I'm curious what folks here think about gift baskets. Do you like buying them? Do you have favorite places where you shop for them? Do you generally think that they are a good value or that they are overpriced? I've seen some that are really lovely and seem to be worth the cost. I've seen others that seem cheaply made with more filler than fun stuff but still have a high price tag. I think nice ones do make great gifts, especially when they are custom made. Would you buy custom made gift baskets as gifts for your friends and loved ones? Please describe what you would want them to be like, or tell us about some you have bought or seen that you thought were nice.
We have been given a fruit basket once last Christmas, and they are relatively expensive. I think gift baskets are good gifts to give, but they're not really cheap to begin with. Since I'm a cheap gift giver, I'd rather buy an individual gift than a gift basket.
I like them, and I think having a few items in a reusable box or container is much better. I always keep them. If I have a beauty one, I like some luxury bath or shower gel, some nice handmade soap, a cleanser, new facecloth, and hand cream. For a foodie one, as a vegetarian I can only have specific things, but chocolate biscuits or shortbread is a must, cakes, some nice chocolate drinks (tin of cocoa) or coffee, some gourmet crackers, and a tin of mints would be nice. I prefer a few nice things over lots of things I can't use.
I don't blame you, @moneymania, but they don't have to be super expensive (especially if you make them yourself). That's a good point, @Theo . I would rather have stuff I can use too, and a few frivolous treats never hurt anybody. I especially like to make gift baskets with re-usable containers. I just made some for a baby shower using those collapsible fabric boxes instead of a cardboard box or woven basket. The mom-to-be was quite happy, saying she really needed some storage containers.
Gift baskets are nice if you know what the person likes. I'd like a gift basket full of good food and desserts! Food is never a bad option for a gift unless you give them a food item they don't like. I once got a basket full of assorted cookies and it was great.
I often see these gift baskets in the mall as Christmas season is approaching and during the Christmas day itself. They look so inviting to be bought for they're full of items. But I have never tried it yet to get one of those baskets. They're beautiful gift wrapped with colorful Christmas wrappers. Do I need to buy them this Christmas? This would be the question that bothers in my mind for I want to give them to my beloved wife.
We are practical when it comes to gifts particularly the gift baskets. Oh, they are nice to look at and I'm sure I would be happy when I receive one. Gift baskets are my usual gifts to my colleagues in the office for Christmas. But we buy the baskets in the flea market and we also buy the individual contents like canned goods and boxed food items. In short, we do the packaging of the basket including the cellophane cover and the ribbon. Think of how much we could save for 20 baskets instead of buying the ready-made gift basket in the supermarket.
Wow, @Alexandoy that's a lot of gift baskets. I bet you do save a ton of money by making them up yourself. Where do you shop for all the goodies? Do you buys the basket wrap in bulk? Do you find it fun to do? I always enjoy putting them together and making them pretty. I enjoy picking out each thing for the person I have in mind. I have limited options for shopping nearby, so I tend to do quite a bit of my shopping online.
I usually don't purchase gift baskets as I like making my own. This way I save more and I make sure all the items put in the baskets are of the persons liking. I like to collect random and discounted items through out the year, if I see an item I know the person will like I grab it when it's discounted. When the time for giving it comes I gather everything in a nice basket and done.
It's fun to do because when we pack the gift baskets, everyone in the house participates so you can imagine the fun and bonding. The baskets are cheap in the flea market and for the contents, we buy hafl from the supermarket and half from the Duty Free Shop to have a semblance of imported items (I have a pass in the Duty Free Shop here). From a rough estimate, I save about 30% of the cost compared to the pre-packed gift baskets in the supermarkets.
@thisnthat, Well, what we were given was a fruit basket, and it still had the price tag in it. If I remember correctly, it costs around $15. And the fruits were the common ones, like pears, apples, oranges, grapes, etc. And I was like, "I didn't know that fruits were quite expensive.", lol. So yeah, it would be better to stick to the good 'ol fruitcake instead if you want to save money.
That sounds like a great idea. I try to do some gathering, but I should probably start doing it all year long except for any perishable items. That sounds great to me. The savings would make it well worth the effort, but having a fun family experience is a huge bonus. Yeah, you're paying extra for the time and effort spent making up the basket and for the wrapping. If you just bought the fruit, it would probably cost a lot less. There are usually certain fruits on sale as well, right around the holidays.
True, if you only bought the fruit then you would save money. But you would look quite stingy if you only gave fruits, haha. So I think that the best gift to give is just clothes, shoes or money during the holidays.
I would say that this is one where the idea just got away from itself. When you think about, there is nothing inherently wrong with a gift basket. It is just gifts, placed in a basket. But, the whole rotten fruit and weird jam that people do not eat has really ruined that. If they got back to basics, then I would like it.
Well, I was just making a note of it, not suggesting that you just hand someone a couple pieces of fruit. You could always pick up an inexpensive bowl or basket and fill it and then wrap it with Saran Wrap if you don't have gift basket supplies. Put a bow on top and done. My gifts never look stingy. I've had a lot of practice with gift giving over the years. I do it well without breaking the bank.
I am not the biggest fan of gift baskets really and the reason for that is in those baskets there are some things we need and some things we never use, so it's far from being optimized. Put it in another words, it's not a great value for the price and most likely I would have spent the money in something I need more.
I can relate to that too. I've seen a lot of pricey baskets that don't offer much in the way of gifts inside (at least not good gifts). That is why I prefer to make my own. I've even sold a few, and have considered making a business of it. There are some good ones that aren't overpriced, but you're not likely to find that type in your typical store. I seem to find the best ones at little shops or even special events like fairs or festivals. The ones that are made with care are the best, far better than the mass produced variety. I guess that can be said for a lot of things.
