The Salvation Army received many weird and wonderful "gifts" during its Christmas donations appeal.
An empty wine casket, a wrapped cat food sandwich and forty individually wrapped foreign coins are among the stranger items.
Salvation Army community engagement manager Rhonda Middleton spoke to NZME about the bizarre donations saying that "99 percent of the time, there are these amazing gifts coming in for families who really can't afford to get those nice things for their kids for Christmas".
As for the other one percent? Ms Middleton says that they need to "go find something else to entertain themselves with".
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Slightly more sinister than the cat food was the bloody hunting knife and a skinhead Barbie doll complete with engraved swastikas.
"I assumed the blood was from an animal. We consulted the community constable on this one" said one volunteer.
Ms Middleton told NZME most people are very generous around Christmas, but some have a tendency to get "slightly off track".
Among these off track gifts was a container of alligator pate, and a single scorpion coated in chocolate. Very indulgent, but not the best thing for a child's Christmas stocking.
"A lot of people think it's really nice to give second-hand toys, but actually in the long run for health and safety, new is what we give out as Christmas gifts.
"Things like headphones, vouchers and sports equipment."
So if you're considering donating this year, maybe leave the more experimental gifts at home.
The full list of donations is below.
- An empty wine casket labelled as a gift for a nine-year-old girl.
- A tin containing a single scorpion coated in chocolate.
- A wasabi Kit Kat.
- Alligator pate
- A Barbie doll with Nazi swastikas drawn and engraved on its shaved head.
- A blood-stained hunting knife.
- A sandwich with cat food filling.
- A topless Wonder Woman doll.
- Forty individually wrapped foreign coins.
- A kids' wooden go-kart with one wheel missing.
- A bong, accessories and cannabis.
- Mousetraps.
- A completely burnt-out candle in a jar.
- Partially coloured colouring-in books.
Newshub.
