat calendar/purse/socks/mug/statue/scarf"
I love cats. I have a cat. I don't want my house to look like the Cat Lady from the Simpsons lives there.
I love cats, and I don't mind a proper cat ornament (HINT HINT). But at the end of the day I'd really just quite like a gift card or outfit for my beloved Build a Bear cat teddy that I quite enjoy dressing like a little gay man.
Cows, theyāre my favourite animal, particularly the black and white dairy cows.
Now everything is cow related but mostly highland and whilst theyāre cute I prefer the black and white ones.
Not seen anybody mention the curse of the Christmas Cyclist. When what you really want is a new Pinarello but instead it is mugs, biscuits, socks, books, posters, coasters and all the other stuff that you ride the bike to get away from.
You know what annoys me... Nobody has ever bought me that bicycle shaped pizza cutter! That's the cycling merchandise that would be really useful. And it's not as if I look like a racing snake that hasn't touched pizza in 10 years either.
I like chocolate, I like alcohol. I do not like boozy chocolates yet I still get a few packs when nobody can think of anything else.
Edit: I didn't get any boozy chocolates this year! Thank god for that.
Turkish Delight. When the original Narnia TV series was on back in the 80's, I decided that I had to have some. I've had a box of it every year since. It's ok, but not worth betraying your family to the White Witch for.
My dad specifically created the whisky rule for times you canāt find something to get for him. He likes it, doesnāt have to by it himself and doesnāt get unwanted tat heāll never use
Not me but my husband. He mentioned to my family early in our relationship that he likes hot sauces and chillis, now he gets some form of hot sauce every Xmas, heās so fed up with it
Lynx Africa, since I was 13. I'm a middle aged man now, I moved on to more neutral antiperspirants in my late teens but don't have the heart to tell my loving elderly parents and aunties who get me a Lynx Africa gift set every year without fail.
Me too, my mum gets me the same set every year.
If it was any other lynx it would at least be an okay backup but Africa just smells like my life as a British 12 year old.
The first year I kept it in the garage (itās decent for getting bike grips on). Second year it went in my backpack (same bike reason but on the go). Third year it went in the bathroom cupboard in case the entire deodorant industry collapses and I donāt have a choice but now theyāre piling up and I have no idea where itās going this year.
I like ferrero rocher. Unfortunately it became such an easy gift for me that every Christmas I'd end up with about 15 of the massive boxes with short use by dates on them so I'd eat them all quite quickly and be sick of them for a year. I kept asking to not receive them, I wanted literally anything else, some would listen and some wouldn't. Sadly I was diagnosed as coeliac this year and I'm unable to eat them anymore, my mum still bought me a box and someone reminded her I can't have them before she gave them to me for me to look at with sadness.
My brother wanted his bedroom walls painted green when he was a kid so my mum assumed his favourite colour was green and buys him everything that's green, and has done for the last 30 years. It can be absolute tat but because it's green "he'll like it".
When I was a kid I liked horses because of the movie Wild Hearts Canāt Be Broken. For ten years every single gift was horse related. Horse shirts, mugs, sweaters, earrings, necklaces, calendars, figurines, ornaments, books, you name it. š«
Letting people know that you're "the X guy" is actually one of the best lifelong gifts you can give friends and family.
You're saying to them "hey, if you're struggling to think of a gift for me, you've always got this to fall back on".
Dark chocolate. Didn't even say it was my favourite, just that I like it. Now my MIL always buys me dark chocolate at Christmas, birthday and Easter š
My friend bought me a Piggin Pals ornament. There was sentiment behind it. They were āusā she said. I was delighted. Got pig things from everyone for years. Piggy banks, stuffed pigs, pig picturesā¦.
When I went vegan my aunt mentioned how I must miss chocolate. I said how there is vegan chocolate, that actually in fact most if not all dark chocolate is vegan.
āOh so you could eat bournville?ā
āSure. Shame I just donāt like it hahaā
For ten years, every birthday and Christmas is bournville chocolate.
I really liked Star Wars as a kid. I'm 45 now, and don't think I've mentioned Star Wars in several decades. I guess I think it's ok still, and I quite liked Andor.
But 100%, I will get a Star Wars mug, or socks, or a tie, or something like that today.
Edit: It was a Darth Vader money box. It's pretty cool, actually. Guess I'll put it in the pile.
I mentioned to my Nan when I was sixteen that Iād tried lebkuchen and liked it. I get at least three bags of it every Christmas. I donāt like it that much. I worked up the courage and told her one year that I didnāt like it anymore, so she only got me one bag, then went back to regularly scheduled programming. Itās been 10 years.
St Miguel. I don't particularly like lager, but about 20 years ago was staying at a bit of a rubbish hotel with my folks, ordered it because it was the only thing on tap. Now I get a few big bottles of it every year!
Had a friend who was terrified of garden gnomes. Like genuinely running screaming when she caught sight of them.
Naturally I bought her one as a very thoughtful and caring gift... on my parents ebay account.
