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After your wedding is over and you find yourself taking inventory of all the gifts you’ve received from your guests, you may find that you have a pile of not-from-the-registry items you’d be better off without. They’re valuable gifts, so you don’t want to just toss them or have them go to waste, but it would be perfect if you could somehow trade them in for some cash. Whether or not you have a receipt or know where the item was purchased, here are five ways to turn unwanted wedding gifts into cash (yes, you have our permission).
1. If it has a receipt, return it.
The first thing you should do when you receive a gift you’re not happy with is to find the gift receipt for it. It may be included in the card or attached to the item as a gift receipt — so be careful throwing out the box and packing materials! If you do have a receipt, take the item back to the store and see if you can get cash back or at least a store credit.
2. If it doesn’t have a receipt, google the brand and model.
If there’s no gift receipt to be found, search for the brand name and model of the item to see what stores carry it. Even if you don’t have a receipt, some stores will take back an item if they sell it.
3. Sell it online.
If you can’t find the store it belongs to, your next option is to sell the item online. Sites like Craigslist or Ebay can be an easy way to find a new owner for the gift.
4. Find a bartering site.
If there’s something else of equal value that you’d prefer instead, check out bartering sites and see if you can do an even exchange between your item and another on the website.
5. Use a gift card exchange.
Let’s face it — all gift cards are not created equal., you can go on a gift card exchanged website and exchange the gift card for one from another store that you will use instead.
See More: What to Do with Those Ugly Wedding Gifts
Jen Glantz is a “Professional Bridesmaid” and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She’s the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store and on first dates.