Are gift cards good or bad?

Some people seem to think gift cards are the lazy way out. IOW you are too lazy to observe the person and buy them something they really want or need.

Me on the other hand I really like getting them. I am 57 years old. Other than continued good health, there isn't a whole lot I want or need. This is especially true if you plan on spending what most people spend on friends or family members other than ones own spouse or significant others. You are not going to find a whole lot that cost less than $20.00 that I really want or will use.

Not that I am ungrateful but that is the reality of it. At this stage of my life $20.00 won't even buy a bottle of bourbon that I like. Of course you could buy me a nice twelve pack of beer for that kind of money, if you know what kind of beer I like.

Gift cards on the other hand I can pretty much always use. Even at $20.00 I can always add to it and get something I can use. So for me gift cards are a perfectly acceptable gift.

Gift cards make a lot of people happy. One of my best presents this year was a gift card for a great local coffee shop....

I'm ok with them. It's a lot better than a check that I have to cash.

They are great for money laundering and host of other criminal activities. Professional shoplifters love them.

I typically sell mine on ebay and use the proceeds to pay my car insurance. Too bad Geico doesnt have gift cards

I'm good with receiving gift cards.

I give some, too. Better than spending money on something the person can't use/doesn't like.

The stores that sell them love them too, since a large percentage are never cashed. I always give any I receive to my daughters...I hate carrying them around.

There is an app called Gyft (sic) that you can upload many of your various gift cards on and pay with your phone and not worry about carrying cards.

Likewise I use the Starbucks app to download gift cards. I received one for $25 on Christmas Day. I loaded onto the Starbucks app without getting off the sofa and then threw away the plastic card.

Today's gift card is tomorrows gift.

I also have sold them on eBAY, sold them to an online "gift cards" companies, and recently (2014) returned a couple older ones sitting dormant in a drawer, for cash. Oh, yeah, and traded them. My 'home' casino has 'mystery' gift card giveaways, and I've purchased or traded with others exiting the give away. Got several Amazon cards last time, and turned a slight profit in the process.

I haven't met a gift card that I didn't like. They are almost as good as cash, especially if they happen to be Visa gift cards. The only gift cards that don't make sense are the ones where the denominations fall well below the price of items at that particular store--a $20 gift card for a Coach store, really?