Gift giving is one way of showing someone that you remembered a special occasion or event. It is special because of the thought, time and money spent in the gift. People may buy gifts that are expensive to emphasize how special that person is. However, it is not the cost that counts but the symbolic value that is attached to the gift that counts.
I went to Personal Creations and bought a unique gift that will surely be cherished by the recipient. It was a personalized mug with a dog design. My brother has a pet beagle and likes anything that has a dog design. I could have bought him something more expensive like a new designer wallet but what I selected for him was something personal. It did not have a designer logo on the mug but it was more valuable because it was his name on the mug.
What are you really paying for when you are buying a designer gift? Are you paying for the quality of the product? Are you putting a premium on the name of the brand? Is it because it is a status symbol? Whatever the psychological reason behind the cost of the item, price is not equivalent to value. If you give your sister for example a Louis Vuitton set of luggage but she does not travel, she will not appreciate the gift.
If she had a green thumb, you would be better off giving her personalized planters for her flowers to put indoors. The site Listverse came up with 10 disgustingly expensive gifts. Sure the items were priced outrageously high and were even works of art. They are disgusting though because they are so expensive that they are considered “sinful” already.
Would you rather be given a diamond-laden Chopard watch or have something that was given the time by someone to create like a cake for your birthday? It is a matter of values. Time spent in creating the cake and putting your name on the cake is more meaningful than a pricey watch, to some people. There was a teddy bear on the list made of gold worth $71,500. Would you rather have that or a handmade one with your name in the front? Again, it is a matter of taste. However, would you be able to hug a hard and cold teddy bear when you want to fall asleep?
It is frugal, unique and fun to have a personalized gift instead of a gift hardly given a thought by you. It is true that it is the thought that counts. It is also true that it is the name that matters.
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