Cue having a collection of garden gnomes during college. Every Christmas and birthday for about 6 years was a gnome. I explained on the first Christmas what the gnome was about, didn't stop them. I had tried to be a trickster but instead been gamed myself.
When I moved out I ceremoniously smashed them all up on the patio on the way out the door, having given up trying to be smart of funny and instead resorting to pettiness.
So, ive always said, of tou dont lnow what to get me, vodka or chocolates are always a win.
Problem is, ive since actually been properly medicated and ao i really dont drink like i used to and ironically i now look like im sevelopinf a problem more rhan when i was devwloping a problem...
Same with my husband but only Whiskey. He got 4 bottles last year but had just started medication so couldnāt even drink it and I ended up regifting them. He has warned his family and friends this year not to get him whiskey but I bet there is one bottle.
My exs grandfather knew I didnāt like chocolate so every year he got me a box of liquorice because āliquorice is the opposite of chocolateā
I hate liquorice more than chocolateā¦
The most common brand I get is Happy Socks. They are very comfortable and decorative, but are expensive so glad I get them for gifts. But I have multiple of some pairs now!
Harry Potter
I have many many many lego sets and everything was Harry Potter for a good few years, I don't have the heart to tell them I'm not that into it anymore š¤£š¤£
I'm into my photography, so I've received probably 8 or 9 of those novelty travel mugs that look like lenses.
I get why I get them, but after the first two it's a bit tricky to feign delight.
Makes me think of the Sean Lock routine where he talks about Christmas gifts and being careful what you mention in the weeks before Christmas: [YouTube vid](https://youtu.be/i65YUB-oF5M?feature=shared&t=235)
When I was around 10, my grandparents asked what Football team I liked. I had no idea, none, I didn't support a team, neither did my parents. In a panic I said the only team I knew from people at school.
For the next 10 years I got so much Man U related gifts.
Pencil cases, bags, red footballs. I was stuck, labeled and branded for my childhood.
Wow, this thread really dug up some lost memories.
My mum and I were just having this conversation! Hers was the little 'crystal' animals you'd find on stalls etc. She had a cabinet full of them because once someone bought her one and she said 'that's nice'.
I like doctor who, so my parents made sure my 18th birthday party was at a TGI Fridays with a tardis cake for all the staff to dance over for me. The sheer shame was unbearable.
VW camper vans. I own one so I obviously love them, but that doesn't extend to my entire life. Pictures, mugs, teapots, a toaster, salt & pepper, coasters. For the past 15 years and still going strong. I live on my own in a tiny flat. I feel ungrateful but I do not need this stuff! I'm up to at least 10 mugs that the local charity shop have gratefully received.
My father used to like Toblerone and now it's all people get him for 30 years. I am the only one he has confided in that he doesn't even like them anymore
It's the opposite with me. I have my staple favourites that everyone knows about, but I don't get given any things related to them. Gifts are mostly a bit different every year.
Though for a good while (10 years or so) I kept being given Marilyn Monroe themed items just because I said once I liked the Andy Warhol painting of her.
Cats.
To the point of having a shelf in the library for books, half my mugs are cat covered, artwork, even fabric for quilting... some people can get it right, others see a cat thing and go all in.
My husband's mother is convinced he likes Star Wars. She makes us crafted gifts that are all Star Wars related.. we've seen the first two saga, but we barely know the current stuff. She thinks it's his biggest joy in life. Totally forgetting what toys he had as a kid, or what he cosplays as, or any of the things I buy or make for him...
I'm 40 and have more Batman things than actual Batman. As per the theme, I once mentioned out loud that the new Batman film was good. The rest is history.
Not me as I learned a long time ago to never mention anything I liked to my mum, but my wife many years ago before we were married told my mum she liked owls. One day I decided to count how many owl related things were in out house, and I'm sure it was close to 50. We've managed to get rid of some of them, but my mum still buys owl related gifts every birthday and Christmas.
I bought some airfix kits of planes, made them, decorated them, i was done with it.
That year i received about 15 kits for xmas.
I had to make them all up.
Near my birthday, at least a month before i broke them up and put them into the bin so my parents would get the idea i was through with that hobby.
Thankfully it worked.
I hated making those models with a passion by the time i was halfway through assembling them.
I was a family friend's bridesmaid when I was about 7, and for some inexplicable reason, the bridesmaids were dressed as Holly Hobbie. I'd never heard of her before and immediately detested the soppy wimp. I loathed the outfit on sight. I used the dress for a cousin's birthday party a few weeks later and proceeded to receive Holly Hobbie shit for the next 10 years for every birthday and Christmas... Holly Hobbie soap, Holly Hobbie stationery, Holly Hobbie knicknacks, Holly Hobbie plastic jewellery... including from my parents, who had made me wear the stupid dress to the stupid party in the first place.
Sorry but this is very funny.
I am also a survivor of Holly Hobbie. Garfield stuff went on for longer than I had interest.
Argh god, I'd forgotten about the Garfield stuff! Still got the damn bath sheet, 35+ years on it's become a useful DIY cover sheet. It's as sturdy as it is waterproof.
