25
I finally changed my mind about personalized gifts being cheap
For years I thought engraved stuff like mugs or keychains were just lazy, low-effort gifts under $30. Then my buddy in Denver got me a leather wallet with my initials stamped on it from a local shop for my birthday. That thing has held up better than any store-bought wallet I've owned, and I've used it every day for 18 months now. Am I wrong for thinking custom gifts can actually hit harder than expensive generic ones?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
juliahall2d ago
Wait, isn't that how most things really work though? Like the stuff that means the most to us isn't about the price tag, it's about the person taking a second to think about what we'd actually like. I've noticed that with my own friends too, the gifts I remember aren't the expensive ones from a catalog, they're the weird little things someone found that just fit. A wallet with initials isn't just a wallet, it's a reminder that someone paid attention to you and wanted to get you something with staying power. I think we get so caught up in what gifts cost that we forget the real value is in that little bit of thought behind them.
3
Man you got me thinking about this one thing - custom gifts are basically waterproof against bad taste. Like if someone picks out a generic sweater for me there's a solid chance it's ugly or not my style, but if they put my name on something I'm stuck with it and it's automatically personal no matter what it looks like. The wallet guy basically forced you into loving it just by stamping your initials on there.
3