There are so many myths around donating gifts! Many of them have become just winged expressions, but few people think about how correct some of the established ideas.
The price of a gift does not matter
This is usually asserted in defense of inexpensive offerings and, in my opinion, very hypocritical. The price of a gift depends on many things: the reason for which it is presented, the material condition of the donor and the donee, established traditions. It's one thing when girlfriends (students or schoolgirls) give each other for the New Year a bottle of cheap shampoo or a notebook, and another - when with the same gifts you (adults) come to a friend's family for the anniversary.
Do not give too expensive gifts
If you are choosing a gift does not suffer from the problem of lack of money - shikuyte to health! Of course, you give an expensive gift only in the event that you are sure that your wide gesture will cause the entrusted enthusiasm, and not lead him into confusion. If you aspire in everything to be with him on an equal footing, try to give each other equivalent gifts.
You can not give gifts with "hints"
Why is that? If the donee wants such hints - you can and should give.
There are things to give that are not very decent
Everything depends only on the person and on how formal your relations with him are. And if another donee in a banal fountain pen sees a sexual symbol and is offended, then the other will laugh heartily and over a much more mischievous gift.
Gifts do not give
Duty trinkets, "lying around" from the next celebration, perhaps, can be reserved in case of sudden invitations (but they, of course, should not be "used"). This, of course, is not an ideal gift, but the situation is different.
Important is not the gift itself, but attention
And in what, interestingly, does the attention of the donor appear, if not in a well-chosen gift? If you really want to show your attention, do not get rid of friends with souvenirs with the logo of your company (businesses, institutions), which they say "do not think that he stole - brought from work."
Perfect gift
In fact, is there such a thing? Is there any universal formula of a gift "doomed to success"? Do you think the question is rhetorical? And here I found some Polish authors rather pretty and at the same time, in my opinion, an exhaustive description of the ideal gift.
- The ideal gift is the one that we need, but which we did not expect to receive.
- Such as we ourselves never would have bought.
- So unnecessary that belongs to the things of the extra-class, so practical that it serves us every day.
- Expensive - but not too much, not to cause confusion.
- Cute and yet solid. Packed elegantly, but so modest that the paper is not more beautiful than the contents.
- And, finally, donated without a reason, at the right time and without a hidden purpose.
I think, you can not disagree with all this. Such a gift is difficult to find, but if it was easy - would the gift be considered a kind of sacrament? Do not neglect such cute conventions, like the secret search for a gift and its solemn delivery. In life there are too few holidays, do not be lazy to please your loved ones! A rare person does not dream of one day to receive as a gift what he wanted all his life.
Anything for the soul
Of course, gifts, from which a person jumps up to the ceiling, we give, perhaps, once or twice in a lifetime. "On duty" offerings, alas, happen more often. But in most cases we still try to find a gift that is necessary and original. How to achieve this goal, taking into account both the limited funds, and the lack of time for long searches, and the fact that many cute little things, alas, become familiar on every corner?
So, you have allocated for the gift a certain amount of money. The assortment where you go is trivial, you can not afford exclusive products, and there are so many problems besides a gift that you can not strain your imagination. Well, let the gift be ordinary - but only give this name a whole box! What exactly? Well, not stewed, of course, but orange juice - it's already more romantic. And that your gift does not resemble humanitarian aid, stick a rose in it (you can also another flower).
Pretty cute I think a gift in the form of a heap of tickets of some lottery. Surprise in this case will continue after delivery, and if the donee does not win anything, he will not be so offended - he did not buy his own money. True, you may have a feeling in this case that you came with empty hands.
From the "toys", a watch or camera (of models and prices - a great variety), a set of cosmetics "from and to" of one firm, a miniature radio set, a subscription to a good magazine or a newspaper are presented as a win-win option.
Do not give : - paintings and household items (unless you are two friends-antiquary with the same taste);
- unnecessary things (like tennis rackets for an amateur to lie on the couch);
- random books;
- things to which you have to buy a lot (to a hand pump, for example, you will need to buy a bicycle);
- things that you saw at home lying around uselessly;
- things that clearly do not match the style and material level of the donee (for example, too expensive or too cheap for him ties);
- anything you doubt.
And let invitations to guests do not catch you off guard, as a bad student session. Remember that giving presents is as pleasant as getting them. Otherwise you are a greedy person.