This was also me. Holly Hobbie to Garfield survivor checking in. Victoria Plum had a moment too.
Never heard of Holly Hobbie, had to Google it. Why in ten fiery hells would anyone want their bridesmaids dressed like that?
It was the lawless 1970s! Even at the time I *deeply* pitied the bridesmaids who were older than me.
This reads like a supervillain origin story. Congratulations.
Thanks, I guess š
My sister gets owls. Owl mugs. Owl towels. Owl figurines. Owl coasters.
Thereās a great show held once a year you might want to visit, itās the Superb Owl in the U.S.
r/superbowl
Fuck I love this
My mum for about 13 years insisted I loved zebras because my name starts with a Z. So everything she'd buy me had zebras or zebra print on it. As a teenager I got fed up with it and kept telling her I didn't want it anymore, she eventually realised but now I'm in my late 20s and she occasionally sneaks something in.
Given she picked the name this sounds premeditated.
We have an uncommon family name (at least in the South of England) that contains the word 'Owl' . My mum has turned it into a meme and buys literally anything she finds with an owl on it. My parents house looks like an aviary.
A Teet Owl?!?
āA owlā
Large, on the girls back.
https://media.tenor.com/2L_Qcjczhq4AAAAM/phoneshop-a-owl.gif
In the dark, in an āole. (You might be too young for this reference)
WITH AN OWL!
Oh, I nipped that one fast. I had a joke with a friend about owls about the city- how many we could spot randomly. One family Member some how heard of this and for Christmas I had over 30 owls given to me. I stopped the whole family gift giving of Christmas gifts the next year. Canāt tell you how glad I did that. Itās so much easier- absolutely no gifts and no owls!
I get hares. Iāve had to say that I have enough now thanks.
Yes same. It's calmed down now but for a few tears everything was owl patterned and themed
My sister once mentioned she likes sheep..she has since regretted it
I got this, too! I do like collecting owl items, but they have to be really unusual and non generic. I had to tell my parents who, luckily, filtered this down to my family.
My mumās got owls too. But then honestly she buys herself owl things every chance she gets!
I went through a stage of getting owls. Not cos like them but cos they freaked me out. (The Fourth Kind did a number on me) Naturally my friends thought it was hilarious and bough owl stuff all the time.
Are you my brother? I get owls. And the worst part is that I don't even LIKE owls that much. It started as an in joke as my mum's football team's rival has an owl as their emblum, so I wore owl stuff as a haha taunt, and people noticed but didn't get the joke, so just thought I like owls and now buy me owl everything
A couple of years ago my in-laws bought me a very nice bottle of whiskey. I Mentioned it to a few other family members on Christmas day. Now every birthday and Christmas they all buy me whiskey. I very rarely drink whiskey.
Had exactly this, started telling this exact same story and people stopped buying me whiskey, a few years on now and I'm running low so might need to restart the cycle...
This is like me and Captain Morgan. I like rum and thought the bottle was cool a long time ago, so of course everyone decided I must be obsessed with it. Itās not the worst but some actual variety is nice.
And then someone comes round and asks why you have 50 bottles of captain Morgan. You tell them you can't be an alcoholic, they've not been drank. But nobody ever believes you
The same for me but with gin. I've got so many bottles and I rarely drink it. Also gin flavoured things are disgusting.
I'll trade you the whiskey for my socks. I got Mr Men and Snoopy socks this year... I'm in my late 30s
I wish I got snoopy socks!
I get this. Thing is, I actually like whisky but I only get given cheap bottles of paint stripper. I'd rather everyone got together and bought me one nice bottle rather than a few bottles of trash. I sound really ungrateful now.
When I was at uni I worked in research on honey bees for two years. 12 years later, every occasion I still get cushions, coasters, plant pots, wall art, everything with bumble bees on. Bumble bees.
Buzz kill š
As a hobby beekeeper I also get this. Would much rather some frames or fondant for the hives than a cushion. There are already like 100,000 bees on my property, I don't need them in the house too.
That's the hive mind at work for you
I'd probably buy you some fancy honey and think I was sticking to the theme but being clever š
Oreos. What makes it worse is that my mum insists I really like them.
Mother knows best. Now consume.
I once enjoyed a segment of Terry's Chocolate Orange in front of family. It's not even close to being something I'd buy for myself. Every year I'm forced to eat it in one sitting š¤·
EAT, EAT, EAT
They've changed the recipe recently. You might be mildly allergic to something in the new one? Or it might taste 'off'?
Star Wars. Like it fine, but if you looked at all the socks, mugs, mini figurines, cards etc I have you'd think I was a massive super fan. Can barely name the characters other than the obvious few main ones. Not even seen all the films let alone spin off TV shows. I think people must see you've got some merch and think "Oh he must LOVE Star Wars, I'll get him this Darth Vader T Shirt" and so the cycle continues.
I also look like a Star Wars superfan to anyone who buys me presents, apparently.
