Real-life tales of the worst Valentine's Day gifts

So, you thought that half-wilted grocery-store-bought bouquet of flowers and generic card you got last year for Valentine's Day was bad, huh? How about a diet cookbook, frozen microwaveable pizzas, a shower curtain, or an encyclopedia (remember those)? Or, of course, nothing? We asked Yahoo! Shine readers to tell us about their worst Valentine's Day presents ever, and sad, funny tales of Valentine's Day woe poured in.

Rather than reservations at a nice local restaurant, many told us about getting thoughtless break-up messages, while others realized as the day unfolded it was time to break up with their thoughtless guys. Amid the usual mix of last-minute bad-gift procurement, there was the unusual: Shine user RayRay's box of frozen (microwaveable!) pizzas. "Explanation: Because I really like pizza? Yeah, that relationship is over."

We've rounded up the worst of the worst among the hundreds of responses. You may recognize some of these universally bad gifts. Remember, it is the thought that counts, but when the thought is fleeting, last-minute, or downright inconsiderate, the result is a lasting bad memory.

From the mixed-message guy. Shine user Jacquie got two gifts from her husband: a set of mixing bowls and a bathroom scale. "I think there was a mixed message in there somewhere, because I was pregnant and due in March…He later tried to include those gifts as my birthday present a week later, but opted out at 11 p.m. that day for a three-room tent that he picked up at a sporting goods shop a few blocks from our house when he had a craving for ice cream. Nice to be remembered, I think…"

Charlene remembered the Valentine's Day she made her boyfriend a memory box and put all of his favorite candy in there among trinkets from their time together. "He gave me a fabric heart-shaped box of chocolates, but ate the chocolates and replaced them with rocks. I dumped him shortly after that."

From the not-so-observant guy. The key to good gift-gifting is observation - noticing over time what's important to your significant other, what catches his or her eye, can lead to the best gift ideas. Shine user autumn's husband could use a little help from The Mentalist to hone his observation skills. "My husband gave me a white gold and diamond cross necklace. It is really beautiful, but I'm a Buddhist-and allergic to gold."

Something-for-him gifts. The many stories of silly lingerie fit nicely into this category. But a "L'il Smokey BBQ Pit" is a new one, as Shine user Kel can attest: "…because I didn't have one and HE liked to barbeque!"

The year Shine user e.a.b. lost her job, she still bought her then-boyfriend of one year a digital camera to replace the one he had broken. "I got the entire season of "Sopranos" on DVD. Basically, he bought a gift for himself!"

From the heartless guy. "My worst Valentine's Day gift? My ex-boyfriend of about a year and a half told me that he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend," recalls Shine user Jill.

At least he was honest. Jessica's ex-fiance thought it a smooth move to steal a pink-and-black stuffed dog from his younger sister. "The thing smelled and was gross,'' she writes. Oh, and she's pretty sure he knew she hates the color pink.

What should have been a romantic, snowy Valentine's Day in 2007 sounded a wake-up call for StephanieM. She made a romantic dinner for two, and her live-in boyfriend invited one of his friends, who ate a lot, burped a lot, drank a lot, and crashed on their couch. No card. And nothing for her birthday that followed in May, either. Happy ending to this story: they broke up and she had her best Valentine's Day ever in 2010: "I married the love of my life."

A new twist on eternal love. A diamond is forever? Pshaw. "Nothing says forever like adjoining cemetery plots," writes Melanie. "A Valentine's Day gift from my husband during our third year together." Thoughtful, yes. Right for Valentine's Day? Not so sure.

Sound familiar? Let us know if you have a Valentine's Day gift-gone-bad tale that can top all of the above.

Related on Shine:

Tell us: What's the worst Valentine's gift you've ever received?
The worst Valentine's Day gifts ever, 2010 edition
The Shine guide to terrible Valentine's Day gifts (a cautionary tale)