The Gift That Counts
Oct. 10th, 2008 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kybearfuzzOver lunch, a co-worker and I were having a discussion regarding gift giving. His position was the giving gift certificates was the easy way out, that it basically says that you are not putting any thought into a gift. He was especially saying this if you gave a certificate to a place you are registered (he just recently had a baby).
Now I often give gift certificates as birthday presents, even when my friends or family member might have a wish list. I guess I often considered shopping part of the gift experience, the ability to get whatever you want or need. Granted, this alleviates me from making a choice of does he or she like it, but at least it gives that person the ability to get something they truly enjoy. Naturally, if I were attached, this wouldn't go for my other half, but for friends and family I never saw the problem.
So, I pose the question to the masses: Are gift certificates a sort of etiquette-breach? Is purchasing an item better than giving a gift certificate or are they equivalently good?
Now I often give gift certificates as birthday presents, even when my friends or family member might have a wish list. I guess I often considered shopping part of the gift experience, the ability to get whatever you want or need. Granted, this alleviates me from making a choice of does he or she like it, but at least it gives that person the ability to get something they truly enjoy. Naturally, if I were attached, this wouldn't go for my other half, but for friends and family I never saw the problem.
So, I pose the question to the masses: Are gift certificates a sort of etiquette-breach? Is purchasing an item better than giving a gift certificate or are they equivalently good?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-10 06:47 pm (UTC)When I'm giving gifts, I count it as a marginal failure if the best gift I can come up with is a gift card. I give very few gifts each year, to a very small number of people, and I spend a lot of time thinking about the person I'm gifting and what they may like (and what they may already have). With people I know pretty well, I'm usually very good at finding appropriate gifts. Others, less so.
When I'm the one receiving, I've long ago given up hoping gifts will be personal, so gift cards are fine. They'll usually sit around for a year or two (or longer) until I remember I have them then have to find a way to use them. Personally, I'd prefer cookies.