For me it depends. If I know the person is saving up for something big, I'll give them a gift card with that message. I've also given one of my cousins an iTunes gift card because she loves to listen to music, but I have no idea which songs she wants. She loves those cards and always sends me a list of all the songs she bought.

Gift cards are great, but I've known people who complain every time they get cards.

Depends on who is giving and who is receiving. I'd much rather receive a gift card than a gift that I have no use for.

Wow, I try not criticize any gift that's given to me, be it an actual tangible object or something that can buy me more tangible objects. The fact that they thought of me should be considered a loving and sufficient gesture. They didn't have to get me anything, but they did. I've never given gift cards to anyone, but I've accepted every gift with some kind of gratitude.

For me it depends on the person. I've received two gift cards for Eden and I absolutely love them. And I love gift cards to places like Victorias Secret, because I love underwear and whoever wants to give me some may understandably not know what would fit me best. I consider the gift card a better investment.

If it's just like a generic gift card to a nonspecific store like you can find on those racks at walmart, or like a 10 dollar gift card to itunes, and doesn't really have any relevance to my personal interests and quirks, then I'm kind of like meh. Underwhelming. Though I always say thank you and act like it's cool. At least it can be used as I see fit.

And it goes the same for other people. I'm pretty particular about what I like. if someone doesn't know exactly what it is, I'm okay with that completely. But when I go through the effort to make my particular interests known, like if a family member asks for a christmas list, I bother to write it out with specific things and where they can be purchased and what size would be appropriate so as to help them not make a shitty investment--and the family members strays from the list and gets something similar that I've probably already seen and decided wasn't what I wanted-- that can be a little uber frustrating. This has happened with things. Like boots. I mean really, if I say I want a specific style of boot by this brand in this size in this color, don't get a completely different style boot from a different brand that you have no idea if I'll like or if it'll even fit my foot. And they don't stray just because what I asked for was too expensive. Sometimes they go for something that's even MORE expensive than what I asked for. And it's like dammit, I TRIED to make this simple!?

I love gift cards, and I don't think they're impersonal at all. I've received plenty as gifts and given them as gifts too.

I don't mind gift cards, but I like to get more personal gifts for other people.

Personally I love gift cards, some may think that they are impersonal, but I think anything that buys me what I want and not another gift that I end up not using is great. Not that I criticize many gifts, but people who are related to me and have known me my whole life know I have eczema and even certain kinds of laundry soap bother my skin, yet they insist on buying me bubble bath and fragrance lotion, which I can not use and end up giving it away. So yes I love gift cards.

I think it depends on the person and the type of gift card. For me I love getting gift cards for stores I like and of course iTunes. I give a lot of iTunes gift cards to my friends and to really, really close friends I know they enjoy getting gift cards for eden

nope. i get my closest friends gift cards whenever i have the money (which is rare). i'm gonna get my dad one if i can save up this yr.

Oddly enough, the purchasing of gift cards for family members is on my "to do" list this week! For the kids (five boys ranging in age from newborn to 7 years old), we got gifts for them and for my family, I have gathered gifts throughout the year. However, for my boyfriend's parents and his brother and sister-in-law, we are opting for gift cards this year. A Barnes & Noble gift card for his Mom (an avid reader) and iTunes gift cards for everyone else! His Dad just got a new iPod Touch and his brother's family got an iPad a few months ago.

We actually end up spending more money on the gift cards than we do when we buy actual gifts...

However, the gift card I was given during our first Christmas together ($50 at WalMart) was not what I would call a "good gift" for a girlfriend! He is slowly getting better...except the year he gave me a necklace that came packaged in a ring box...that was not what I was expecting!