Posts Tagged ‘stock’
A Decade of Anniversary Gifts
This decade is almost done. As a year 2000 bride and groom, my wife and I exchanged nearly a decade’s worth of anniversary gifts. Most of the time, we followed the traditional anniversary gift themes. To round up the gift count to ten, I’ve included our wedding day gifts.
The Zero Anniversary (Wedding Day)
- Hers: Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Bean pendant in platinum (pictured)
- His: Palm Vx personal data assistant (today, this device would be the Apple iPhone)
First Anniversary (Paper is the traditional gift)
- Hers: 30 additional 8×10 black-and-white photos from our wedding
- His: Framed share of Apple stock from Oneshare.com
- Ours: Bed and breakfast weekend
Second Anniversary (Cotton is the traditional gift)
- Hers: Victoria’s Secret terry robe
- His: Williams Sonoma personalized denim apron
- Ours: Door County, Wisconsin getaway
Third Anniversary (Leather is the traditional gift)
- Hers: “Reading in bed” theme: Barnes & Noble leather book weight, Restoration Hardware lap desk with faux leather padding, The Wedding
by Nicholas Sparks, and two lapis blue chenille throws
- His: Restoration Hardware leather bedroom valet and leather desk accessories
- Ours: Under the Tuscan Sun
at the movie theater
Fourth Anniversary (Fruit or flowers is the traditional gift)
- Hers: A dozen roses sent to work
- His: Floral bouquet from 1-800Flowers.com and America (The Book)
by Jon Stewart
- Ours: Bed and breakfast weekend
Fifth Anniversary (Wood is the traditional gift)
- Hers: Wood-fired steaks at a local bistro and Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings
- His: L.L. Bean Oak Mission Bookcase
Sixth Anniversary (Candy or iron is the traditional gift)
- Hers: Mauna Loa chocolate-covered macadamias
- His: Fireplace irons
- Ours: Second honeymoon in Hawaii
Seventh Anniversary (Wool or copper is the traditional gift — read the blog post)
- Hers: Burberry fringed cashmere scarf from Nordstroms.com, a mission style copper vase from Cobre Hand-Hammered Copper, and copper garden labels to mark perennials.
- His: Ugg sheepskin-lined leather slippers from Zappos.com
Eighth Anniversary (Bronze or pottery is the traditional gift —read the blog post)
- Hers: Handmade mixing bowl in rustic yellow from Little Bit of Bybee pottery, a set of four bronze-beaded placemats and bronze-beaded coasters from Z Gallerie, and a dozen fall-colored roses delivered to work in a pottery vase.
- His: A 37-inch Samsung LCD High-definition TV and a giant gourmet fortune cookie drizzled in chocolate from Good Fortunes.
Ninth Anniversary (Pottery or willow is the traditional gift — read the blog post)
- Hers: A painting of a willow tree from Etsy, a Pampered Chef baking stone and seven other gifts.
- His: Filet mignon at a hibachi restaurant
Tags: anniversary, books, chocolate+candy, clothing, dining, flowers, gift ideas, jewelry, movies, photos, stock
Yesterday I posted to Twitter about shipping my old iPhone to gadget reseller Gazelle. Within 12 minutes, the folks at Gazelle noticed my tweet message, followed my Twitter feed and sent a nice reply.
That’s a great customer follow-up use of social media. Gazelle’s prompt response made me think about other sites I frequent. How many of my favorite retailers are using Twitter? And when did they start posting tweets? I compiled the table below using Twitter’s “Find People” search and MyTweet16, which lists a Twitter user’s first 16 tweets.
