December 25, 2007
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Googling Gifts
This message from ana4jackirose made me laugh:
“Do you think it’s wrong to google the gifts you receive to see how much they cost? I do it, because I am always so curious and I just can’t help myself. My husband says it’s wrong. What do you think?”
Is it wrong to google your gifts to find out how much they cost?
Comments (69)
hm. i don’t think it’s “wrong”, but it’s a little weird. just be happy with them – it’s the value you place on the gift, not how much it literally cost.
I don’t really consider it ‘wrong’ — slightly odd, that’s all.
Yeah, basically what timewarp said.
No.
LOL – I was just doing that! My mom gave me and my daughter vases from the 1950s and I was looking for information about them.
I guess I don’t even understand why you would care how much they cost.
Unless it is an antique, I just don’t see the point??? What are you going to do with the information. Keep track of who has given you the most expensive gift? Sounds like some kind of phobia or something?!
Well, not wrong…
Its kind of funny when you get a gift from ebay or the thrift, and people look it up and think its a lot more money than what you actually got it for.
It’s not wrong. But it certainly isn’t commendable. I wouldn’t admit to it. It doesn’t surprise me, though, that someone would do that.
Why does it matter?
Not wrong, just a little odd.
I think it’s a bit rude and it really shouldn’t matter. Plus, you never know if they bought you the gift on sale or “regifted” the present to you.
Of course it isn’t wrong… but that doesn’t mean that it should be done (but that’s me, so NO OFFENSE). I mean, I wouldn’t want to do that because that would take the fun out of the receiving gifts, right?
I google stuff I find at thrift stores to see how much they’re worth…but to google a gift? No.
people even google their own name.
so why not unless the present giver is a real miser.
LOL
Its not wrong, its just a little nosy. So what if I got a great deal on that set of dinnerware I got you? If its too cheap for your tastes, do what you want with it, I only paid $10.
What’s wrong is caring.
I don’t think it’s wrong, but it doesn’t seem very polite.
I know what thing costs or about from the top of my head…is there something wrong with that?
it’s ok. that way you know the exchange value. hehhehee!
Wrong? No. A tad ridiculous perhaps. I mean, who pays full price for anything nowadays. It really is the thought that counts.
Huh? I don’t do that.. If they focus on the price of the materialize they got not the thought that counts.. Then maybe there is something wrong with them..
LOL Its not “wrong.” that would be the incorrect word for it. It does seem a bit strange, but sometimes you’re curious =)
oh my gosh, i just did that, i feel bad now, cause i didnt want him spending too much money on me
Only if I was planning to sell it…
It’s strange how putting a gift receipt with the gift is tacky even though it doesn’t show the price, but people would google to see how much it was anyways? Interesting.
I agree with Timewarp.
Why should it matter what a gift cost? That’s what’s strange, is wanting to know. I wouldn’t have even thought of googling a gift – unless maybe it was an antique or collectible and I wanted to know more about its history.
It’s not wrong. It’s jsut stupid. I mean, we can’t help but be curious, but seriously, does the price even matter? I don’t care how much it costs. What counts with me is the sentimentality of giving gifts, and how that person cares about you enough to want to give you something.
Of course, a new iPod isn’t a bad thing to look forward to, either. I’d rather not know how much that cost, anyways.
I get a lot of gift cards, so it isn’t hard to figure out the cost..
haha yeah…its kinda weird haha..
i never do it– probably because people always leave the price tag on -_-
Why would you want to know?
I wouldn’t want to know even if it was that bad of a gift. A gift’s a gift.
finding out the value in itself isn’t “wrong” per se…
it’s just rude and too calculative..
If you Goggle it, your assuming that the gift only has value if it cost a certian amount.
Defeats the purpose of the gift though.
’nuff said…
Wrong, no. Strange, yes. Shallow, yes. I agree with Bill Bryant. What is wrong is caring how much a person spent and not simply being thankful for the thought.
Nah, the surprise is still worth the wait.
Peace
ROFL What an intriguing idea!
I get every piece of jewelry my husband buys me appraised. I say its for insurance reasons, but its because he once told me how his best friend gave his ex wife a CZ engagement ring and she never knew any different.
Never, but I imagine if you did maybe you might measure the perceived value of yourself to the person who gave it by the price of the gift.
The most thoughtful gift I got this year came out of a quick random conversation had a day before.
I have to get her some flowers or something.
Well – right or wrong, it may not give you the real picture. With all the holiday sales, a person could have spent a lot less than the price you find online.
