Would you prefer to get a gourmet gift basket or a gift certificate to a gourmet food store for Christmas?

Certificate, for the reasons you noted. Last time I received a gift basket, I ended up re-gifting (!) more than half of the items. Of course, my daughter was happy to get the stuff I didn’t want.

Gift certificate by far. The only exceptions are when I can somehow get someone to order the basket from a place I really really know I like or if I can direct them to something with fruit I can share.

My gut reaction is gift certificates are lesser things, but a pre-wrapped basket implies “the store included stuff that doesn’t sell well along with the desirable items”.

Every year I am believing less that gift certificates are lesser things

I despise gift cards/certificates as they scream “I am too damn lazy to invest the thought, time and effort into getting you a meaningful gift” Here is some cash…go do the work for me. Many years ago I was the proud recipient of the Suzanne Summers Thigh Master and was the best gift I have ever received. That took some serious attitude to put gift wrap around that! How do you one up that one?

Certificate. If the store is over a half an hour away go ahead and send me the basket.

Or, a gift card to Target or a nearby grocery store if we are close enough that you feel comfortable with it. Somewhere that has groceries so I can spend it right away.

This is assuming cash would be in bad taste. If I know someone is struggling I write them a check for Christmas, especially if they have young children. I’m doubting you are talking about someone who is struggling though.

I like very practical gifts. Food is good.

@JLeslie This would be for my kids in Paris.

@janbb Do you give a gift and Chanukah gelt? If you do both then I would lean towards the basket I guess.

Edit: It’s your kids, so you’ll know their tastes well. You can pick out a good basket suited for them. I was thinking someone you might not know very well.

@janbb Last year I gave each employee a back pack “gift basket” loaded with tasty goodies and it also had plates, cups, utensils, cork screw etc. for a picnic and went over big.

A gift certificate is more practical, but if I really like the person who gives me a basket that they put together themselves, I always think it is interesting seeing what they think I like. It does seem more thoughtful, and if I like the person a lot, thoughtful is everything.

For your kids, I think the gift certificate to one of Paris’ fine delicatessens is very good.

@janbb For people in other cities I have more ideas.

—A ½ hour or 1 hour massage near home or work
—A gift certificate to a cafe or restaurant near home or work
—Baby sitting and movie tickets
—Do you speak French or have access to a French speaker? Is there a shop just around the corner where you could arrange a prepaid gift? (Yes, time & effort constraints, please indulge my Amelie fantasy).

@Call_Me_Jay The cafe from Amelie is just around the corner. I’ve eaten in it.

Certificate.

I used to get baskets at work and a quarter of it always went into the trash. Who really wanted mustard flavored pretzel bites?

Ummm, which waste basket has the mustard-flavored pretzel bites. I’d eat that.

Wisconsin heritage

Gift basket. Sometimes I don’t go outside and live off gift baskets that get delivered to my apartment.

B.

Certificate, of the choices given.

However, if they are living in Paris, they may appreciate a gift basket of American food that they miss. See’s Candy, that kind thing.

I would agree with @Espiritus_Corvus. I would prefer a gift basket put together by the gift-giver herself over a gift certificate or a store-made basket.

However if that is not an option, I think I would rather receive the basket over the gift certificate. If there are things I don’t really like, or at least don’t think I would like and that I would never buy myself, I can still try them or give them away to other people. To me having a certain amount of credit to spend from a gift certificate can become a chore (unless it’s an Amazon gift card or a store that I regularly frequent.) With gift certificates I often find myself in the bind of having to either spend more than the card is worth just to use it up (sometimes buying something I don’t really want just to push the total over the card amount,) or having to leave some small balance left over (which makes me feel bad since it feels like I am wasting the gift giver’s gift.) In other words, if the gift cirtificate is for a specialty store where I wouldn’t normally shop, it can be burdensome and I’d be much happier with a gift basket.

Gift certificates and cards expire here. It’s one of my major irritations. The organisation has your money, but puts a limit on when you can use that money. I’ve had so many gift cards expire that I’d say buy me the basket OR just give me a card with your own gift certificate in it and take me shopping one day.

