Personalized Gifts

I guess that well into my 40's, I'm still a bit of a kid. Whenever a holiday comes around, I can't wait to see what gifts I've got. Of course I love giving gifts also. And when it comes to giving gifts, I know I've got an ace up my sleeve. It's kind of challenge now to see if someone has gotten the best of me in the art of gift giving. That card I'm holding is what is known as personalized gifts.

A gift should be a personal tribute to the person receiving it. A personalized gift holds special value in the minds of both the receiver and the giver. And since it was personally created, it is a personalized gift in the truest sense of the words.

Of course the times they are a-changin'. Mass production has become more prominent. And gifts have moved away from being personalized gifts into generic ones, mass produced by profit seeking organizations.

Don't get me wrong, I love progress. Mass production has made lots of items more affordable. If not for mass production, everyday items would be out of reach of my budget. If we were stuck with older methods of production, we'd never have enough of these everyday items to cater to our ever increasing population.

The gripe is that mass production has all but killed off personalized gifts. Presents are not unique but instead, manufactured in the millions and scattered all over the globe. That exotic looking clock I just purchased as a personalized gift for a friend halfway around the world could very well have a look alike in the neighborhood corner shop. And when I do try to hand it over as a personalized gift, imagine the shock of seeing the same article available at the mall. The key thing about personalized gifts is that they need to remain personal. Maybe even one-of-a-kind.

Another wonder of the modern world has helped in my quest for personalized gifts. It's called custom manufacturing. With custom manufacturing, you can order a personalized gift and have it delivered in no time. Yes it will cost slightly more than in a discount store, but you'll get something increasingly difficult to find - a personalized gift.

My imagination becomes my only limitation to my personalized gift. My wife got a lampshade with her photo on it. Maybe that wasn't a huge hit, but my grandfather loved the cane with autographs from his favorite team. My young daughter received a customized set of make up with her name engraved. And in almost every case, they were delighted with their personalized gift.