Gift Giving Guy

Need fresh gift ideas for your friends and family? Try some gift spying via the web. Sure, I know my youngest brother — well, like a brother. Still, can I recall enough of his hobbies when his birthday approaches? Maybe. But if I visit some web sites where folks (like my youngest brother) share their interests, seeing these preferences can spark gift ideas. Of course, not everyone participates online or discloses their interests to the World Wide Web. If you think your giftee might, start your gift espionage at these sites.

• Amazon.com Wish Lists
  Talk about full disclosure. Your giftee may list specific gift items on Amazon.com’s Wish Lists, a service the e-tailer has offered for almost a dozen years. Try searching by name or e-mail address to find a wish list. Many wish lists are public, providing enough detail to identify the person (e.g., name, city, state, birthday, and unique facts). If you feel simply ordering straight from the wish list is not your style, use the items found to inspire a related gift.
• Twitter Feed
  If your giftee uses Twitter, you’ll need a free Twitter account to search for his or her name. Browse the posts (“tweets”) for interests you might not have known about. My younger brother uses Twitter, and I had no idea he liked the ’70s rock band Led Zeppelin so much.
• Facebook Profile
  If you use Facebook and already have giftees as Facebook friends, you can see their profiles. On the Info tab, check the Personal Information area (e.g., activities, interests, favorite music, favorite TV shows, favorite movies, favorite books and about me). Also, note the groups and pages your giftee belongs to.
• LinkedIn Profile
  If you have a LinkedIn profile for professional networking, see if your giftee is also on LinkedIn. Check the “Additional Information” section for interests.
• MySpace Page
  While losing ground to other social media sites, MySpace still garners 67 million visits daily. Try a friend finder search. If the MySpace profile is set to private, you will not be able to view interests (general, music, movies, television, books and heroes) unless you have already have access.

Now you’ve gathered some intel on your giftee’s interests (and probably remembered a few things yourself along the way). Where do you you keep this information? If you have an Amazon.com account, I recommend using Amazon Gift Organizer. You can set up profiles for each giftee by name, listing key occasions (e.g., birthday, graduation). Then copy and paste your giftee’s interests in the notes area. That gift recon will come in handy the next time you’re seeking presents.