Born in the wrong era? No. There is no wrong era.

there exist these things called gift cards.
like a k-mart gift card or a nike gift card or an apple gift card.
things like that.
how these cards work is that you purchase a card with a fixed value and you can use it to go down to that particular store to use it just like a credit card.
now they're called gift cards, i reckon, because people buy them for others so that those others can go down to that store to purchase something that they like. so they're like vouchers.
well, i was just wondering if there are people who have taken gift cards to replace gifts.
is this an issue? maybe not.
but i kind of figure that these gift cards may sort of become an easy way out for people who don't know what to get for others when an occasion to buy a gift arises.
i mean, say it's your birthday, and you really wanted something, like a vespa. and your best friend knows you so well that he gets it for you. wouldn't you be thrilled?
but how often do you get things you want without asking?(or hinting) rarely.
but then again, i'd rather someone get me something they thought i'd like even if they were'nt sure.
i mean, that kind of shows sincerity no? and well, it shows maybe what others think of you.
now with gift cards, people don't need to go through the effort of choosing a gift that they think would make you happy. "oh it's fatty's birthday, guess i'll just pop down to k-mart and get him a gift card...again."
you see?
it can be the ultimate lazy, thoughtless gift there is.
heh, something else i thought of. it has no value in itself. just a piece of plastic. even a mug has more value in itself i think. of course, that doesn't mean it's worthless. just simply that it has to be used first to translate it's latent value into actual stuff.
howevever, i must qualify, i am not condemning people who buy them for others.
because, maybe, the thing that makes people happy is the gift card itself, the power to shop.
maybe i go to a store to want to get something for my friend but i see so many things that the person would like. people like me would wish i could just buy the entire store for the guy. but i can't.(maybe my mom can though. haha.)
so in a scenario like this, i may prolly just figure that teh best solution is to get a card for my friend so he can come and buy stuff here. but i pay lah.
which is the diff between this and cold hard cash. gift cards limit your choices on purpose. which can also be good and bad. haha. but that's a minor thing la.

haha. i saw gift cards in australia.