Retailers Using Twitter
| Retailer Web Site | Twitter Use |
| Amazon.com #1 online retailer in the U.S. |
@amazon since Feb. 14, 2009 |
| Barnes & Noble Bookseller |
@BNBuzz since Apr. 22, 2009 |
| Best Buy Consumer electronics |
@BestBuy since Jan. 28, 2009 |
| Borders Bookseller |
@BordersMedia since Feb. 24, 2009 |
| CafePress Online retailer of custom goods |
@cafepress since Apr. 24, 2008 |
| Cooking.com Online retailer for cooks and chefs |
@CookingCom since June 19, 2009 |
| Crate & Barrel Housewares, furniture and decor |
@crateandbarrel since Apr. 25, 2008 |
| Dean & DeLuca Fine food, wine and kitchenware |
@DeanandDeluca since Mar. 23, 2009 |
| Dormbuys.com Essentials for college dorms |
@dormbuys since July 28, 2008 |
| Edible Arrangements Fruit arranged like flowers for delivery |
@DoFruit since Oct. 24, 2008 |
| Etsy Handmade crafts |
@Etsy since Jan. 14, 2008 |
| Gazelle Buys used gadgets |
@gazelle_com since Sept. 19, 2008 |
| Godiva Chocolatier Premium chocolates |
@GodivaChoc since Feb. 6, 2009 |
| JustGive.org Choose from 1.5 million charities for gifts |
@JustGiveOrg since Jan. 16, 2009 |
| Kiva.org Microlending for needy entrepreneurs |
@Kiva since July 25, 2008 |
| Kohls Department store |
@Kohls_Official since Apr. 27, 2009 |
| Lands’ End Clothing retailer with iron-clad guarantee |
@LandsEndChat since Sept. 27, 2008 |
| Levenger Gifts for reading and writing |
@Levenger since Jan. 16, 2009 |
| Nordstrom Upscale department store |
@nordstrom since Sept. 5, 2008 |
| Omaha Steaks Premium meats and seafood |
@OmahaSteaksHelp since June 17, 2009 |
| OneShare Sells one share of stock as a framed gift |
@oneshare since Feb. 4, 2009 |
| Overstock.com Online retailer selling surplus goods |
@Overstock since Nov. 20, 2008 |
| PajamaGram Pajamas sent in a hat box |
@PajamaGram since May 14, 2009 |
| ProFlowers Floral delivery |
@ProFlowers since May 5, 2009 |
| Starbucks Largest coffeehouse chain in the world |
@Starbucks since Aug. 12, 2008 |
| Sur La Table Gourmet cooking utensils and appliances |
@Sur_La_Table since June 11, 2009 |
| Teleflora Floral delivery |
@Teleflora since Mar. 6, 2009 |
| The Fruit Company Fruit basket delivery |
@TheFruitCo since Apr. 29, 2009 |
| ThinkGeek Online retailer for nerd stuff |
@thinkgeek since Jan. 26, 2008 |
| Ticketmaster Concert, show and sports tickets |
@Ticketmaster since Apr. 14, 2009 |
| Trader Joe’s Great groceries and inexpensive wine |
@traderjoes since Aug. 28, 2008 |
| Travelocity Travel and lodging |
@travelocity since Feb. 10, 2009 |
| ToysRUs Toy retailer |
@ToysRUs since Nov. 15, 2008 |
| Uncommon Goods Unusual home accessories and gifts |
@uncommon_goods since Jan. 24, 2009 |
| Urban Outfitters Clothing and footwear retailer |
@UrbanOutfitters since July 21, 2008 |
| Vera Bradley Seller of brightly patterned bags |
@verabradley since June 4, 2008 |
| Z Gallerie Home decor, furniture and dinnerware |
@zgallerie since June 14, 2009 |
| Zappos.com CEO of the online shoe retailer |
@zappos since Mar. 8, 2008 |
| Zazzle.com Online retailer for custom merchandise |
@zazzle since Oct. 24, 2008 |
Of the 40 retailers above, grocery chain Trader Joe’s use of Twitter impressed me the most. Nearly all of Trader Joe’s posts are simply retweets of customer talking about TJ’s food and beverages on Twitter. (Jargon alert: Retweets repeat someone else’s message on Twitter — crediting the author — to help spread the message to others. Often abbreviated as RT, it’s word of mouth, Twitter-style.)
Finally, as I’m writing this post, Gazelle sent me another Twitter reply. This time, Gazelle thanked me for my tweet and offered me a 5% bump in value on my next Gazelle gadget trade-in.