I’m not sure if they expire in the US.

^^Gift cards for stores don’t expire in the US, but there are Visa gift cards that do lose money over time, unless they stopped making them? They don’t expire, but they will eventually go down to zero. It’s awful, because a lot of people didn’t realize, because store gift cards don’t lose money over time, and people didn’t read the fine print. The good thing about the visa was you could use it anywhere that takes visa.

We have websites that do gift card exchanges and you can sell your gift cards you don’t use. You lose money on that of course too, but at least you get rid of the gift card that’s just sitting in your wallet.

@ALL That’s why I try to give cards to grocery stores, and I ask for them also if someone wants to know what card I want. Spend that thing within a week.

I don’t care about the effort like @Cruiser mentioned. First of all
I don’t “expect” any gifts. Second of all, it counts no matter what. Someone wanted to buy me something, that’s nice, I appreciate the thought. My mom just sends me a check for Chanukah, she doesn’t leave her house to do it, does that make it less considerate to me? Not at all. She does other things all year that I know she thinks about me and knows what I like. Not gifts, but just what she brings up in conversation, or she brings me coupons when she visits for items she knows I buy or might want to try. Giving me money is thinking of me, because money matters. I realize it’s odd to give certain people money, depending on the relationship and why one is giving a gift, but to children? I think you always can.

I don’t want anyone to buy me anything for my house. I literally have boxes up to the ceiling right now in a secondary bedroom with household goods.

I’m off point a little now I guess from the Q, but let’s just say food is within the realm of gifts I want to receive these days, but as I get older I don’t love that most baskets are full of food I’m trying to avoid. I especially don’t like that it might not be a favorite item that I am willing to break my supposed diet rules. Like if I am going to eat a dessert item, which I know is clogging my arteries, I don’t want to eat something that is just so so, I want to thoroughly enjoy it. Same with cheeses and sausage and things often found in baskets. Although, as a Jelly mentioned above, when I was working crazy long hours the food baskets came in handy when I had no time to shop for food or take a break for lunch.

I like to be surprised. Personally, I’d prefer the basket.

Just for the record, I don’t think that gift cards/certificates scream “too lazy to bother”, I think they indicate that the person giving them understands that you might like to treat yourself when you otherwise might not.
I am pleased that anyone thinks of me and gives me a gift, whatever its format. It’s the height of entitlement to judge a gift as unworthy.

Going shopping for myself is a massive hassle and nearly always stressful (am I getting the best deal on something I actually need without having to spend too much money out of pocket?)

I’d prefer the basket. Even the opportunity to find out which things that I might not like as much is an enjoyable experience.

I like the basket because to me, a gift basket is like a treasure hunt. What’s in here? Ooooh, look! Oh, these look good! Plus they’re so pretty and festive, it’s exciting.

Gift certificates are not a bad thing but not too exciting.

I have a ton of gift cards, some over 10 years old, and I need to remember to take them with me and use them. I don’t carry them every day because the folder they’re in is over a half inch thick, stuffed full of them and too heavy and plus I wouldn’t want to lose it.

Money is always a good gift, as mentioned above, but a gift basket is exciting. Just my opinion.

I tend to agree with @cruiser that, although I do appreciate any and all gifts, one that has thought behind it makes me happier.
One of the doctors I work with took out some crumpled bills from his wallet and got 3 hospital envelopes, put money in all 3 and wrote our names on the envelopes for Christmas. Yes the money was VERY appreciated, but seemed to be an afterthought.

Deleted by me.

I would prefer the gourmet food hamper. That is so thoughtful and kind. PS I will PM you my address.

Call me lame, but I love a nice gift basket. Any gift is much appreciated, though! It’s nice to be thought of. :)

Thought about your answers and slept on it and they are getting an elegant Christmas hamper from Fortnum and Mason’s. I like @Cruiser‘s idea of a homemade one but it would be prohibitive to ship. A gift certificate is more practical but I think they’ll really enjoy the surprise and the fun of a basket. I’m also ordering a book for each of them.

