For my birthday, my spouse got me a nicer newer expensive version of a thing I already have. The one I have is older and dented but works just fine. I use it weekly. I never complain about it. I’ve never asked for a newer one. The one I have was given to me by my mother in law, whom I adore. It’s sentimental.
I don’t like new things. When they got me a 3d printer, it was the cheapest one and it was a kit and I had to build myself. I loved it. It’s perfect for me. I regularly buy things used or get things from Buy Nothing groups. I much prefer to repair old things in many ways. My car has over 100k miles. The one before did too. I don’t like new things.
We got into a huge argument because I want to return it. They are so upset with me that they left the house to calm down. Why am I the bad person? Why are they mad at me? I have a very clear tendency for old broken used things. Why am I obligated to like this new thing?
We literally established a rule early in our marriage. I’m not allowed to gift nerdy t shirts. They don’t like them. I love them. I thought they would like them but they do not. So they asked me to stop. This feels the same. I do not like new things. Why am I the bad guy for wanting to return the newer version of the thing I already have?
They want to improve your life by giving you something which is not broken and assumedly works better than whatever you’re using now. You are rejecting that because of your insistence that things must be old. They know you will never get it for yourself, and maybe they think you’re just being cheap. It probably hurts them seeing you use what to them looks like a piece of crap. It’s really hard to say without knowing what the actual items involved are In just speculating.
Knocking onto this, it could also stem from the fact that they’d like a bit more of OPs time. A new item means(presumably) less time trouble shooting and repairing, more efficient use, and less time having to correct the items mistakes. That additional time is some of what they are lamenting not being able to get.
They literally said the old one still “works just fine”…
And it seems clear from the text that it’s a 3D printer
The text makes clear that the 3d printer was an older gift that they enjoyed (which they enjoyed building)
Yes, and:
Seems clear that the gift was a replacement printer?
They said only that it is “a thing they already have” there could be literally anything, though they said it was dented which makes me think it’s not a printer
The 3D printer was previously gifted by the spouse.
This new gift would replace something gifted by OP’s mother in law.
They’re different things.