Tags: books, charitable gifts, chocolate+candy, clothing, coffee, college, customer service, decor, flowers, food, gadgets, gift baskets, gift sites, giftology, stock, thank you, toys, travel, wine
When it comes to baking, my wife is the second coming of Martha Stewart. I know she is fan of Martha’s ideas, especially her recipes. So I chose gifts for her birthday that tie in with a Martha theme. It’s a good thing…
- Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
- Martha Stewart 1-800 Flowers rose bouquet in a ginger jar vase sent to her work
- One-year subscription to Martha Stewart Living
- Nesco American Harvest 18-Quart Roaster Oven
(ideal for cooking and serving slow-cooked Italian beef, ham, or turkey)
- Pastel Kaleidoscope Flannel Bedhead Pajamas
(as seen on the daytime Martha talk show)
- Microwavable S’Mores Maker
plus graham crackers, Hershey chocolate bars and a package of marshmallows. (Okay, I’ll admit Martha prefers an old-fashioned fire-roasted S’more, but that’s impractical in frigid January.)
On a whim, I just searched for that scandalous ImClone stock that got Martha in trouble. No luck — Eli Lilly bought up the company last November. But looking back, I might have given my wife a framed share of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia stock from OneShare.com.
Tags: birthday, books, chocolate+candy, clothing, food, for her, stock
Not done with your Christmas shopping? You’re not alone. According to a recent Consumer Reports survey, about one-quarter of shoppers will wait until today, Dec. 23, 2007, or later to complete their shopping. About 10 percent will finish up on Christmas Eve.
To avoid the crowds at brick-and-mortar retailers, try a few online gifts. The shipping deadlines for most online shopping sites have passed, so these gifts will arrive as e-mail. You choose whether to send directly to your giftee or print out the gift certificate and give in person.
The clock is ticking, so quickly consider these 25 online gift-giving options.
- Amazon Gift Card
Choose a simple e-mail message or a holiday-themed e-card to the “Earth’s Biggest Selection.” - CafePress “Gift This Cart”
Shop for quirky tees that your giftee would love, adding them to your cart. Then at checkout, write your gift message and click the “Gift This Cart” button to complete payment. CafePress will send the list of paid-for gifts to your recipient, who may choose to accept your selected presents or shop from the amount of the cart. Or you can just send a regular e-mail gift certificate. - iTunes Gifts
If you and your giftee use iTunes, you can select songs, albums and videos to send. Or you can e-mail a gift certificate sent via the iTunes Store. - JustGive.org
Donate online to a charity that matches their passion or let them choose the charity with an online gift certificate. See my post on this topic. - GiftCertificates.com
E-mail a SuperCertificate letting your giftee select from a variety of gift cards. However, avoid the MasterCard gift cards — here’s why. - OneShare.com Gift Announcement
The stock certificate will not arrive for a few weeks but a printable gift announcement will. See my post on this gift idea. - The Gift of Flickr
Upgrade a Flickr photo sharing account to pro status. Read my post for details. - Restaurant.com Gift Certificate
Give online certificates to restaurants near your giftee at discounted rates, such as a $100 gift certificate for $40. - Sephora.com e-Gift Certificate
Allow your giftee to shop online for favorite cosmetics and fragrances. Please note the gift certificate cannot be redeemed in Sephora stores, only online. - Lenox.com e-Gift Certificate
Lenox is renowned for its china, crystal, flatware and vases. My wife and I love our Lenox Courtyard Platinum china set we received as wedding gifts. - Uncommon Goods E-mail Gift Certificate
A great source for eclectic gifts and unique home accessories. E-mail gift certificates ship within 24 hours. - Ticketmaster Printable Tickets
Order and print concert tickets using TicketMaster’s ticketFast service. - Cabela’s Electronic Gift Certificate
If you know someone who enjoys the great outdoors, they know Cabela’s outdoors outfitter. Give an e-mail gift certificate towards hiking, boating, hunting, fishing and camping gear. - Lego e-Gift Card
Legos are among my favorite toys. After all, the package does read “5 and up.” At the office, I keep a small Lego set in my top desk drawer to help break through mental blocks. Lego offers an e-Gift Card valid for LEGOshop.com or phone orders, arriving within four hours after placing your order. - Bed and Breakfast.com E-mail Card
