At the foot of the tree, a few layers of torn gift wrap and we are staring at this strange gift. After a shy ” what is this ? »our embarrassed smile struggles to hide the disappointment… There is certainly the pleasant feeling that someone has thought of us, but a question quickly arises: “What are we going to do with this object? » For several years, many French people have opted for resale. In 2023, a quarter of the population said they were ready to resell their Christmas gifts according to a study by eBay and Kantar.
The gifts are often numerous and the accommodations are necessarily very large. Due to lack of space, we may have to part with it. Some may end up on online platforms or be given away, to avoid commercial logic. On resale, “there is a moral discomfort, people hide it”however, points out Estelle Ferrarese, professor of philosophy at the University of Amiens. “ This taboo is gradually disappearing because the meaning of the gift has been transformed by capitalist practices.nuance Benoît Heilbrunn, philosopher specializing in consumption, who notes that “thethe exchange of gifts has lost its religious and charitable dimension ».
Resell to recycle
For François Lévêque, economics professor at Mine Paris Tech, “Reselling is good recycling to prevent these objects from lying around in a closet.” With the development of platforms like eBay, Rakuten or Leboncoin, it has become easy to earn a little money. “These sites have expanded the market that consumers can reach”analyzes Nathalie Moureau, teacher-researcher in economics at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier.
It is certain that the one who gives a gift exposes himself and takes the risk of disappointing. However, this gesture is significant: it represents the link between the one who offers and the one who receives. Whether the present is expensive or not, the main thing is that it best corresponds to the person’s aspirations, to what we know or imagine about them. But this demonstration of affection can also carry a hidden message, be a way of influencing others, since “the giver chooses a gift that orients the preferences of the recipient”, as Nathalie Moureau and Françoise Benhamou point out in The gift in the economy (La Découverte, 128 p., €11). The gift can then be tinged with a form of paternalism, which can also manifest itself in the categorical refusal to offer money on the grounds that it could be misused.
Cut the link
So what happens when we resell what we were given? “The gift is reduced more and more to its monetary value. With resale, we seek a monetary equivalence of the esteem the donor has for us”continues Benoît Heilbrunn. After Christmas, items, just out of their packaging, are put on sale on platforms for 10 to 30% less. The American economist Joel Waldfogel studied the overall impact of these low-cost resales of new products: they represent a “dead loss” for the economy, of 10 to 18% of the value of the donations. From an economic point of view, money therefore represents the best gift, because individuals would make their own purchases and be less disappointed.
“Offering money goes against the symbolism of Christmasreacts on the contrary Nathalie Moureau. This cuts the social bond that a gift represents. In the same way, we pay a psychiatrist at the end of a session to prevent an emotional bond from being established. » The researcher recalls that the act of giving creates a bond, by citing the work of sociologist Marcel Mauss (1872-1950). Resale, which transforms a gift into money, therefore erases this social bond.
Thinking of the other
Receiving money can also be frowned upon. “There’s more to a gift than market value. Giving away tickets has an impersonal sideexplains François Lévêque. The time you spend looking for something that will please you illustrates your attachment to this person. »
All this explains why the famous “sentimental value” generally acts as an obstacle to resale. A surprise, a gift that we would never have bought or even imagined, that is priceless, especially when a lot of affection is involved. A handcrafted gift can be even more valuable. Seeking to please and making a mistake is ultimately no big deal, since as the adage says, “it’s the intention that counts”. Even if it secretly ends up on the Internet…