THE SELECTION OF GIFTS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20731, 16 December 1932, Page 22

THE SELECTION OF GIFTS.

Solving an Annual Problem. EXTENSIVE RANGE OF CHOICE. Terira.}';. :o a greater extent than in any previous |-ear the shops and stores of the City offer complete solutions to the annual problem of "what to buy for Christmas presents." It is the time •nd trouble spent in the selection of gifts rather than the actual expense involved that usually makes this feature of the festive season unpopular with the public. Never before, however, has there been a greater range of goods to choose from, or prices more in accord with the generally straitened Unances of the community. Tirst of all, some good advice offered to ChristBias shoppers by the manager of a large retail Srm: "Apply common, sense to the problem of buying Christmas presents. Study the needs and tastes of the recipients of your gifts, and endeavour to choose those articles that will be of the greatest uso to them. The day has passed when a present of any kind had to be merely ornamental, and when it was considered undignified to give anything that was purely utilitarian in nature. Perhaps this is one of the few good effects that the depression has had upon the life of the people. The columns of the daily newspapers will give people an excellent idea of where to look for their Christmas needs, and the task of selecting gifts will be simplified considerably if it is tackled systematically. The use of a shopping list, npon which a few minutes' thought has been expended previously, will result in a great saving of time and trouble. "The Personal Touch." *Gifts of articles for personal use convey ;i personal touch that is a very desirable feature in a Christmas present. There are any amount of articles of this nature to choose from; in fact, their multiplicity is such as to bo very confusing unless the busy Christmas shopper enters a store with some definite objective in mind. Hours may b» spent in wandering through the tempting displays of goods that are being staged at the present time by the many retail shops of the City. A pre-

Hminary survey of these displays may bo useful as offering suggestions for the gift list, but random selection "will cause a great deal of -wasted time and will seldom prove satisfactory in the end." Men may be hard to satisfy in some respects, but it is generally admitted that they are easier to buy gifts for than women and even children. It is just as necessary to study the requirements of the receiver of the gift in the case of a man as iu the case of a woman. If your man is a smoker, a ready-made solution of the problem presents itself. Find out whether he smokes a pipe or cigarettes, whether ho enjoys cigars, and what brands of tobacco or cigarettes he likes. Tho confirmed pipe smoker will favour one particular make of pipe and generally one particular brand or blend of tobacco. A gift on these lines will b9 thorongaly appreciated, and will conv«r thai suggestion of personal interest in the recipient that is one of the ideals to be aimed at in tho selection of gifts. Presents of smoking requisites, too, are readily adjustable to the purse of the giver. Smokers' companions are always very acceptable, but most smokers are already equipped with one of these, and redundancy of gifts is to be avoided at all costs. There are plenty of small adjuncts to a man's toilet that may be purchased for a few shillings, or even a few pence. They may not be of any great intrinsic value, such being generally the last requirement of the Christmas gift. Useful mementoes of friendship and interest include such insignificant articles as collar boxes, stud sets, tie presses, and the hundred and ona little luxuries that the man will seldom buy for himself but appreciates as a gift from others. Appreciated by the Sportsman, It, is in a man's recreation, however, that one cau find perhaps the greatest scope for gifts that he will appreciate thoroughly. Whether his chief nobby be the radio or the gramophone, the golf Jinks or the tennis court, there is always something that will add to his delight in his recreational hours. Take the average tennis player. His most constant expense is tennis balls, and a pair or a box of half a dozen or a dozen balla will probably be one of the most acceptable gifts at a rime when his open-air holidays are approaching. Shoes, sweaters, socks, racket covers, and "holdall" kits are all needed by the tennis player, and gifts of this nature, will save him expense, and, if for u* other reason, will be appreciated. Similarly golf balls for the golfer, or any of tho numerous adjuncts of his sport will be" a happy choice for Christmas presents. Few homes are now without inusie in the form of either tho gramophone or the radio. Gramophone records are, of course, time-honoured as Christmas gifts, and nothing will please the real enthusiast more than a good recording. Eadio sets' are now so cheap as to bring these wonderful entertainment providers within the reach of #roa th§ moderately affluent dispenser of Christmas gifts. Tire Christmas shopper needs no imagination to select for men gifts in the shape of clothing. Tics, •ocks, handkerchiefs, collars, hats, gloves—all come within the definition of "sensible M gifts, and will

