My worst gift ever

(Seriously)

The worst gift I've ever received was a stone.

Not a pretty stone, or a rare gem, or an interesting mineral with some sort of backstory.

Nah.

An ordinary random rock that the gifter (is that a real word, btw?) called George and gave me on an occasion I can't remember anymore. I guess the idea here was to be quirky and original, but it didn't really work.

It was just an awful gift.

Looking back now, I think the reason behind George's appearance in my life was really simple: the gifter didn't know what I wanted. Then, they probably thought that a book would be too boring and generic and went for a stone instead.

Bad idea. Seriously, don't do stuff like that. Ever.

Instead, here's a list of techniques you can use to learn what ANYONE would love to get.

1: Look for their wishlists

Duh.

Okay, this technique is slowly dying right now, but it's still worth a shot. The obvious solutions are usually the most effective ones, right?

The logic is simple: the only 100% failproof way of learning what someone wants is to hear it from that person. But how can you do that without asking them directly?

Well, many people have public wishlists on at least one of the following websites:

• Amazon
• Wishlistr
• Gift Hero
• Giftster

Do a quick search using the recipient's email, first or last name, and there's a small chance you'll strike gold. 

Didn't work out? Move on to the next technique!

2: The VALA technique

Works only with close people

VALA stands for "visit and look around."

This technique works only if you know the recipient well enough to drop by their house and chill together for a while. If possible, use the VALA gift-finding technique a week or two before the occasion for the gift.

To show you how it works, let's say you're visiting Bob, your old friend back from school.

What should you look for?

Recently broken items

You offer to brew some tea but and Bob says his tea kettle died a few days ago. Ta-daa, the perfect opportunity for a gift he'll 100% use!

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Collections

Not everyone collects stuff, but if your recipient does, consider yourself lucky. Adding something valuable to your recipient's collection is ALWAYS a fabulous gift idea.

Let's say you notice that Bob has a huge bookshelf with comics in his room.

YOU: Dude, your collection is seriously awesome. How many comics do you have already? Like, a hundred? Two hundred? What's your next target?
BOB: Well, I noticed I don't have a printed version of Supergod yet, so I'll probably fix that first.

You won't always get a clear and straightforward answer like that, so here are a few other options:

• Guess their favorite artist, material, thing, or topic. A whole bookshelf with Alan Moore's comics? Try to find them a signed issue! A dozen lava lamps standing around the room? Get them one more, but find a super fancy one!
• Find them a suitable gift card. A bookstore gift card for the reader, a sportswear gift card for the athlete, and so on.
• Contribute to their collection with a twist. For example, let's say your recipient collects porcelain dolls. The niche is too delicate to try giving them a doll yourself, and you won't find many related gift card around. What you COULD do, however, is order them a glass box/bookshelf/stand to display their favorite dolls in style.

Opportunities for an upgrade

When you think about it, many people use ordinary versions of many objects on a daily basis. That's fine, but here's the thing: maybe they just don't know there's an improved version of that particular item. Give it to them - and see their life improve 10x in an instant!

• An ordinary kettle -> A teakettle with controllable temperature
• A usual pillow -> A memory foam pillow for better sleep
• A random makeup brush set -> a semi-professional or professional brush set (trust me, the difference is mindblowing)

If possible, this object would be in line with something your recipient enjoys (or does really often for whatever other reason.)

3: Ask their significant other

Spouse, lover, partner, you get the idea

If you're looking for an awesome gift for someone in a stable romantic relationship (dating for a long time, married, etc.), consider yourself SUPER lucky.

There's a good chance that your recipients significant other could give you a ton of accurate and unexpected options of great gifts for the occasion at hand.

Just don't forget to ask your source to keep the whole thing a secret!

4: Stalk then a while

In an appropriate way, of course!

Your recipient's social media pages could tell you a LOT about them if you know what to look for.

• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - some people use all of these places to dream, rant, and blow off some steam. For example, it could be a simple tweet: "Dear God, I'm so TIRED of my earphones getting all tangled in my pocket." Possible gift? A set of wireless earphones or a simple earphone holder that would prevent their current ones from getting tangled.
• Pinterest is THE best place for visual inspiration right now. If your recipient has a Pinterest account, you should definitely check it for awesome ideas on style, topics, and favorite things. For example, your recipient could have a whole BOARD with dragon images. Possible gift? Well, something related to dragons, obviously.

5: Visit the shopping mall together

Listen and look closely for opportunities

An easy way to get a whole bunch of solid gift ideas for anyone is to take them out for a walk through your local shopping mall. Make it look like its a casual walk around but listen and look carefully for hints in your recipient's behavior.

• Wow, that's such a cute plush bear, I love it! 
• Hey, I didn't know this author published a new book - looks amazing!
• Let's check the gadgets store, I really need a new wireless speaker.

From there, you got two options. The boring way is to buy the thing right away: "Hey man, your birthday is in a few weeks from now and I'm having trouble picking you a gift. How about I buy you this thing right now and get off with a greeting card on the big day, eh?"

The somewhat better (but risky) way is to silently purchase the item (if your recipient doesn't do it right away) and present it later when the time comes. 

Your time to act!

Well, well, well. Now you're all armed and ready for action!

With this little collection of techniques to help you find what your recipient really wants, we're sure you'll pick something absolutely fabulous. Just remember to not rush the matter and give yourself enough time to get creative. :)

For extra help, don't forget to try out the Gift Wizard, our gift-finding quiz!