'Tis the season for Toecovers

[zimzam]

I'm grateful to receive anything at Christmas but I wonder how many toe covers I'll receive again this year. Let me explain the meaning of a toe cover....if you are female and get a make up bag for Christmas then you are thrilled with it. The second present you unwrap is also a make up bag, so you decide to have one as a spare. The third Christmas present is - wait for it - a make up bag. The third identical present immediately becomes a toe cover. Any third identical present automatically is classified as a toe cover, and when you don't receive many gifts you can't keep one to give to someone for a Birthday/Christmas gift as you may be re-wrapping what they sent to you the previous year to forgetfully give back to them for the following year. A useless article is also a toe cover - a peg bag when you don't have an outside line is a toe cover, a cd of a pop group when you are purely one for classical music is a toe cover....you name it, people worldwide seem to send toe covers deliberately, and probably with malice aforethought. So what is the worst toe cover you ever received and how did you get rid of it?

[Doggri]

Haha...when I was much younger I got 3 Blue Peter Annuals one Christmas.... I actually kept them all....and in the next few years I'm going to flog them on Ebay for a fair amount...
I was once given a 10 piece hairbruch kit. Who needs 10 hairbrushes?

[makemesmile]

I don't think I've ever received a toe-cover. I've received presents I really didn't like, but they weren't useless/duplicate. I'm racking my brains.....

[makemesmile]

O O O.... Doggri has reminded me of a Christmas (1984) that I received two (yes 2!) Barry Manilow annuals. I've always had a soft spot for Bazza... : )

[makemesmile]

And Bath Oil. Not bubble bath, the oil. You have a lovely relaxing bath, then when it's time to empty said bath, you find a yucky oily ring round the sides and have to clean it. HATE bath oil.

[zimzam]

makesmesmile - well bath oil is definitely a good toe cover, and so is the thought of giving your leg plastercasts to the sender of the bath oil, as doubtless you would have slipped in the bath and broken your legs as the bath would be well and truly greased. Excellent toecover to give to someone you hate with a passion - I'll add that to my shopping list. Thank you.
So far Doggri is winning having received a truly wonderful toecover of ten hairbrushes.

[B00]

Not sure if this counts as a toe cover............

But one year my sister in law was almost wetting herself with delight over the (joint) present for Mr Boo and I. She was almost jumping up and down with excitement and gushing "I can't wait to see your faces"......so getting giddy with excitement myself I unwrapped it...........to reveal a 20 piece dinner set!!! And not only was it a dinner set ( I mean WHAT???) it had a bloody horrible design on it.

Now I'm down to one pudding plate from this godawful set that the poor dog is subjected to eating his meals from now ;-)

[zimzam]

Boo - a hideous unwanted horribly designed gift is considered a toecover. I'm only too sorry for your dog so I'll be reporting you to the RSPCA. But yes, you certainly received a toecover. Congratulations! (Doggri still claims the number one spot - 10 hairbrushes?? I ask you!)

[cameo]

My mum seems to be the expert on the giving of toe covers!
The first one i remember was back in my youth, i had been to see the film Grease. Afterwards it was all i went on about and i was forever singing the songs!
All i wanted for christmas was a tape player and a cassette of the movie soundtrack.
I got the tape player. i was then unwrapping a present which was quite obviously a tape, i was sooo excited! only to find out it was a tape of the Beach Boys live in concert!!
I had never even heard of them!

Since then the presents have become more and more useless. We have a bag in the loft full of them!!
In our house it has become a sort of tradition - who will get the most useless present!!

[nigella]

My auntie, (by marriage) was known throughout our family as a toe cover giver, although i doubt she was aware of this. we had many joyous occasions trying to guess which of her family had previously been given the present and who the original buyer of the item was.
the worst toe cover i received for christmas from this auntie was an awful smelling aftershave, which isnt bad for a bloke, except I'M A FEMALE!, the good thing was my mum wasnt about to let this one slide. my mum thanked my auntie for the present on my behalf and told her that i'd be sure to use it when i start shaving!! needless to say, it never got used,