cause no regrets to either the giver ox the rewirer Before selecting such presents, however, make enie that they are in accord with the personal taste of the person for whom they are intended. A number of large stores are now catering T erv largely for those who spend their time out-of«doori in tramping, cycling, camping, mountain climbing and other such pursuits. These people will probably have many needs in the way of packs, rue-sacF camp blankets, tents, waterproof ground' sheets! camp utensils, etc., and judicious expenditure in this direction will ensure full appreciation of the Christmas gift to the man who intends to spend his holidays out-of-doors. Tasteful Gifts for Women. The wealth of articles from which presents for women may be chosen is confusing even to member* of the same sex, and the man who has a large shopping list of presents of this nature may tpcU be pitied. However, even to the man the Christmas gift problem must bo simplified to a remarkable extent by a by a glance at the catalogues and ■■ . circulars of choice and novel gifts issued by the ' various firms. Personal gifts arc in even greater demand for women than for men, and no difficulty will bo found in making a selection of useful little knick-knacks for the boudoir. Attention should again be paid of course, to the needs and tastes of the recipient. Gifts shoujd harmonise with the surroundings ,oft.ho persons for whom they are intended. Dressing- '; table equipment that matches the furnishings of the -. room make very tasteful and acceptable giftj. Manicure sets, scents, creams, and powders that meet the requirements of every taste may be purchased in very attractive form, indeed. Lamp shades, cushions, vases, and the innumerable little ; extras that brighten or add character to the room or home are sure to be popular. The selection of articles of personal apparel or even decoration should be, in general, left to members of the same sex as the person for whom the gift is '' Many a faux pas has been committed by people - ~ who, with the best intentions in the world, hare set out to buy articles of this nature for friends * " or relatives of the opposite sex with insufficient understanding of their tastes and requirements. A box of stationery is always a safe present, for most women are prolific letter-writers, and they will appreciate gifts of fine art paper in the beautifully decorated boxes that are now obtainable for . a few shillings. These boxes may be selected to match the colour scheme of bedroom or study. Articles for the Home. The. selection of gifts for the home ia a task that should present no difficulty. Utility ratter " than ornament should be the guiding principle, butt. , '\ to ensure that the gift fulfils this requirement » 3|| knowledge of the needs of the household for whit-ls the gift is intended is necessary. Kitchen utensils- it* are generally very acceptable, and there is a gre3t**isC rango of iron, aluminium, and glassware to chopsa";;"; from. Such gifts are bound to save the recipient -L----expense, and in the present hard times this be one of the most important features of the ", carefully-chosen Christmas gift. Cleaners of aH'ISy kinds, ranging from the old-fashioned broom ■ w^"'"^

mop to the most expensive electric vacuum mil iind a welcome place in the home. will be appreciated where there is a and buyers -will find the prices of the best asjs™jj;~i r knives, forks, spoons, and carving, sets to, b *'*2" '. within the compass of all bat the very *hsllowe*Upocket. There is a wonderful offering of <W|-, but verv- beautiful crockery and table in the shops at this season, and it would be » ■ exacting buyer indeed who could not find sometton* in this line to satisfy most of hia requirement*. Leather goods of all descriptions liavo been itchiced greatlv in priee in the last few months, an* at little cost very fine portmanteaux, suueasefi. ; attache cases, and school bags may be secnreU. . Excellent displays of high-grade leather good* saddlery, and harness may be seen at City stores, and from these a selection of useful articles meeting the requirements of members of different sec- _ tions of the community should easily be made. Children's Presents. While one of the first considerations in *• . , selection of Christmas gifts for adults is utility* ■ it should be borne in mind that "useful" Pf" 6 ** - ' to children are likely to be more popular with K» parents than with the recipients of the gifts. 1»still play their part in the life of the cniw,and boys and girls naturally look forward at w» time of vear to new playthings. Still, it « *?!!...' possible for the buyer of presents to select wy» . i that are instructive as well as amusing, and_»«£ •■ are really the most desirable types of gifts w children. Working models, constructional sets, ana other scientific toys will prove both e 11^** 11 "?! and educative to the older boys, but for «« . vounger ones there is a splendid selection of e } l r~jL ■ wooden and steel toys, ranging from niimatw* trains and boats up to full-size tricycles. A pes tive delight to the juvenile heart are the ni working models of aeroplanes. The youngster « to-dav is more or less accustomed to seeing nam* : ture trains and boats steaming their way acro» _. small railroads or lakes, but the aeroplane is a no thrill to him. The formation of juvenile mo«e aeroplane clubs all over New Zealand and » y popularity of the flying of small machines P oWC "! t with elastic bands speak well for the developmen of "air-mindedness" in the younger generation. - t , Girls generally "grow out of" toys more mf^- f ;" than boys do, but to the very young men J berß , ke j the fair sex nothing is more delightful than » - '; good old-fashioned doll, with its doll's house alio other perquisites in the shape of clothing a miniature'household impedimenta. Whether or ', it is a desirable thing to make presents of orna raents to children is a question that may he *■ to the psychologists to argue, but whether or x> it is due to the vanity that is alleged to » latent in every female * heart, girls of all age* appreciate gifts of ornament and personal dceol . tion. With the girls a? well as with the is very desirable to give presents that arc cre as well as entertaining. Sewing and fancy-**** sets, painting outfits, anything that provides *V,\| outlet for the child's creative ability, TrlU ,^j''!J stitute a present that will not only be ,|| by tho receiver, but will be of great value !">" Jjgj the educative point of view. . -idjfiiiH