Do you buy presents for others that you want yourself?

I buy what I think will please the receiver

Other:
I buy gifts that I would want for myself and I give them without hoping they will be returned to me, but envious because they now have one.

Of course. I buy chocolate bars all the time for others, which I crave. It gives me a psychotic feeling of pleasure knowing that they'll be fat while I'm slender. I'm horrible.

No, we don't give presents.
We give presents on December 5: Sinterklaas!

Yes, sometimes. And I frequently buy gifts that I personally wouldn't want because it's what they want.
I don't like the options here.

{oh, i just don't know. help me mr. wizard! do i want these things or don't i?}

{oh, i just don't know. help me mr. wizard! do i want these things or don't i?}



Hare Krishna.

Yes, but only incidentally.

I think that is a reference to an old American TV show.

Most often. Sometimes I buy two. I'm proud of myself when I can buy something that I don't care for myself because i know they will like it more. I wouldn't ever buy something with hopes of it being returned. The idea is to make them happy.

Did I ever specify a particular occasion?

You were the one who asked for an "I don't know" option. I still can't imagine how a person could not know.

Many gifts I bought this year I would like to have myself, but not all of them. Some I bought duplicate copies of, but not all.

I hear you. That's about the only time in life i'm envious.

While were at it, I left a response for you in the unqualified "Do you consciously communicate with your radio or television?". Perhaps you can respond.

Why don't toys for toddlers not apply to this question. The sad thing about being a 'grown up' is not being able to play with toys again.

I (survey author) buy presents for toddlers I would like myself, but if I included such people in the survey, it would be much less likely to catch any people that always buy stuff they want themself. (so far, there aren't any anyhow.)

No. This reminds me of a passage from the (awful) Milan Kundera book "Immortality." He states that a good gift giver is one who buys presents that the GIVER cares for more than the RECEIVER because a gift should be a direct extention of the giver.
I thought that was bullcrap. I stopped reading the damn thing then and there.
I think a good gift giver is one who buys the reciever something the receiver didn't even know they wanted.

Uhhmm... no.. OK, I'll change my vote.

Cheers.
On the other hand, I cherish all the knick-knack gifts I have that are more like souvenirs of the people I was friends with. My place wouldn't be such a scintillating kaleidoscope if it were merely a reflection of what I would have done alone. I wont throw them out for what they represent. If they simply gave me something I had in mind getting anyhow, I'd treat them as utilitarian matter to toss when it's usefulness expired. Even all the plants in my garden represent people I know.

Sometimes I buy gifts for others that I would want, only because I think it's really cool and I KNOW they would think so, too.

No, why buy someone something you want yourself? That's just mental toture!

If I am buying for one of my friends or relatives with similar taste, I buy things that I really like, knowing the other person will, too. Sometimes I like the gift so much that I buy one for me and one for my friend. Other times, I buy gifts for people that I think they would like, but that I have no interest in. Sometimes, I will buy something just because it looks like it would make a neat thing to have, and then I try to figure out whom to give it to.

I often buy gifts for people that I like myself But sometimes (when buying for men) the presents are just *so* boring!!! I did a little better this year though. It's my dad's birthday tomorrow and I got him some cheap reading specs but for Christmas I've sent of for a book of the Darwin Awards - I want to read that!!! And my brother's birthday is on Thursday - he's getting a toothbrush and some fudge. I'd quite like the fudge (the toothbrush is a novelty - it has army camouflage on it.....) But for Christmas, I got him a Buffy (tVS) mug. And I got my little brother tickets to see Patrick Moore at the Lyceum I like that so much I got myself a ticket too so I can go with him!

Oh.

Wht was it?

Never mind, it passed anyway. Too bad, I blew the option selection type. It wasn't supposed to be single choice.

lol

No comment

Are you going to the Hare Krishna News Year's Eve Consort? http://www.chakra.org/articles/2001/12/17/berkeley.rock.concert/index.htm

Hare Krishna!

I'll be in Alaska with my kids, ex, & bro.

Have a nice time!

Thanks

Hare Krishna.

It's nearly happy birthday to us time!! I'm going to be 18!

What are you going to study at Oxford?

Biological Sciences

This should help: http://www.google.com/search?q=\%22Biological%20Sciences\%22%20&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Hare Krishna!

I suspect that I do from time to time.I love giving gifts!!!!

Thankyou

That's ok. Here is a photo of the bushfires in my part of the world: http://au.news.yahoo.com//011225/2/1ywl403349535.html



Hare Krishna!

Are you near to the fires?

I am in Chatswood the fires are near The Royal National Park & The Blue Mountains. http://www.whereis.com.au

Yes, that sometimes happens if someone wants something that I also want and I happen to be buying a gift for them.

I once bought myself one of a really special gift that I bought for a friend, because I needed one too, and they were on a fabulous sale. I waited a polite period of time after giving the one to the friend before bringing mine out of hiding, though, because I knew it was in poor taste to do that. I just couldn't pass up such a great deal on something I needed, too.

Any time I see something I really want, and rationalize getting it as a gift for someone else, though, it ends up being a bad idea, because then, sometimes they don't like it very much, and I watch enviously as they treat it in such an offhand manner, when I would have treasured it. So it's a bad idea to do that. If you love it so much, buy it for yourself, or at worst, buy yourself one, but wait a decent amount of time before bringing it out, and explain to the friend that you admired theirs so much you just had to go out and get one as well, if you want to avoid awkwardness. Also, make sure you aren't projecting your desires onto the friend.

On the other hand, I don't have any difficulty buying things for others that I would never buy myself. If that's what they like, that's what I will get them. If I couldn't stand the thought of buying a friend's son a Cradle of Filth t-shirt or an offensive album, I give a gift certificate, so they can pick it out themselves. But usually it's better to give the gift they like, regardless of personal feelings about it.