Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for Dec. 1, 2003

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, Dec. 1, 2003 | 8:38 a.m.

Wish away

Like moths to a flame, millions of people were drawn to malls this weekend searching for "perfect" gifts to present this holiday season to their nearest and dearest as well as their distants and obligateds.

The sad truth is, most of the items selected by gift-givers likely didn't even make the cut to be included on the wish lists of those who will do the receiving that's the message gathered by glancing at the results of a recent survey sponsored by Dallas-based Paymentech, a company that processes payments for traditional and online retailers.

The company polled 1,000 adults about the contents of said lists. An astounding 30 percent of respondents said they don't know what they want to receive this holiday season talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. Meanwhile 14 percent of Americans hope to get "something to wear" ('cause nothing says Christmas like a big box of socks), followed by "personal interest" items (9 percent) such as books, CDs and DVDs.

The 7 percent who hope someone will buy them transportation, in the form of a new car or motorcycle, must be wishful thinkers. The same number of folks, however, would be happy getting jewelry or electronic devices. Next up: money (6 percent); items for the home, including crock pots, furniture and vacuums (4 percent); and sporting/exercise equipment, such as "fishing supplies" (3 percent).

Two percent want a new house; another 2 percent wouldn't refuse gift certificates; and items in the categories of food/alcohol, vacation and "miscellaneous" gifts a winning lottery ticket among them were each named by 1 percent of people polled. Lists of demands for another 6 percent of people included such, um, goodies as a pet monkey, a double-wide trailer and a snowblower.

Speaking of food or stuff we're led to believe is edible it seems the venerable gift of fruitcake has been usurped from its role as the much-maligned gift to give when you can't think of anything else. These days presents that say, well, practically nothing about how you really feel about someone are gifts for the home, including candles and picture frames.

Holiday cards?

Better yet, forget the fruitcake, frames and candles, and opt instead for gift cards. They're what most people really want anyway at least that's what the execs at Stored Value Systems Inc., which processes about half of all gift card transaction in the country, would have you believe.

The company, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., commissioned a national survey and found as you might not expect 65 percent of all the gift cards bought are planned purchases, as opposed to being impulse buys on the part of frazzled shoppers. About half of all holiday purchasers will load the cards with spending amounts between $20 and $29; one-third will select $50 or more.

While it's tough to wrap the tiny, plastic cards in traditional holiday paper and bows, the SVS people have devised some ideas for making them more fun to give. Try attaching a card to a stuffed animal; hiding it underneath a cake (so long as it's not a fruitcake reread the above item); burying it inside other boxes of declining sizes; putting it inside a new wallet; or affixing it to a brick in an effort to thwart once and for all those bah-humbuggers who insist on shaking their gifts and guessing about the contents ahead of time.