Today officially ends all aspects of holiday gift giving. Chanukah and Christmas are done. The menorah lights have dimmed and soon the bright lights across the rooftops and trees of many houses will as well.
Then and only then can we make a final assessment of how we did with something we all covet - presents! Let's face it, in the end, that's all we care about anyway. At least 25% of the people at these holiday family gatherings we don't want to see more than once a year. The holiday food isn't healthy and usually launches a series of weight loss resolutions. So, in the end, all you really have are the presents.
Before you spend any time going through what hopefully is a large collection, the answer to whether or not you're satified with the 2010 version of your holiday gifts has already been determined. The retailers already know. Because at least 30% of everything bought before December 25th is going right back to the store. (There's a reason why they always ask if you want a gift receipt).
But why do we return so much every single year? Are we a nation of unsatisfactory gift-givers? Do we not know anyone's sweater size? Poor gift choices do not lean towards young or old, male or female. Additionally, it's not because we're unaware of what anyone wants. It's not because of someone's expensive tastes that the majority of us can never truly satisfy. It's not even because we've been married to the same person for 20 years and still don't know their life's hobbies or passions.
The truth of the matter is that the majority of what we buy is crap. We're not to blame. We don't control product design or distribution. We're just a society that loves to spend money or use our credit cards for inferior products. For most of us, the prospect of buying something new is enough. We don't focus on how long it will last because as soon as it wears out or breaks, we can do what we love all over again - - go shopping!
So all this got me thinking, which remains a very dangerous pursuit for both myself and those around me. I racked by brain thinking of products and brands that I've bought or received over the years that I've remained loyal to that had a high level of quality, durability, and longevity - - three critical components to any product purchase. With that said, I was able to come up with only a few stalwarts.
HONDA - I just leased my second Honda Accord and if I count my wife's (3) Pilots, it is now my 5th Honda vehicle. Unlike other cars I've leased, I actually get remorseful and go through a period of separation anxiety when the lease expires. Honda doesn't have the status of a BMW or Mercedes. It doesn't drive like a Porsche or Ferrari. And yet it strikes the same chord everytime I bring home a new one: pride of ownership with never one ounce of trouble. Lexus has become famous for the December to Remember commercials where one spouse surprises another with a new car in a huge gift box or one wrapped with a red bow. Nice commercial. It's just the wrong car.
NORTH FACE - If you've ever owned anything by North Face, you know it does what it says - it keeps you warm. I don't care if it's a windbreaker, a ski jacket, or a fleece. You put one of these babies on, and you may as well be sitting on a yule log. The jackets seem to never wear out, and the majority of us have more than one for every 20 degree change in the temperature. That's what I call loyalty.
APPLE - Go into any Apple retail store and look at the customers. They range from 8 to 80 and they all have the same look on their faces-- Amazement. These customers have already been exposed to Star Trek, the Jetsons, the Twilight Zone, James Bond, the Transformers, and stories from Kurt Vonnegut. All the gadgets we learned about seem to be some precursor to Apple. Computers that can make movies. Laptops that weigh a few pounds. Handheld devices that hold pictures, video, music and contain front facing cameras. Now we're all superheroes from another planet, and we love every minute of it.
COACH - I have spent too much time and money in Coach. If there's a woman in your life, you really have no choice. But the truth is that when you bring one of their bags or wallets home, it's a guaranteed winner. Now there are more expensive places to buy products like theirs and you don't have to look too hard. Not that Coach is so inexpensive. But Coach is durable, upscale, and lasts across many different seasons. These are feats not easily matched. More importantly, Coach provides men with something they rarely get from women - predictability.
NEW BALANCE - Like me, several people suffer from wide arches and need shoes that will accommodate. New Balance has been there for runners, tennis players, weekend athletes and more for years by providing reasonably priced wide width sneakers that provide support throughout any athletic endeavor. And when they go through the normal lifecycle, we tend to repeat our behavior, and buy another pair, just like the one before.
WALL STREET JOURNAL - Every year, I gift a subscription to the Wall Street Journal for my Father. He loves it, and so do I. The paper has recently changed ownership and the format with it, but the content is still interesting, informative, and original. Some will remain devoted to the New York Times, and that's OK too. But the WSJ continues to rack up Pulitzer Prizes in journalism and for good measure. It remains one of the few daily newspapers that have increased their circulation in the face of declining readership across the industry.
Hopefully, you were lucky enough to receive a present this year from one of these manufacturers.
If you did, it will be one less trip to the mall and standing in long lines to make an exchange.
