How to Choose the Right Gift

Guide Note: How to Choose the Right Gift offers tips, tricks and advice on how to choose the right gift for your friends, family and co-workers.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

  • Gift-giving isn't always easy. Playing Secret Santa to a co-worker you don't know well can be tricky, and buying a gift for that special someone after you've just started dating is no picnic. Even buying a gift for mom and dad can be a chore. After all, you've been exchanging gifts with them for years, and nothing's going to top your elementary school handiwork in their eyes. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to hone in on the perfect gift no matter who the recipient might be.

Step 1: Find Out What the Person is Interested In

  • When it comes to gift-giving, it really is the thought that counts. A great gift demonstrates that you've given some thought to a person and his or her interests. If you're not sure where to start, try the following:
Image by someecards.com
Image by someecards.com
  1. Pay Attention: The best gifts are the most thoughtful gifts. Consider the person on your list. What does he or she like? What will make that person feel like he or she is appreciated and not just a holiday chore to cross off a list? Consider the following areas of interest: Films, Books, Music, Travel, Food, Hobbies, Sports, etc.
  2. Go Snooping Online: Check out the gift recipient's MySpace or Facebook page. Does the person have an Amazon wish list or Netflix queue? Snoop around to find out what he or she likes.
  3. Ask a Third Party: If you're playing Secret Santa and don't know what to give, ask the person's closest friends and colleagues what he or she might like.

Note: Use common sense when it comes to settling on the perfect gift. Consider the context in which the gift will be given and its potential symbolism. Don't give your boss anything too expensive because it looks like brown-nosing, and don't give your girlfriend of two weeks a diamond ring unless you like your holiday gatherings feeling awkward.

Step 2: Brainstorm Gift Ideas

  • Now that you have a general sense of what the gift recipient's general areas of interest are, you need to come up with a few killer gift ideas. Here are some tips to get you started:
(Photo by Emin Ozkan)
(Photo by Emin Ozkan)
  1. Visit Gift Idea Websites: Several websites exist just to generate gift ideas according to a person's interests or relationship to you. Check out Surprise.com, Gifts.com, Amazon.com's Gift Central or Mahalo's own Guide to Gifts for ideas.
  2. Create a Package Gift: A package gift is a collection of related items. For instance, a bottle of wine, a fancy corkscrew and a pair of goblets. A package gift doesn't have to be expensive, but it shows that you put some consideration into assembling the gift.
  3. Buy Novel Gifts from Unexpected Places: There are lots of great websites that sell unique, inexpensive gifts that you can't find anywhere else. Who doesn't need a tub of mini ninjas or a Transfarmers t-shirt? Check out Threadless for hip, well-designed t-shirts; Etsy for handmade crafts; Archie McPhee and Fred Flare for fun, novelty items and, of course, eBay for everything else.
  4. Make Your Gift: Nothing shows your love more than baking it into a homemade pie. There are dozens of great gifts that require more time than money. Why not whip up a mix CD, write a heartfelt letter or dream up a holiday scavenger hunt for your friends?
  5. Give the Gift of Experience: Who needs more stuff? Consider giving theater tickets, singing lessons, restaurant gift certificates or an action sports outing as gifts.
  6. Do Cool Things with Photos: Has your friend ever done anything with those 1,000s of photos in his or her Flickr account? Print and frame the best shots. Make a cross stitch pattern from them. Create an online scrapbook or comic book. Check out all the cool things you can do with photos at websites like Photojojo and Moo Cards.
  7. Buy Artwork: You can purchase one-of-a-kind artwork for very little. Check out the Perry Bible Fellowship for signed prints of surreal comics, pop culture-inspired prints from Brandon Bird or original $20 prints from 20x200.
  8. Get Geeky: If you're technically inclined, check out MAKE Blog's Open Source Gift Guide and retrofit an old gadget for new gimmickry. Or, try downloading a program which records streaming audio, and put radio shows like This American Life, the SModcast or NPR's live concert recordings on CDs for friends.

Gift Idea Resources

Gift Ideas for Mom

Gift Ideas for Kids

Gift Ideas for Geeks

Gift Ideas for Cinephiles

Gift Ideas for Hipsters

Gift Ideas for Culture Lovers

Gift Ideas for Techies and Gamers

Gift Ideas for Amateur Photographers

Gift Ideas for Foodies

Gift Ideas for Sports Fans

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