Gift Giving Gaffes You Can Easily Avoid

Gift giving can be quite an art and boils down to more than just choosing your gift.  Choosing the perfect gift is of course one of the most important factors, but how many of these mistakes have you made, and how could you have avoided them?

Your good intentions gift could be resented if you opt to purchase a months membership to Weight Watchers or the gym for an overweight person.  Unless they have specifically said that they would like to join, they could end up resenting your gift as a result.  Avoid buying good intentions gifts. Unless you are really close, even if they have expressed an interest in joining a gym or losing weight, they may not appreciate your thoughts on this.

Although purchasing an art or collectible gift for a collector may seem like a good idea, unless you are absolutely sure of their tastes this could be dodgy.  Besides which people that collect certain items do so out of the enjoyment they get of choosing those items themselves.  I went through a stage where I loved owls and elephants and most people thought that adding to my collection would be a great gift idea.  With all of their good intentions I ended up with a huge collection that I did not want and some were quite honestly ghastly, but rather than offend, I ended up adding them to my collection.  In the end I got rid of my collections, all bar a few select pieces, and now never tell anybody that I collect certains items.

Gadgets seem to be the gift of choice when you are not sure what to get.  Most of these are just that gadgets, they will probably never be used once the initial novelty wears off and end up in the bottom of the drawer somewhere or even in the bin.

Regifting seems to be quite popular amongst some, however unless you know what you are doing this can be an absolute minefield.  You need to have an exceptional memory if you are going to regift.  It is not just a case of remembering who gave you the gift initially but who saw you open it.  I am sure if you regift to somebody that saw you open the gift initially, they are going to feel a little put out and feel that you could not have been bothered to put some thought into their gift and opted to pass your unwanted gift to them instead.

There are a lot who purchase gifts throughout the year, and try and match the gift to the person as the season rolls in.  Although the concept is good, you may end up with loads of gifts that do not match the personality or tastes of the receiver.  These end up being thoughtless gift, such as giving a box of chocolates to a diabetic, or a rock and roll CD to somebody who likes opera.  If you are going to buy your gifts this way, try and match the gift to the recipient at the point of purchase rather than as the season rolls in.

If all else fails opt for a gift basket.  Not only do these make great fun gifts for any occasion, they can be tailored to suit and individuals taste.  Please visit World of Hampers for ideas on great gifts for any occasion.