Wedding Gift Q & A

I know, I know, it’s that season again. The season of the blushing brides wedding their handsome grooms. Candles, flowers, music, cake…weddings are truly a special time. When you think about it, wedding patrons are the ones who struggle the most; especially when it comes to deciding what kind of gift to buy.

Then come the questions: how much should I spend, will cash work as a gift, should I only buy what’s on the registry…the list could go on for miles. Well, I think that I can answer one question that has been plaguing the mind of the wedding bound: is there a standard price range that guests are supposed to spend?

There’s no perfect or proper amount of money to spend on a gift for any wedding guest and no one is obligated to give a certain type of gift, even from the registry. Make sure to stay within your means. Another tip is to use the happy couples registry as a guideline. That way you can judge their style and buy accordingly. I hope this helps!

Happy shopping!

Men’s Collar Styles Should Match Your Face?

Have you ever given much thought to the style of the collar of your shirt? Are you interested in the latest styles and trends?

Men probably don’t give much thought to their wardrobe but in fact there is a right collar for every occasion and for every face. A traditional well-designed collar forms a perfect “V” at the neck.

Whatever the style, make sure it fits well. There should be about a finger’s width of space between your neck and the collar – no more, no less.

Consider these various collars the next time you shop?

Give An Unused Giftcard

Gift cards are a very popular option for gift giving.

The National Retail Federation estimates that retailers will sell more than $25 billion in cards this year alone. Between $1.75 billion to $3.5 billion of these cards will never be used with entertainment cards having the largest percentage of non-use. Grocery gift cards consistently are used rapidly and for the full value.

Research has shown that retailers assume that after a certain period of inactivity the card will not be used; even those without expiration dates.

Some retailers then move unused gift card credits from a liability account to an income account. For example, Home Depot reported $37 million in revenue from unused gift card credit, American Eagle Outfitters collected more than $12 million and Limited Brands, Inc., owner of the Victoria Secret chain, added $30.4 million to fourth-quarter revenue.

If a gift card is more than a year old some stores subtract monthly maintenance fees. Texas and New York collect unused gift card credits revenue as unclaimed property and South Carolina is considering legislation to allow that state to do the same.

In Japan, gift card balances are stored on cell phones rather than on plastic. Until that technology comes to the United States what can we do to prevent losing value on a gift card?

If the card has expired contact the issuer; they may reactivate the card for a small fee. Many cards are being sold on eBay for 90 percent or more of their face value. There are a number of other Web sites that trade, buy or sell gift cards with various fees. Some worth checking:

http://www.cardavenue.com

http://giftcardbuyback.com

http://plasticjungle.com

http://www.svmcards.com

http://www.swapagift.com