Repeatable Gifts - Give the same more than once

Do you scratch your head each year and wonder what you can give as a new and exciting gift? Do you leave the gift buying to the last minute in the hope that some inspiration will come? Here we examine a collection of gift ideas that you use give again and again and the receiver will always be delighted.

Collections are an excellent idea for repeatable gifts. You could start a child with a collection of toy cars, pottery animals, stamps or similar low cost items. The advantage of this type of gift is that more valuable version of the collectable can be given for major occasions and you may trigger a life-long hobby. Check with the parents though just to be sure that it is alright with them as they will definitely be increasing the collection. For older children you can buy jewelry such as charm bracelets that can be added to each year or collectible cards that may increase in value. Sports fans are always happy to have souvenirs from sporting events. If the recipient already has a specific collection then consider adding to it if possible. You will need to find out what is required. Even if you do get a duplicate it may be possible for them to swap it with another collector.

Would you like to give a gift that will bring pleasure throughout the year? Then consider giving a subscription to a magazine or other regular publication. These can be surprisingly cost effective and will be delivered each month automatically. These sort of publications range from film and music magazines to those covering more specialist topics such particular types of fishing.

There are many items that are produced yearly that can be given again and again. For sports fans consider yearbooks and other such items listing the years events. Encyclopedias and many large organizations produce yearly publications with summaries of the happenings of the year. Calendars are available for almost any interest these days. If the recipient is the fan of a TV show, band, sports team or film then there will be a calendar available on that theme. Other obvious examples are diaries and address books. These are available in many different styles and costs. A matching writing set with paper, envelopes etc. can be given with such a gift.

There are many types of presentation sets or gift baskets containing bath products and similar items. These can be given again and again as they are used up. Please try to ensure that the recipient does actually like the product that you give. This is especially true of after-shaves or perfumes where personal choice is very important and an expensive gift could remain unused. Be careful of buying anti-wrinkle products and the like. They may get the wrong idea!

How about giving the recipient something they have never had before? How about an unusual or luxury type of food or drink? There are presentation sets available for all sorts of different food items such as preserves, fruits, meats and cheese. The same is true for alcohol where you could decide to buy a selection of fruit liqueurs for example. Obviously you could also buy one large item. If the recipient is in a foreign country then consider sending there favorite food from home. You may need to use a specialist company to do this. There is always the choice of chocolates and candies. There are now specialist suppliers that provide many varied and interesting different types of chocolate including chilli-chocolate and 100% cocoa chocolate.

If you want to give a surprising gift then there are gift vouchers available for air flights and holidays. More mundane gift vouchers are available for use in particular shops or malls. There are gift schemes on the internet for companies such as iTunes and Amazon. Gift vouchers and certificates are not as exciting as a well chosen gift. However, they do ensure that the recipient will get something that they want (and you can give them multiple times).

You will usually want to warn the person that this will be an annual or regular gift. You should check if this is OK. They may be able to suggest a more appropriate repeatable gift themselves, such as a different magazine. Giving repeatable gifts frees up you mind to think of ideas for those people who are really difficult to choose gifts for.

Gary Roll is co-founder of Unique Gift Inspirations, a website that provides help in finding unusual and unique gift ideas for anniversaries, birthdays and other occasions. The site also provides advice and tips about gift choosing, organizing and wrapping.