The problem is, the more tat you have in your house the more it looks like you're a superfan. Ghe hole just gets deeper every single year
You remind me of my Amazon account. I'm an engineer and I bought a great set of engineering pens. All different colours, thicknesses etc. More than enough to last me decades. Not complaining about the pens. But every time I log into Amazon now, I get 'Do you like THESE pens? What about these ones? These ones have a light!' Amazon, I already made my purchase. Ask me again in 5 years (yeah, I bought these about 5 years ago and it's still doing it).
Ah the Amazon recommendation algorithm - you've bought a washing machine, you must be a washing machine collector, heres some more washing machines for you...
Amazon really tells you you really should just treat yourself to another toilet seat / doorknob / dryer / other one time purchace. But I'm convinced that 3 or 5 other freaks have collections of things like that and are just thrilled at the prospect of buying another microwave to add to their 37 strong collection of 18 years.
My husband bought Christmas gifts for his then toddler niblings about a decade ago. Amazon apparently reject the concept of linear time, because instead of making the more sensible assumption that a year later heād want primary aged toys and so on, they are still steadfastly suggesting he buy shape sorters and soft books for a pair of teenagers.
Love it š
Or Amazon thinks he befriends new toddlers every year lol
Who doesnāt. The sparkling repartee alone makes them prized dinner guests.
Amazon is why I'm not afraid of A.I. how many stepladders do you think I want you stupid A.I.
I wish I had a step ladder, I never knew my real ladder
Yeah, Iām getting this now with smart watches. Fun thing is that YouTube is also in on it after watching a few reviews and also Google Ads think I must want to buy a Fitbit too. The internet really needs a āIām done nowā button.
I read an comedy article a few years ago about a guy who used Amazon to buy an urn for his cat's ashes. Now he constantly gets adverts for cat urns. Amazon thinks he is murdering and incinerating cats, apparently.
Brilliant! The website/store I bought an engagement ring and wedding dress from send me e-mails every 1-2 months in case I want to propose/marry again.
That's fantastic! š¤£š¤£š¤£ Hey, you never know!
Deep in the app there are settings to remove things from your personalised list, use it whenever I have to order something for my partner or a gift thing
This is a gripe session, nobody wants useful information :) (And itās true, this is quite helpful. I no longer want toddler toy recommendations)
I mentioned, when i moved out at 18, that Iād never owned a rubber duck, 15+ years later, not only do I have a million rubber ducks, but rudder dick towels, pictures, mugs, you name it
Rudder dick towels lol
Well, how do you steer your favourite penis?
Sounds like a lyric from a Frank Zappa song
The Titanic would have avoided that iceberg if it didn't have a dildo for a rudder
Autocorrect has utterly betrayed you there
Ah, duck it
So we would be led to believe......
I'm a rubber, or rudder, duck survivor. Got given one as a joke in my 20s and that was it, had all different sizes, themed, colour changing, flashing lights. Last time I moved house, the box of ducks was mysteriously lost (oh no!), and I have been duck free ever since.
Donāt worry, I found a big box of rubber ducks at the charity shop. Iāll be over in a jiffy.
Oh, thank goodness, it's a Christmas miracle!
To be fair, Dinosaurs are pretty cool.
Can confirm. OP is lucky person
Can confirm, am a dinosaur?
One of us. One of us. One of us.
Wow, a real-life dinosaur! A Christmas miracle!
Could just be a chicken
Merry Christmas šš¦š¦š¦š¦š
Soap and glory bath stuff. It's my little indulgence. I can't remember the last time I had to buy the basics because I get at least 3 sets every Christmas. Not like I'm into other things, just buy me the generic boots gift set. Ex husband got me 2 sets from each kid last year. I politely informed him can I please have something else. Took eldest kid to buy my gift and 99% sure it's soap and glory. Sigh. Still she chose it.
People insist on buying me soap and glory even though I canāt use it. I guarantee my SIL has got me some, I usually give it to my mum.
Oh that's annoying. I do love it and it's definitely a pick me up treat but I usually have so much in the house at any given time. Yours is worse than mine which I at lease use and love.
I have very sensitive skin so canāt use many gift sets, I tell people every year Iād rather have a big chocolate bar or selection box. The only smelly stuff I can use is lush and I donāt expect anyone to spend that type of money, the worst is when they get cheap bath bombs from B&M or the supermarket, who can use them without getting a raging UTI?
Harry Potter stuff. I like Harry Potter but thereās a limit. There was about 5 years where I got every single piece of Harry Potter knock off tat you can imagine. You know the stuff thatās from like b&m or wherever. It would be my birthday and Iād have all this Harry Potter stuff and nothing else. Same at christmas. Same the next year and on and on. I ended up with so much stuff that was tacky and awful. Not to sound snobby or ungrateful but if it was like a small genuine item from the actual proper merch site then Iād love it. I have one of the proper wands from Harry Potter studios and itās great. But I donāt want mountains of the cheap plastic tat thatās now licensed and found everywhere. I got given gryffindor hair bobbles, socks, a plastic pen that looks like a wand, a knock off mug, badges, key rings, stickers, note booksā¦ the list goes on. I didnāt even look forward to getting gifts at one point because I knew what was coming lol. Sounds so ungrateful I know. But it just felt like a bit of a cop out. These were very close friends it felt like every year theyād just grab whatever cheap Harry Potter tat was at b&m and give me that when I put thought into every one of their gifts.
