What makes a great gift? Is it based on how much you have spent to purchase such an item, or on the length of time you spent in finding the perfect gift? Both questions are wrong since they focus on you. In gifts, what you should consider is that it isn't about you but the person who receives it. So what you should think about when you go and pick out that gift is how the person will react to receiving it.

Sure, there is the question on how much you have to spend on a particular gift. You don't really have to splurge on it. If you can give Howard Miller grandfather clocks for a special 50th birthday present for your father and you think that he will be thrilled to receive it, you should go for it. But if you can only give something as simple as exquisitely crafted cigar cutters and your father is somewhat of a great cigar collector, then it will do as well as those incredibly costly grandfather clocks.

You might also want to ask yourself this question, too: will you be glad to receive the same item that you bought? If yes, then you should be commended for you have found really good gifts. If not, you might want to rethink before wrapping those up. If you don't want to receive those items, how much more would the person you are giving it to when he receives them? But of course, each person has varied likes and tastes. He might fancy a computer briefcase instead of a set of the latest DVD games - something that you would happily trade a computer briefcase for. The point is you have to choose a gift that someone, including you, would be pleased to receive.

What you have to remember is that gifts should be given some thought and extra effort to really make them something that is worthy of being presented. It is not about you, so you should take the spotlight away from you and direct it to the person that you are giving the gift to. Think of these things when you shop for gifts for birthdays and holidays, and you won't regret doing so.