Hawaiian Gift Card Ban on Fees Begins July 1, 2005

Hawaii's new gift card law will soon take effect. Beginning July 1st of 2005, retailers will be prohibited from levying a fee on consumers for not using gift cards. Executive director of the Hawaiian State Office of Consumer Protection, Stephen H. Levins, stated, "They can no longer charge a dormancy fee if the cards aren't being used."

Several merchants offering gift cards currently charge a monthly maintenance fee if the gift card continues to have a balance after six months or a year. Hawaii is among twelve other states that have passed legislation curbing or regulating fees and other penalties. Currently it is also illegal in Hawaii for stores to offer a gift card that expires in less than two years. An expiration date must come after two years from date of purchase. In 2004 U.S. consumers puchased $45 billion worth of gift cards.

Wedding Gift Ideas Offered on Early Show of CBS Network

The CBS Network Early Show recently hosted Kiplinger's Personal Finance spokesperson, Vera Gibbons, where she offered insider tips and advice on saving money on choosing wedding gifts. Ms. Gibbons stated, "Ultimately it depends on your relationship with the bride, groom or both. But it's not required to go to everything, particularly if you're just a casual acquaintance and it involves travel. One thing you do want to do, though, is RSVP. That's just good manners."

Referring to the 'The Wedding Channel', Gibbons reminded viewers that the average wedding engagement gift amount is about $35, and a wedding shower gift has an average of $25. Regarding wedding gift ideas, Gibbons stated the wedding gift is most commonly based on the giver's relationship with the bride and the groom, in combination with the giver's budget. "If you're a college grad and you spend just $50, that's perfectly acceptable. They wouldn't want you to break the bank. They want to you go to their wedding," continued Gibbons.

Additional ways to save include choosing personalized wedding gifts. Gibbons said, "If you can't afford the expensive china that they registered for, for example, give them a nice place setting and enclose a copy of an old family recipe. Put together a scrapbook or photo album or some of your more memorable moments. This is the kind of thing that can really go a long way." Another possibility is offering your talent. She added, "If you can sing, play the guitar, or have some other special talent, show it off. This is something they'll remember for forever and it won't matter that you only spent $50 or less on the actual gift."

Wedding Gifts to Favored Charities Increasingly More Common

According to wedding gift industry insiders, there is a growing trend in making charitable donations instead of buying wedding gifts. Affluent brides and grooms are increasingly redirecting friends and family to charities that include the Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research, Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and others. One recently married couple said, “We had lots of stuff so we wanted to get rid of things before we got married. We wanted to ask our guests to instead donate to charity." According to wedding gift industry sources the average wedding has raised about $1,500 for various causes and charities. With the average age of marrying couples at 35 for men and 32 for women experts believe more people are likely to avoid traditional wedding lists and choose more benevolent wedding gift-giving plans.

Steak Branding Irons Expected to Soar in Sales As Father's Day Gift Idea

Sources for the gift industry recently reported personalized steak branding irons are expected to be popular father's day gifts in 2005. Several different manufacturers offering various father's day gift BBQ branding irons are featuring designs that include western themed brands, letter brands and major college branding irons for BBQ cookouts, picnics and tailgate parties.

Beyond fathers day gift ideas, recent reports reveal branding irons are gaining popularity in corporate gift, wedding gift and Christmas gift categories. Manufacturers have engineered the implements to heat on grills during the meat cooking process. Other styles currently on the market include mini-brands which can be heat up simply with a lighter.

UB Librarians Develop Graduation Gift Ideas Selector

Fred Stoss and David Bertuca, two librarians in the Arts and Sciences Library at the University of Buffalo, recently developed a "Graduate Gift Ideas" selector. Bertuca states on the website, "You can buy a standard graduation gift, of course. But if you want a gift that really says something about a graduate's specialty or peculiar genes, please read on before doing the easy way out by buying a graduation sports car..."

The University of Buffalo librarians list as examples of unique gift ideas, a statue of the lovely "Francine, a study in languor," the Pillaged Village, or even a Hershey's chocolate diploma. Consumers are instructed to go to the UB site and click the link to Graduation Gift Ideas where viewers will then be provided with a complete list of web sites that explain how to select a Graduation Gift, as well as highlighting 2005's top 10 Graduation Gifts.

Bertuca explains the the UB website includes a list of links to observatory gift shops, museum stores, math lovers, sites that feature gifts for actual or amateur biohazard managers, paleontologists, historians, musicians, biochemists, meteorologists, poets, artists, geographers and cartography enthusiasts.

Verizon Superpages.com to Offer Graduation Gift Ideas

Verizon Superpages.com., an online shopping and local search directory, announced recently that it is now providing graduation gift ideas for high school and college boys and girls. Company spokesmen stated that Verizon superpages.com is focusing on graduation gift ideas for the purpose of assisting graduates, their families and friends in making selections.

The company recommends that for the best or unique graduation gifts, consumers should carefully consider the graduate's future plans. Whether the graduate plans to attend college, law school, nursing school or enter directly into the workforce, it is possible to find a variety of cheap graduation gifts from portfolios to Class of 2005 picture frames at any local bookstore. Additionally, for graduation gifts that are truly one-of-a-kind, consider gift items that can be personalized, embroidered or monogrammed.

For those organizing a graduation party, the company said that local stationery stores offer a wide selection of invitations, decorations and guest books that can be personalized for a specific person or party theme.