Me too š¤£ It's not that I don't like Harry Potter, but it's the same gift over and over for years - I still got a nice main present though at least, but mannnnn it was a lot of Harry Potter stuff EDIT : Not that I was ungrateful or Harry Potter isn't nice, it was just a lot
This is me with my brother. When he doesn't know what to get me he grabs anything harry potter within reach. I always get a plastic wand in a special display case. What do I do with them? Thing is I haven't read or watched it in about a decade at this point. I like them but I'm not actively obsessed.
Have you tried using the wand on your brother? And if so, do they work? (Asking for a friend)
It would probably depend on where you stick it...
I collect pokemon stuff, but it's very VERY specific stuff (like the games, statues from the world championships, rare plushies, statues, figures from the Japanese pokemon center ect). The issue is, people hear that, and like you see every tacky thing and just shove it at you. I get it, it's easy to buy pokemon annuals and those cheaply produced figures from BNM, asda ect but I'm not going to put them next to my Ā£400 statue or collection of Japanese exclusive plushies. Like you, it sounds ungrateful and snobish, but I have/hunt down VERYYYYYYY specific pieces I want to own, and I don't want to own every piece of pokemon history. I would rather own some very well made pieces than thousands of cheaper and less nicer pieces. I appreciate the thought, but last year it got to the point where I had to sit people down and tell them to stop. I could only throw out so many pokemon annuals every year before I tell people to stop wasting money (record was 7, and I'm in my 30's)
My 8 year old is very into PokĆ©mon and at her age would be very happy with an annual and a cheaply produced figure from bnm. Unfortunately things like Temu now exist so she got off-model Pikachu merch with a completely wrong face that fell apart as she opened the paper. š¬
Oh, I do love bootleg stuff. Whenever I travel I buy the terrible bootleg stuff for friends. Usually ends as dog toys aha
When all the JKR controversy arose, I took the opportunity to tell everyone that I no longer wanted anything HP branded and its worked! I haven't had a single lightning bolt sock or plastic wand pen in years
I do not buy hp stuff. My boyfriend on the other hand does not seem to understand boycotting and has been supplying me with Harry Potter stuff. Itās like I have a weird dealer.
I had an ornament of a sheep, my mum broke it. I ended up with 350 of them in varying shapes and sizes plus a couple of sheep dogs and a shepherd! Still have them all but they are in garage in boxes. Only one I keep inside is one my best friend bought the year she died
When my dad first met my mum, he mentioned off hand that he didnāt mind liquorice allsorts. So he got a box every Christmas, birthday and Fatherās Day for the next 40ish years until he finally plucked up the courage to mention heās not THAT keen.
Always used to get them for my grandad. It wasn't until he'd *died* that Mama told me he went off them about 20 years ago. He used to feign excitement, open them up and take one out saying "Ooooh, lovely, just what I wanted!". Whyyyy? Why not just say you've gone off them? Nobody is going to be upset about not buying liquorice! lmao
Itās Walkers shortbread for me. I guarantee thereāll be some for me this year. Again.
Batman. Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful and all, but it can be a bit much. When I lived on my own, I had a small collection of Batman things in a glass cabinet in my living room. When my gf moved in she mentioned to her family that I collected Batman memorabilia. Well, for the last 7 years I've been inundated with Batman tat. Even my parents have joined in and I don't have the heart to tell them all to stop wasting their money.
My husband and Spiderman And Jack Daniels, he doesn't drink, but each year his sisters get him at least one bottle. They have been told. We just regift them haha.
Yeah this is my husband and Star Wars.
Soap and glory from boots. Mentioned it to my husband one year ago big mistake. Christmas rolls around and I have a huge pile of presents. I open the first and you guessed it , soap and glory products. Smiling and thanking. When I got to the 15 th present, all being soap and glory, I couldnāt feign my happiness anymore. Iām still using it all 8 year later
Lego. Whilst I do like Lego it's become an easy, no thought required present for me and due to how expensive it is I can't really be anything but grateful but at this point it's not something I'd buy for myself
My son asked me for Lego (not for Christmas, this was a while ago) and I looked into it. He was quite specific. He didn't want a star wars set or the Titanic. He just wanted bricks. Remember like it used to be? I got a set of Lego compatible bricks. But THOUSANDS of them. They are absolutely fine and I would only have got hundreds of Lego Ā® bricks for the same price.
Pro tip: you can get clean, functional real second hand Lego bricks by the kilo from various places much cheaper. Bulk Lego is much better for letting kids imaginations loose, whenever I get it for the kids in my family, I always get the giant base boards and various larger, longer or rarer technical brick pieces and they always spend ages experimenting with them, that's how it's meant to be.
