Gift Giving This Year

Many people agonize over what to get someone as a gift over the holiday season. I typically fall into this category. Thoughts such as:

• What can I afford?
• Do they already have one of these?
• How will this compare with what everybody else is getting them?

But of late, I've come to understand that many of these thoughts are driven both by the economy, as well as by the corporate world's influence (via their tools of advertisements, planned obsolescence, and perceived obsolescence).  Very little of it really relates to what gift giving is really about:

• What is something USEFUL that the other person would appreciate?
• What do I wish to give as a token/reminder of my LOVE for the other person?
• What is something I can buy THAT WILL ENDURE long term?
• What is something that can be passed on in it's own time?

Given these thoughts, I've decided that most of my "gifts" this year will probably be durable goods that have been found used.  Let's face it, some of the things made before 1940ish are still among the best (having lasted 70+ years is a good track record).  Re-gifting, re-cycling, whatever you want to call it, also helps out the environment.

So instead of attending a Black Friday sale of some sort or the other, go to a garage sale to look for gently used things.  Go to half.com, eBay, or CraigsList and consider buying used.  You get to claim several moral high-ground points:

• You spent time looking for the "perfect" gift
• Nobody else in the world is likely to have the same thing (especially if it hasn't been produced in the last 20 years or so).
• You prevent something that still has some useful life from going to the land fill (of special interest to those of a more environmentalist bent).

Addtionally, you typically get it for a very reasonable price.  WIN WIN WIN.