I think it does seem to concentrate on the wrong idea, though… It really is the thought that counts, not how much a person spent that is important.
That’s a really interesting question. I googled the digital camera my dad got me but not to check the price at all. Of course, that information was available, but I was looking up specs and reviews of the camera just to see what information was out there on it. I don’t think he’d necessarily care that I know approximately how much he paid for it, but at the same time I don’t think he’d want me to know. I think some people might be offended if you were looking that up, but I wouldn’t be surprised that a lot of people would be doing it anyway.
And you know, since gift cards are such a hot item these days, we’re starting to know exactly how much somebody is spending on a gift. Maybe we’re so in the habit of knowing that it’s hard for us when we actually receive an item instead of a gift card? heh. I honestly don’t know the ethics here, but I feel like if somebody would be offended by it, then it’s not necessarily the right thing to do. Of course, it’s situational.
Sadly so many people do put an emphasis on the value. The only important thing is the thought behind the gift. I received some very thoughtful gifts and because of that I feel very blessed.
And here I thought I was the only weird one…
It’s just a crass, material thing to do. What? Is the “gift” of giving/love/good will measured by how much someone spent on them? Why anyone would care indicates their own shallowness….and insecurity.
Yes, I do. It’s supposed to be about the giving, not the price of the gift. That’s so rude.
that’s just…sad.
Yes it is wrong. What ever happened to “it is the thought that counts?” Oh yeah, that got flushed down by this materialistic society.
As long as you don’t judge the person based on how much they spent.
No I will never google have much a gift cost – its the thought what counts really.
Wow! In my own defense, I must say that this started innocently enough. I stumbled upon a page with a digital photo frame on it, and it was $300. I had just a few hours earlier received a similar product from my in-laws, and was shocked that they may have spent that much on me. I felt like I should have had a much larger reaction when I saw it. I felt bad. So I googled the exact product they gave me, and found it from $75 all the way up to $130, but no where near $300. So I felt a little better. It was still a lot of money, and certainly more than they should have spent, but not an exorbitant amount. Even though I felt better, my husband told me it was wrong to have looked it up at all.
But… That started a chain reaction. I looked up everything else they got me. Not everything from everyone else, but everything form them. One thing had a price tag on it anyway.
So whatever. Yes, I’m weird. Yes, I’m breaking the norm. Yes, I’m pissing people off, and if my gift givers knew they’d be deeply offended…
Luckily none of them read my blog.
Like it would stop me.
Wrong? Nah. I just think it’s rather absurd.
<33
How retarded.
I just think that is odd. I would never have even though to do that until now. I received a stainless stell pot for Christmas, and I was thinking about upgrading most of my cookware to stainless. I guess it would be a good way to find out if the brand is something I can afford or not.
To each his own… I myself haven’t thought of such a thing.
Unless you want to keep track of who gave you what and how much they spent on you because you (like my mother) put an equal sign between how much they love you and how much they spent on you (something that is NOT true and totally ridiculous), I just don’t see the point.
And I don’t see the point of doing what I explained my mother does.
That’s hilarious. I never thought to do that because when you’re a shopping whore like I am you basically know how much things cost.
don’t look a gift horse in the mouth still stands, but i guess its not exactly “wrong”…
just be appreciative is all.
So much more than money goes into some gifts. Hours of searching and thoughtfulness; well, she loves ___ , so i’ll get her ___ , and it’ll be perfect!
I got my friend two skeins of yarn and two packs of cool pens for Christmas, and she was so happy with it, because it shows thought and consideration.
So it doesn’t matter what things cost. It matters what they mean to you.
haha I ddi that earlier and was wondering the exact same thing
Let’s see. Let me Google to see how much this Amazon gift certificate is worth
As for merchandise, you might be interested in getting something like it as a matching item, or for someone else, or for lots of reasons.
I’m in a family of bargain hunters, so if anything the idea is to see how great a deal you can get.
i tend to google the more creative of gifts that i really like – to see if there’s more items just like it to match
)
Well, no matter how much the gift costs, it’s the thought that counts. But I suppose if someone’s boyfriend bought them something and it ended up that it had cost a lot, then the girl might want to brag to her friends about how much he had spent on her.
not wrong, but a little pathetic.
I never even thought about it.
Very tacky
People google themselves so why not Google their gifts. It’s just another odd thing that people do.
I wouldn’t care, and I don’t see why she would.
That’s a really trivial thing to get curious about.