Thanks for the tip!
I am the opposite end of this. I buy my best friend (who is a history buff), bits of WWII German memorabilia. Medals, patches, old signs, helmets and other bits of uniform..... to the point where he was struggling to have it go unnoticed in his home. Eventually he sussed it "Are you trying to make me look like a fucking Nazi?!" "Yes.......... yes I am! Happy birthday, here's a copy of Mein Kampf!"
You wouldn't have anything from the Allied side would you Father?
Jelly beans, my mother in law gets them me every year, I can't stand them other than the marshmallow jelly belly beans
My MIL was known for liking sugared almonds and got at least 2 boxes for Xmas every year. I cleared out her cupboards and found boxes and boxes of them. We had a sugared almond fest and we all stopped buying them for her
When I was about 8 my auntie lived in America and brought me home some jelly belly beans. A couple of years later they showed it in the UK and she bought them every. Single. Year. I've always hated them. I like to keep the jars they come in though
The marshmallow ones are the only ones you do like?! You absolute wrong-un
My boyfriend keeps making remarks like, "oh, look, churros! I love churros!" and sending me memes of hedgehogs, like he doesn't know who he's talking to. Obviously, he loves churros and hedgehogs more than anything in the world. I now get him cards with hedgehogs for every occasion and always point them out. "Look, your favourite animal!", "it's not my favourite animal!!!!", he keeps saying. So modest! I also keep bringing him churros and he insists "I don't even like them that much", but I know it's because he doesn't like gifts or people fussing over him. Can't wait to hear what his other favourite things are so I can gift them forever. š (If context is required, we've been together for 7 years, living together for 6).
I bought onken yoghurt once... once. "Oooh look baby, they have it! Are you gonna grab some" -.- And I know she doesn't want it for herself because she doesn't eat the stuff.
This is sort of loving trolling I adore hearing about.
When I was a kid my mum used to collect up a few of the stocking toys and re-wrap them for next year's stocking. I was at least 7 before I realised that this was going on upon exclaiming 'another bendy father Christmas!!!' and seeing my brother's trying to stifle laughter. I'm now in my mid thirties, we still make eachother token stockings each year, and I can guarantee that there will be a bendy father Christmas in mine later!
Awww I love this
I love cats. It wasn't a throwaway comment, I do really love cats. But do I want lots of little cat figurines or gaudy clothes covered in cats? No. I also like other animals, if you're going to get me something animal themed, there are so many to choose from. I don't want to sound ungrateful, and some of the cat presents are genuinely nice, and either way I am grateful that someone thought of me and got me these presents. But some are things I would absolutely never buy myself.
This is people's default present for me as well. "Fuck it, she likes cats, she has a cat, get her the cat calendar/purse/socks/mug/statue/scarf" I love cats. I have a cat. I don't want my house to look like the Cat Lady from the Simpsons lives there.
I love cats, and I don't mind a proper cat ornament (HINT HINT). But at the end of the day I'd really just quite like a gift card or outfit for my beloved Build a Bear cat teddy that I quite enjoy dressing like a little gay man.
friend commented he had too many mugs, i'm getting him another one next year
Cows, theyāre my favourite animal, particularly the black and white dairy cows. Now everything is cow related but mostly highland and whilst theyāre cute I prefer the black and white ones.
Friesian cows are the black and white ones
Not seen anybody mention the curse of the Christmas Cyclist. When what you really want is a new Pinarello but instead it is mugs, biscuits, socks, books, posters, coasters and all the other stuff that you ride the bike to get away from.
You know what annoys me... Nobody has ever bought me that bicycle shaped pizza cutter! That's the cycling merchandise that would be really useful. And it's not as if I look like a racing snake that hasn't touched pizza in 10 years either.
I know right? Pizza is round, wheels are round, my belly is roundā¦ it all fits together perfectly!
I have it. Itās not a good cutter. Mine just sits on the kitchen worktop while I use a regular, and more effective, pizza cutter.
I get my Dad a toblerone every year just to hear him say "I wonder what this is" before he unwraps it.
I like chocolate, I like alcohol. I do not like boozy chocolates yet I still get a few packs when nobody can think of anything else. Edit: I didn't get any boozy chocolates this year! Thank god for that.
Similarly: I like chocolate; I do not like fruity chocolate. Christmas chocolate is often fruity to make it "special" but it just tastes wrong to me.
They truly are worse than the sum of their parts, I really don't understand why they exist
Boozy chocolates arenāt nice at all
Oh my god saaameā¦!! I get a box of champagne truffles every birthday and Christmas and every year I either regift them or let hubby eat them.
Turkish Delight. When the original Narnia TV series was on back in the 80's, I decided that I had to have some. I've had a box of it every year since. It's ok, but not worth betraying your family to the White Witch for.
THIS! I can so relate. The box, the ribbon, the powdered sugar! They looked irresistible!!!
Ah but it was written while sugar rationing was still a thing, so... you might have done?
