[Cascade]

That circle idea sounds really good.

I suggest you don't take the place to my left.

[mycroft]

Well, cards for consumables - especially restaurants and the like, where a large part of the "consumable" is the cook's time - seem fine to me. Tim's cards are the prototypical idea here. You just can't buy someone a month's worth of morning coffees any other way.

If you're getting someone something at a place you know nothing about (multiman publishing, video game stores, for those people, baron barclay for you) I can see a gift card - especially since you can get duplicates very easily.

Otherwise, yeah. And really, don't get a gift card for me (not that anyone here would). I hate shopping - so I don't. It's kind of a waste. Actually, that's another case where it might come up useful - mall-wide cards for people who do like shopping (where "can go shopping" is most of the gift).

Of course the other issue behind the cards (which is why all the retailers like them) is that you can never ping a card exactly, and people are much more likely to overspend by $5, $10 or so than to leave even $1.50 on the card. So, you're not buying a $50 gift card, you're buying a $60 card - if they use it; if not, you're giving them $50.