Send an e-mail card announcing your lodging gift to more than 4,000 B&B and inns in the U.S. and Canada. - Southwest Airlines Gift Card
Give travelers an e-mail gift card for airline tickets. - Fandango Movie Bucks
Treat your giftees to a movie at a local theater with these e-mail movie bucks. Check the zip code search on the Fandango web site to make sure local theatres accept Fandango Bucks. - Broadway.com Gift Certificates
Broadway fans who frequent the Big Apple will enjoy a gift certificate good for any current Broadway or off-Broadway show in New York City. Each of these e-mail certificates cost $145. - Netflix Gift Subscription
Delight the film buff on your gift list. Choose the number of months for the Netflix online DVD rental service. Six months costs $53.94. A one-year subscription is $107.88. Then print the certificate or send via e-mail. - Eddie Bauer E-Gift Card
You have until 4 p.m. Central time on Christmas Eve to send an e-card to this clothing store favorite. - Callaway Golf E-Card
Offer golf fans a choice of accessories from the online Callaway Golf Store with an e-card. - L.L. Bean E-mail Gift Card
Select from boots, outdoor clothing, backpacks and tents from this classic mail order company in Freeport, Maine. No expiration date or added fees for this e-mail gift card. - Nike Store Digital Gift Card
Give Nike athletics shoes and apparel with a swoosh via e-mail. - DisneyStore.com Online Gift Card
Recommended by Scrooge McDuck for those Mouseketeer gifts. - NFLShop.com Online Gift Certificate
Rally football fans with e-mail gift certificates that reach e-mail in-boxes within hours.
Tags: charitable gifts, christmas, clothing, dining, dvds, for couples, for her, fragrance, gift cards, gift ideas, gift sites, golf, guy gifts, lists, movies, music, photos, shopping, shopping online, stock, toys, travel
Give a piece of capitalism, give a single share of stock.
These gifts are actual stock certificates — framed, matted and even personalized — for some of America’s favorite publicly held corporations. You can give someone single-share ownership in Disney, Harley-Davidson, Tiffany & Co, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Martha Stewart, Nike, Krispy Kreme and more through these online services:
My wife gave me a single share of Apple stock for our first anniversary. (After all, paper is the traditional first anniversary gift.) She ordered the black-framed stock through OneShare.com, the pioneer and current leader in single-stock gifts. The frame hangs proudly in our upstairs study at home. I get Apple annual reports and shareholder voting privileges but no dividends. (Apple has not paid dividends on common stock since 1995.) Still, other single stock gifts do offer dividends — although we’re talking loose change here with just one share.
When ordering a single stock gift from OneShare.com, follow these tips:
- Remember this is a gift and not really a financial investment. For the cost of the frame and matting ($39 and up), personalized message ($10, optional) and the processing fee ($39), you can end up paying double the cost of an actual share of stock. Order an actual frame rather than the free paper frame — unless you would like to custom frame it yourself. Of course, the idea is to save the recipient the trouble of having the stock certificate framed.
- Plan for the actual framed stock to arrive within six to eight weeks. Yes, the process can take that long with purchasing, registering, printing and framing paper certificates. If you aren’t thinking two months ahead, OneShare.com offers its free OneShare Start-up Kit. The kit arrives in a few days (to you or the recipient) and includes a congratulatory card, a reference guide and owner’s manual. If your stock is a last-minute present, you can print (or e-mail) a gift announcement.
- You can purchase a stock for a child (but not an unborn child). You will need to put the stock in both the child’s and the parent’s name. You also can buy a single stock for a couple, if both recipients are 18.
- Add an engraving to the frame for a personalized flair. For a Harley-Davidson stock, OneShare.com suggests: “Harleys don’t leak oil, they mark their territory.”
A single stock share makes a great gift for a birthday or first anniversary, a thank-you to groomsmen or a Christmas present.
Tags: anniversary, christmas, gift ideas, gift sites, stock, thank you