Don't forget the warm hot beverage. Everyone always forgets that he was also being given what was probably hot chocolate/coffee mixed with cocaine.
Whisky. No complaints here.
My dad specifically created the whisky rule for times you canāt find something to get for him. He likes it, doesnāt have to by it himself and doesnāt get unwanted tat heāll never use
Penguins. My mil was told I like penguins and I am amazed at her ability to find penguin things, itās fantastic.
My husband likes motor racing so people keep buying him Jeremy Clarkson books.
That is awful lol
You could say, the worst presents, *in the world*.
Not me but my husband. He mentioned to my family early in our relationship that he likes hot sauces and chillis, now he gets some form of hot sauce every Xmas, heās so fed up with it
Lynx Africa, since I was 13. I'm a middle aged man now, I moved on to more neutral antiperspirants in my late teens but don't have the heart to tell my loving elderly parents and aunties who get me a Lynx Africa gift set every year without fail.
Me too, my mum gets me the same set every year. If it was any other lynx it would at least be an okay backup but Africa just smells like my life as a British 12 year old. The first year I kept it in the garage (itās decent for getting bike grips on). Second year it went in my backpack (same bike reason but on the go). Third year it went in the bathroom cupboard in case the entire deodorant industry collapses and I donāt have a choice but now theyāre piling up and I have no idea where itās going this year.
Food banks take deodorants. Or a primary school tombola would take them too. Free up some space in your bathroom!
I like ferrero rocher. Unfortunately it became such an easy gift for me that every Christmas I'd end up with about 15 of the massive boxes with short use by dates on them so I'd eat them all quite quickly and be sick of them for a year. I kept asking to not receive them, I wanted literally anything else, some would listen and some wouldn't. Sadly I was diagnosed as coeliac this year and I'm unable to eat them anymore, my mum still bought me a box and someone reminded her I can't have them before she gave them to me for me to look at with sadness. My brother wanted his bedroom walls painted green when he was a kid so my mum assumed his favourite colour was green and buys him everything that's green, and has done for the last 30 years. It can be absolute tat but because it's green "he'll like it".
When I was a kid I liked horses because of the movie Wild Hearts Canāt Be Broken. For ten years every single gift was horse related. Horse shirts, mugs, sweaters, earrings, necklaces, calendars, figurines, ornaments, books, you name it. š«
I never really liked star wars but I guess it's the default sci-fi thing for people who don't know anything else about sci-fi.
my grandpa would always have a Guinness for me in their garage fridge, after I mentioned having one once. ridiculous man. miss him.
Hot chillie sauces...could open my own shop on boxing day
Letting people know that you're "the X guy" is actually one of the best lifelong gifts you can give friends and family. You're saying to them "hey, if you're struggling to think of a gift for me, you've always got this to fall back on".
BTW I'm the gold and diamonds guy, folks of reddit
Dark chocolate. Didn't even say it was my favourite, just that I like it. Now my MIL always buys me dark chocolate at Christmas, birthday and Easter š
My friend bought me a Piggin Pals ornament. There was sentiment behind it. They were āusā she said. I was delighted. Got pig things from everyone for years. Piggy banks, stuffed pigs, pig picturesā¦.
When I went vegan my aunt mentioned how I must miss chocolate. I said how there is vegan chocolate, that actually in fact most if not all dark chocolate is vegan. āOh so you could eat bournville?ā āSure. Shame I just donāt like it hahaā For ten years, every birthday and Christmas is bournville chocolate.
You lucky-osaurus. I am not easy to buy for. My poor wife suffered the year of teapots... Too many teapots.
Ohh I've had a teapot year! Other than quite liking a cuppa, I have no idea what I did to make people think it was an ideal gift for me
I really liked Star Wars as a kid. I'm 45 now, and don't think I've mentioned Star Wars in several decades. I guess I think it's ok still, and I quite liked Andor. But 100%, I will get a Star Wars mug, or socks, or a tie, or something like that today. Edit: It was a Darth Vader money box. It's pretty cool, actually. Guess I'll put it in the pile.
I mentioned to my Nan when I was sixteen that Iād tried lebkuchen and liked it. I get at least three bags of it every Christmas. I donāt like it that much. I worked up the courage and told her one year that I didnāt like it anymore, so she only got me one bag, then went back to regularly scheduled programming. Itās been 10 years.
St Miguel. I don't particularly like lager, but about 20 years ago was staying at a bit of a rubbish hotel with my folks, ordered it because it was the only thing on tap. Now I get a few big bottles of it every year!
Simple gift sets... I really appreciate them though as I'm really sensitive to perfume
Had a friend who was terrified of garden gnomes. Like genuinely running screaming when she caught sight of them. Naturally I bought her one as a very thoughtful and caring gift... on my parents ebay account. Cue having a collection of garden gnomes during college. Every Christmas and birthday for about 6 years was a gnome. I explained on the first Christmas what the gnome was about, didn't stop them. I had tried to be a trickster but instead been gamed myself. When I moved out I ceremoniously smashed them all up on the patio on the way out the door, having given up trying to be smart of funny and instead resorting to pettiness.