We also have a tradition that I started of donating to charities in each other’s – or the grandchildren’s honor – at Christmas.

Fortnum & Mason? How could you go wrong!

This is too late to matter, but for the record, I prefer the basket.
It introduces me to things I would not necessarily choose myself. I enjoy serendipity.

@marinelife Yes – I really think they’ll enjoy the Anglicanism of it. The list of titles you could choose from for the recipient was a hoot. I really wanted to send it to Marchioness, Viscount or Commodore but since it is going to my son at the office, I had to settle for Dr.

I was thinking about this last night – talked to a couple of friends. We figured out that as gift-givers we preferred to give things. As recipients we preferred to receive gift cards/certificates. It was an interesting/consistent difference.

Movie tickets. I hate gourmet food selections. There always seems to be one or more things in the mix that I didn’t care for, so it’s a waste of money. And I’m not a fan of gift cards unless it’s for a store that is easily accessible for me. But really. It just feels like someone is buying me groceries. Gift cards are ok only when it’s for a particular type of gift. For instance. My MIL, always needs some clothing of some type so we got her a gift card for Macys. This way she could buy herself something pretty on a higher end than Walmart.
I like movie tickets because I can use them for myself or anyone else and it forces you to go out and have a night out of fun. I know plenty of people who hate going out to the movies simply because of the expense. But give them a non refundable movie ticket and they will usually go out. I give them enough to take someone else. It’s the best gift for people who have everything they want and need.

@Pandora , I wish I knew someone like you locally. This year I’ve let about a dozen movie passes expire as I’m not a movie-goer anymore. My former employer handed them out at almost all booster events. I swapped a lot of them but there were just too many – people didn’t even want them as gifts.

(I have given some to parents who were out with their kids at Hallowe’en – but there were just too many of those passes!)

Things like that I’d like the basket but in general I greatly prefer gift cards or better yet cash. I really don’t need more “stuff” and especially stuff that has no practical use. A well though out gift is the exception but it’s a rare thing.

Why not both depending on your budget?
Maybe a basket with a nice bottle of wine or champagne, some cheese, olives and crackers and then a gift certificate for the gourmet shop inside as well? If your budget is say $75.00 you could easily do both, some personal goodies and a $25.00—$50.00 gift. cert.

@coloma Do you need my address? :-)

@Coloma See my post above. The gift was ordered and I’m happy with my decision but your suggestion is a good one.

The other kid is getting a gift certificate for a restaurant they like in SF that does a lovely brunch.

Crap. A Harry and David catalog came today. Now I have a hankerin’.

@janbb Oops, missed that, well glad your dilemma has been solved, Merry Merry…

Gift basket. I don’t want a gift that forces me to put on pants and leave my house to enjoy the benefits of it.

I’m starting to think that Fluther has a lot of reclusive people. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

@BellaB Why not just go to the cinema one day when it’s convenient and give them to people on line? You would be Santa that day. I save diaper coupons, and I don’t have any babies. I give them to people in the baby aisle. Diapers are so expensive and the coupons are usually around $1.

An invitation to an actual restaurant.
I mean, come the fuck on.

@ragingloli Well, being that they’re in fucking France and I;m in the fucking USA (which I know you hate) how do you expect me to do that??

move to france!

^^ Now you’re talking!

If you geological patience, tectonic plate activity will move you to France for free! ;-o

@ragingloli My daughter will be visiting Amsterdam, Poland and Rome in May, maybe you can lead the Auschwitz tour. lol

@Bella, I would’ve taken them all. Or even just gone with you. I am sadden by the waste.

Totally agree with you, @janbb. I’d rather get a basket. It’s fun to open and sample, but more importantly, a real gift as opposed to a gift card seems more thoughtful and personal.

It’s fun to pick through the basket and see all the little goodies you got. Sort of like a Christmas stocking.

It got delivered to my son at his office today along with some family photos that he requested and he sounded delighted.

Excellent!

gift basket

Thanks – that’s what I sent.