# What's Your Go-To Gift **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882 "2009-08-09T23:05:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/1 "2009-08-09T23:05:30Z")
When you have to give a gift to someone you don’t really know well and they haven’t provided any guidance, what do you choose to give that you really like? For me it’s windchimes. I absolutely love them, so I also love to pass them along as gifts. And I suppose on the chance that my recipient ends up not liking them, I have no problem with them re-gifting them for someone else. Or returning them even. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/2 "2009-08-09T23:13:42Z")
[Pin Art](http://www.amazon.com/Toysmith-1093-Large-Pin-Black/dp/B000FZVNM4) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/3 "2009-08-09T23:23:28Z")
Crystal. If they have money, it goes well with any decor. If they don’t, it’s a nice piece to bring a little class to their home. You can buy inexpensive stuff or go all the way to something expensive, and you can find such a variety of items that it’s easy to find something for people you don’t know much about. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/4 "2009-08-09T23:34:38Z")
If it is a momentous occasion, I get a silver dollar from that year. Weddings, anniversaries, graduations, they can all be remembered with a silver coin. And I usually add a check. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/5 "2009-08-10T00:09:20Z")
Flowers. Most people have plenty of stuff, and I have no taste in any case (I really don’t). So I go to a florist who knows more than me and give him a dollar amount and let him pick something pretty. High-quality florists have really amazing stuff, and if people don’t like them they can throw them away the minute after I leave and I never have to know. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/6 "2009-08-10T14:44:23Z")
> [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](#): > > [Pin Art](http://www.amazon.com/Toysmith-1093-Large-Pin-Black/dp/B000FZVNM4) Those are always a big hit with grade-school kids. Any time my kids got invited to a birthday party and didn’t know what to give, that’s what I sent, and everybody would take it right out of the box and start playing with it. To young kids, I nearly always give chalkboards. Adults are really hard. I would likely give some kind of food\* and hope that if they didn’t like it, they could find someone who did. \*Not homemade ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/7 "2009-08-10T14:46:28Z")
A bottle of wine, unless I know they don’t drink wine. Then it’s beer and/or the liquor of their choice. For complete non-drinkers, I’m at a loss. Luckily I don’t know many of them. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/8 "2009-08-10T15:04:18Z")
I don’t have a go-to item, but I’m starting to have a go-to place. There’s a store in the local mall that’s sortof a miniature craft fair, with little displays from all sorts of area vendors who make their own stuff. I can usually just wander around looking for something I think is cool or reminds me of the person in question, and find something I’m happy giving 95% of the time at least. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/9 "2009-08-10T15:07:52Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > A bottle of wine, unless I know they don’t drink wine. Then it’s beer and/or the liquor of their choice. > > For complete non-drinkers, I’m at a loss. Luckily I don’t know many of them. My birthday is in April. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/10 "2009-08-10T15:12:09Z")
Something from Zingerman’s or Penzey’s has always been welcomed; we also have a local art gallery that carries utilitarian objects (measuring spoons, business card holders) that are just beautiful. They’re always appropriate, and even if the person already has a set of cocktail forks, these are something special that can be both used and displayed and suitable for men too. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/11 "2009-08-10T15:20:52Z")
A nice bottle of wine. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/12 "2009-08-10T15:25:33Z")
For females, I like to pick up a nice arty vase and overfill with flowers. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/13 "2009-08-10T15:27:09Z")
A book. If I don’t know them very well, it’s an artsy, coffee table book. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/14 "2009-08-10T15:33:58Z")
Flowers, or a gift coupon, or some delicacy that keeps well, and that most people will use eventually, like a bottle of olive oil, or a jar of chic fruit preserve. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/15 "2009-08-10T15:45:51Z")
For adults, I try to stick with consumables. I know I don’t need any more stuff, so I project that on others. Wine (if I am under the impression the people drink alcohol); dried fruits/nuts (if I am under the impression the people eat healthier than I do); flavored olive oil; sets of flavored olive oil and vinegar to be used as salad dressing; good chocolate; hot sauce or BBQ sauce; boutique honey; boutique sodas, like root beer or birch beer or whatever; and regional food specialties or regional microbrews. Kids get books, often crafty type things like instruction books for origami that come with origami paper. Museum gift shops are great for craft books like this. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/16 "2009-08-10T15:48:04Z")
Cigars, usually, if it’s a man. Women I like to give small carved sculptures of stone or minerals. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/17 "2009-08-10T15:52:13Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Cigars, usually, if it’s a man. Women I like to give small carved sculptures of stone or minerals. My birthday is in July, and I’m female! ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/18 "2009-08-10T20:03:22Z")
stationary, a box of blank note cards, a nice box for display(carved wood, brass, etc) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/19 "2009-08-10T20:41:09Z")
Slinky. It’s fun for a boy and a girl. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882/20 "2009-08-10T20:57:37Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Cigars, usually, if it’s a man. Is this more a function of who you know? I don’t know a single person who smokes cigars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-gift/505882.md?page=2)