Everyone has a holiday "not-so-perfect" gift story: eight candles, 10 pairs of socks, four boxes of candy. And what about the gifts that just weren't right? You know the ones. Aunt Ginny's box set of soaps or Uncle Harry's $3 talking alarm clock.

A survey from Kijiji.com, eBay's free classifieds website, found that 59 percent of consumers actually keep unwanted gifts they received during the holiday season. But instead of cramming those gifts into the attic or - worse! -tossing them in the trash, why not consider regifting throughout the year. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and showers are all great excuses to give a gift you may not have wanted but that someone else could use.

It's economical and good for the environment.

According to Consumer Reports, 36 percent of Americans plan on regifting this year. That's up from 31 percent the year before.

You can call it tacky or rude, but regifting is allowed.

Just ask Maria Everding, St. Louis etiquette consultant of the Etiquette Institute. "Regifting is acceptable, but you have to be honest."

Let's say someone gives you a gardening gift and you live in an apartment. Of course, you don't need the gardening item, but Everding says, "You can give the gardening tool to someone else." Tell your giftee that you received the gift, you simply can't use it and you thought they would enjoy it.

There are a few gift items to stay away from when regifting: candles, soaps, computer software, scarves, box sets of bath accessories and, of course, fruitcake. "They're all dead giveaways," says Everding.

But on the other hand, bottles of wine or champagne are good choices for regifting. And a box of chocolates or nuts are also appropriate.

Everding says there is such a thing as a "bad" regifter. She has heard horror stories. Take, for example, the woman who received a gorgeous, silver serving tray. The bad news: The original gift tag was still on the package. Or how about the woman who received a rice cooker. As she lifted the lid, she spotted a few pieces of cooked rice in the bottom of the pot. Eww.

Mary Gerritsen, houseware buyer for overstock.com, says, "In this economy, regifting is OK. Just be sure to use proper etiquette. First and foremost, keep track of who gave you the gift and keep it out of the same circle of the giver."

Gerritsen also suggests, "For all those unwanted gifts, consider auctioning them on Overstockauctions.com or eBay. Or give them to Goodwill for a tax-deductible write-off.

Gerritsen says you can't go wrong regifting best-selling novels, in good condition of course. And never-been-opened CDs and movies have a broad appeal to giftees.

But don't get caught, or the gig is up.

Rules for regifting

1. Keep track of who gave you the gift.

2. Remove original gift tag and attach a new tag.

3. Rewrap the gift.

4. Never give a hand-me-down or used gift.

5. Don't give a partially used gift card.

6. Do not give a gift from a closed department store.

7. Don't regift an item that's too old.

8. Keep in mind who you're giving the regift to. Will they really want it?

Poll

Are you planning to regift something you got for the holidays?

- No. I consider it tacky.

- No. I don't have anything I think is regiftable.

- Yes. I have at least one thing I'll regift.

- Yes. I have several things I'll be regifting.

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Pink fleece blanket

You gave the pink fleece blanket to Grandma Rose for Christmas 2009.

Rose gave a friend a thank you gift for her help with a charity function (same box, different wrapping).

Rose's friend's daughter's teacher is having a baby, it's a GIRL!

Congratulations! Your mom got a new job as the high school principal's secretary. The teacher passed this on as a welcome gift.

Beer mugs

A great gift from your Aunt Jill, but you already have two sets. You love beer, but who needs 24 mugs? So you decide to save it for regifting.

You rewrap the mugs and give them to your cousin Jerry for college graduation. Now there's someone who can use them.

But Jerry needed a quick host gift for a summer barbecue at his best friend Jim's house, so he put them in a gift bag with a 12-pack of beer. Instant gift!

Jim's wife, Cheryl, didn't want to keep the mugs, so she filled them with bath beads, put a ribbon on them, and gave them to her sister Jennifer for a unique birthday present.

Jennifer loved the bath beads, but doesn't drink beer, so she wrapped the mugs in a gold box and gave them to her father-in-law to congratulate him on his retirement.

Jennifer's mother-in-law wasn't pleased with the gift. No beer allowed in her house, so she passed them on to her nephew, Tommy, the next Christmas.

The mugs have found a home with tommy

picture frame

You gave the picture frame to mom for a housewarming gift.

Mom gave the frame as a get-well gift to her niece (this time put in a gift bag with a pair of sunglasses).

John's niece put her picture in the frame to help her uncle feel better about his divorce.Cousin Jerry's getting married now, so the frame is the perfect gift. Uncle John put a nice bow on it and hoped he'd never know the frame's travels.