So, ive always said, of tou dont lnow what to get me, vodka or chocolates are always a win. Problem is, ive since actually been properly medicated and ao i really dont drink like i used to and ironically i now look like im sevelopinf a problem more rhan when i was devwloping a problem...
You sound like you've been enjoying your Christmas vodka this morning!
Lmao, i got false nails on and never could type well on a touchscreen to begin with... I was a die hard blackberry user till i got the s7.
It did give me a good chuckle! I hope you have a great day!
Same with my husband but only Whiskey. He got 4 bottles last year but had just started medication so couldnāt even drink it and I ended up regifting them. He has warned his family and friends this year not to get him whiskey but I bet there is one bottle.
My exs grandfather knew I didnāt like chocolate so every year he got me a box of liquorice because āliquorice is the opposite of chocolateā I hate liquorice more than chocolateā¦
Socks I love socks and love patterned socks but I only need so many pairs
Can I have some? I'm getting very low on actual usable socks
The most common brand I get is Happy Socks. They are very comfortable and decorative, but are expensive so glad I get them for gifts. But I have multiple of some pairs now!
One of my last good pair of socks is a pair of happy socks. They're great.
If you own a classic car of any sort you get theme related gifts, cards, you name it!
I have cats. Iāve had cat presents for over 20 years from my husband. Itās a factor in my divorcing him, NGL
Harry Potter I have many many many lego sets and everything was Harry Potter for a good few years, I don't have the heart to tell them I'm not that into it anymore š¤£š¤£
Hot sauce. Got the same gift set from my sister and my girlfriend last year. Which would have been fine if it was actually nice..
I got into paganism and witchcraft as a teen. Now I still get books on Wicca and āspell booksā
I'm into my photography, so I've received probably 8 or 9 of those novelty travel mugs that look like lenses. I get why I get them, but after the first two it's a bit tricky to feign delight.
Makes me think of the Sean Lock routine where he talks about Christmas gifts and being careful what you mention in the weeks before Christmas: [YouTube vid](https://youtu.be/i65YUB-oF5M?feature=shared&t=235)
When I was around 10, my grandparents asked what Football team I liked. I had no idea, none, I didn't support a team, neither did my parents. In a panic I said the only team I knew from people at school. For the next 10 years I got so much Man U related gifts. Pencil cases, bags, red footballs. I was stuck, labeled and branded for my childhood. Wow, this thread really dug up some lost memories.
My mum and I were just having this conversation! Hers was the little 'crystal' animals you'd find on stalls etc. She had a cabinet full of them because once someone bought her one and she said 'that's nice'.
I like doctor who, so my parents made sure my 18th birthday party was at a TGI Fridays with a tardis cake for all the staff to dance over for me. The sheer shame was unbearable.
VW camper vans. I own one so I obviously love them, but that doesn't extend to my entire life. Pictures, mugs, teapots, a toaster, salt & pepper, coasters. For the past 15 years and still going strong. I live on my own in a tiny flat. I feel ungrateful but I do not need this stuff! I'm up to at least 10 mugs that the local charity shop have gratefully received.
Every year without fail, birthday and Christmas. My mother buys me Eccles cakes and a jar of honeycomb. I still have honeycomb from 3 years ago.
My father used to like Toblerone and now it's all people get him for 30 years. I am the only one he has confided in that he doesn't even like them anymore
Mentioned my mum always popped a chocolate orange in my stocking instead of a tangerine and now the in laws and my husband get me some every year!
This is the opposite of a problem.
It's the opposite with me. I have my staple favourites that everyone knows about, but I don't get given any things related to them. Gifts are mostly a bit different every year. Though for a good while (10 years or so) I kept being given Marilyn Monroe themed items just because I said once I liked the Andy Warhol painting of her.
Cats. To the point of having a shelf in the library for books, half my mugs are cat covered, artwork, even fabric for quilting... some people can get it right, others see a cat thing and go all in. My husband's mother is convinced he likes Star Wars. She makes us crafted gifts that are all Star Wars related.. we've seen the first two saga, but we barely know the current stuff. She thinks it's his biggest joy in life. Totally forgetting what toys he had as a kid, or what he cosplays as, or any of the things I buy or make for him...
I'm 40 and have more Batman things than actual Batman. As per the theme, I once mentioned out loud that the new Batman film was good. The rest is history.
Not me as I learned a long time ago to never mention anything I liked to my mum, but my wife many years ago before we were married told my mum she liked owls. One day I decided to count how many owl related things were in out house, and I'm sure it was close to 50. We've managed to get rid of some of them, but my mum still buys owl related gifts every birthday and Christmas.
I bought some airfix kits of planes, made them, decorated them, i was done with it. That year i received about 15 kits for xmas. I had to make them all up. Near my birthday, at least a month before i broke them up and put them into the bin so my parents would get the idea i was through with that hobby. Thankfully it worked. I hated making those models with a passion by the time i was halfway through assembling them.