Graduation Gift Idea List Released by Financial Industry

The financial industry has recently released a list of high school graduation and college graduation gift ideas. An industry spokesman highlighted several considerations graduation gift givers need to consider before making a selection. For instance, often times graduates don't live close by, so consumers may not be familiar with the recipients' interests or habits. Also, the difference between a high-school or a college graduate is likely enough of an age discrepancy to alter the graduation gift selection. Listed below are several featured categories to consider:

Electronics - The obvious selection in this category is an iPod. However, a college graduate gift entering the world of business may find a handheld PDA to be more practical. It is important to remember that many new cell phones have features that provide both of these things, keeping an organizer and playing music. Find out first what the graduate already owns.

College spirit - Popular high-school graduation gifts are ones that make reference to the college the student plans to attend. Merchandise with their college's logo is an excellent option.

Money - This is usually the best option if the recipient's interests are completely unkown. A gift certificate is often a good alternative to cash.

Phone - These are particularly good college or high-school graduation gifts for those who will be moving away from home to go to college or beginning a new job. Also many cell phones now include free nationwide calling plans.

Travel - Several airlines now offer travel vouchers that can be purchased and then redeemed over a one-year period, at the graduate's choice. The gift giver can also consider using their own frequent flyer miles and travel rewards before they expire.

Tuition assistance - A graduation gift of financial assistance is becoming more frequent and is usually the most appreciated by the recipient. It is important to remember that for financial-aid purposes, gifts made directly to the college may be best for the graduate.

Subscription - A subscription to a financial publication such as SmartMoney, Kiplinger Personal Finance or The Wall Street Journal is one of the few college and high-school graduation gifts that is ongoing. Many discounts are also offered to students.

First investment - Another option is a single share of stock to start the graduate on a systematic investment program. Online companies such as oneshare.com and sharebuilder.com offer choices for either a share of stock to give as a gift or a program to start the graduate on a monthly investment schedule.

Professional advice - A gift for graduation that also keeps giving for the long term is access to a financial adviser that can provide valuable direction and possibly assistance with employee-benefit elections at the graduate's new employer.

Herbal Supplement Cited as New Trend in Mothers Day Gifts

Gift industry analysts recently announced this year's selection of the most unusual, yet popular, Mother's Day gift for 2005. They highlight a liquid sexual health supplement, called African Fly, that users claim can reverse the effects of diabetes and that can sometimes lower sexual energy and drive. Brian Ayers, founder of Genesis BioTech, manufacturers of African Fly, said, "We have had fathers and sons as customers for awhile. We never gave much thought to African Fly as a Mother's Day gift. But it has been used as a bridal shower gift, Valentines Day gift and Christmas gift."

A recent study reports that 67% of older couples are seeking out remedies to improve their sex lives. As baby boomers mature and life expectancy keeps rising, many seniors believe a healthy sex drive is important to a continuing relationship. Mr. Ayers added, "We expect sales of African Fly to increase for holidays like Mothers Day and Fathers Day as people begin to see the role that a sexual health supplement can have in their lives. The company explains that African Fly is made from eight herbs indigenous to Africa, which can stimulate testosterone and blood flow. While often compared to Viagra, Genesis states that it is a distinctly different formula that sets itself apart by creating results in both men and women.

Mothers Day Gift Purchases for Jewelry Outpaces All Other Categories

According to a study recently conducted by Internet telecommunications infrastructure provider Verisign, online sales of jewelry outpaced all other Mother's Day gifts categories for 2005. Results of the study state that jewelry sales increased 79% over 2004, with diamond sales up the highest at 101%.

The diamond category average purchase price was $517, according to the Verisign study, with total online Mother's Day gift purchases from April 25 to May 8 increasing 24% to $4.4 billion. Purchases made for Mothers Day gifts accounted for 54.8 million transactions, a 31% increase from the same period in 2004. The most popular online shopping day was Monday May 2nd, with 5.43 million transactions valued at $473 million. Online candy sales for Mothers day gifts remained flat, although chocolate sales is reported to have increased 56%. Surprisingly, online flower purchases decreased 13% in 2005.

The Verisign study was conducted through a process of compiling statistics through an analysis of online sales volume processed through Verisign Payment Services, which handles transactions for 135,000 online retailers or over 37% of all North American e-commerce.

Photography Industry Provides Mothers Day Gift Ideas

A spokesman for the photography industry recently outlined a series of suggestions and recommendations for consumers to consider when purchasing pictures and portraits for Mother's Day gift ideas. The spokesman stated, "Moms are usually the center of the family and they are often the ones responsible for capturing all of the memories. Moms are typically the ones documenting the family milestones. So when it comes to the professional family photos, many moms have to beg their families to participate to preserve these lasting moments. The gift of photography resonates with many mothers because not only is it a chance to capture their family in the present, but also capturing the personalities and relationships for future enjoyment."

Highlighted recommendations of gift ideas for Mother's Day include selecting a gift certificate for a family sitting with a professional photographer; creating a composite of family pictures from the past and having the collage framed to hang in a special place at home or in her office, similarly unique family albums and scrapbooks are recommended as well; Long distance families can have everyone send in photos to create a family collage, and each family member is invited to hold a sign with a part of a phrase such as "We love you" or "Happy Mothers Day" and present the photos in a special card on the holiday.