Happily, in my family Christmas gifts are mostly predictable and mostly luxury consumables that people like to have, but don’t buy for themselves. Nice scotch, chocolate truffles, and new books and music mostly.
Screw a gift card. Cash is king. Just slip me a couple portraits of Franklin and I’ll be fine with it.
I think that’s an excellent rule of thumb. Adults buying each other presents is kinda silly, but as long as it’s not taken to extremes, and as long as you don’t stress out about it, enjoy. A simple gift that can be consumed and enjoyed is the best.
One relative I exchanged gifts with for a long time (I bought him a shirt, he bought me a shirt) once asked me what I wanted, and I said “I want to not have to buy you a gift anymore”, and we both laughed and haven’t bought each other gifts since!
Ug - gift cards are lame, and I only get them if it’s part of something else (I got my niece and her husband two gift cards - dinner and a movie - since they have little kids and need a break).
I like thoughtful shopping for people. It’s fun to me. But I like spending the time to think about something cool - like the vintage light meter for my uncle, or the huge world map for my cousin. I hate gift cards because they are the exact opposite of “it’s the thought that counts” - Oooo, someone “thought of me” as they passed the gift card display in Walgreens!
And in return, I don’t mind getting thoughtful presents in exchange. Some of the best things I’ve ever gotten were gifts like this - for example, a great book on Beatles songwriting when I was heavily into the Beatles is still one of my favorite books, and I never would have found it myself (this was pre-Amazon). If they miss the mark, so what - at least they were thinking of me.
Really, gift giving is supposed to be doing something special for the person you care about. And if you don’t know enough about the person (or care enough, for that matter) why are you buying them gifts?
Gift cards? Too much effort! We’ve gone the minimalistic route of simply journaling over $$ and writing the amount in a card. It works for us.
How does that work for mutual exchanges? I give person X $50 and person X gives me $50?
John Mace, Each person gives the amount they choose because it’s a gift. We give large amounts to our children. We used to shop, wrap, do all the Christmas trimmings .. and Mr. Beata became Scrooge-like over all the hubbub. Everyone is happier with the minimalism. We still cook great holiday meals and our WI neighbor hitches up the draft horses to give sleigh/wagon rides. We gift him with $$, hams, candy and other items all year long.
This.
For many years, my mother would ask me for a list, then not give me anything on it. After a while, I started to get angry every time she asked me for a list, asking if she wants it only so she’ll know what not to get me.
Instead I’d get the same shit that I had told her every fucking year that I HATE HATE HATE and never buy it for me again! I mean seriously, I never wear corderoy pants, but she bought me a pair like 8 years in a row. Two of those years after I flat out refused to accept the gift and made a fuss in front of the family about how and why she kept buying me something I had told her repeatedly not to buy me and even put on my damned list as “DO NOT BUY ME CORDEROYS!!!”
Right now I keep getting black licorice from her. I hate the stuff. She can’t get that into her head.
Of course, her reaction is always one of hurt. Like she couldn’t possibly have known (despite being told repeatedly, year after year) that I didn’t like something.
Generally I don’t like gift cards. Not only are they impersonal, but they’re inefficient. The giver has to spend time (and possibly gas) obtaining the card, and the recipient can only use it at the issuing business. It’s as easy to give an unwanted gift card as an unwanted gift.
Don’t want to buy a gift? Then just give cash.
However, gift cards can be thoughtful and personal. Sometimes I give a Starbucks card to my Starbucks addict friend. It works better than gift wrapping a box of Pumpkin Spice lattes.
No blood on the fangs, but you have the idea straight. I think they’re from thinkgeek.
They are - but like most good things on ThinkGeek, they’re sold out.
My sister and I have birthdays that are only a few days apart. Last year, she got me a $20 Amazon gift card. So I got her an Amazon gift card, too. For $19.99. I WIN!!
Boy, if the SDMB Christmas card exchange ever morphs into a re-gifting thread, I know what you’re gonna be angling for…
You could start telling her you don’t like scotch…
I wish our family was sensible like that. However, we have some overachievers who have had all their shopping done since June, so I guess we all have to follow along.
We did draw names one year so everyone had to buy just one gift, but Black Sheep Uncle forgot to buy one for his person, so now that excellent idea is somehow off the table forever. :rolleyes:
People who say, “I’d rather get nothing than a gift card” deserve a hot poke in the eye. I don’t care HOW terrible a present is, or how little thought I think someone put into it… I accept it and like it and do my best to use it because someone cared enough to get me something.
Now, for those of you who have given specific lists of what you want, even possibly including things you DON’T want… I can understand being upset when someone contradicts that.
But otherwise, grow up, grow a pair, and stop being so full of yourselves by sticking your nose 8 feet into the air thinking that certain presents just aren’t good enough for you if you haven’t made it clear to others shopping for you that you don’t like them.
Actually what it says is, “I know it’s hard to buy something specific for you because you already own a lot of (your interest) related things. Here is a way for you to get exactly what it is you want!”
The first Christmas I was at my future in-laws house, we were opening presents, I was so surprised that every present was spot on. Afterwards I found out that they bought their own present, wrapped them up, then gave the bill to the giver for reimbursement !
What an amazing overreaction to the actual things people have said in this thread. I take someone yelled at you once for getting them a gift card?
But isn’t saying “it’s hard” the same as saying “I have no idea”?
Look, the best you can do as the recipient of a gift card is get the thing you know you want. You can’t be surprised, you can’t be expanded. You can’t get something that is special to the giver.