If you’re a subversive individual, surely you don’t want to buy a bland and stupid gift.  Read on to find out what makes a treasured and high quality gift, and how to get one.

A gift should show both the interests of the recipient and the values of the giver.  Are you a person who is thoughtful and takes a long-term perspective and values quality and integrity?  Then why would you buy a low quality, heavily marketed, shoddy item?  Do you value the environment?  If so, why would you want something wrapped in lots of plastic that is soon disposed of and that is made of non-recylceable, non renewable materials?  Instead buy something that shows your own convictions.

Mass production means that millions of an item can be stamped out.  Whilst mass production has made goods affordable, the new luxury is something that is hand crafted and has the soul of the person who created it.  If it is skilfully made by you, or from items found only in your area, all the better.

The other thing to look for is high quality.  This means that an item is built to last and shows good design, workmanship and choice of materials that have integrity.

One site that I found is Etsy.  Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods.  You’ll find some amazing things there.  Many of the products are very reasonably priced for what they are (compared to similar goods in the shops) and would make great gifts.  You can even get something made for you to your specifications.

One other place to look is with antiques.  Antiques are already distinctive because they are no longer made (almost by definition) and since they usually are before the time of mass production, are often high quality.  Antiques are readily available online at specialist sites or from EBay.

If you want to buy something new, read reviews carefully and don’t just go on a brand name.  Look for an item that is alignment with your core values.  Here is a report into luxury goods by the World Wildlife Foundation and it identifies that a strong brand is one that isn’t based on marketing but one that represents “good goods”.  These are made in an aware way that shows responsibility and thinking of all the angles.

Sure, it takes a bit more effort to find a distinctive gift, but that is what buying a gift for a special person is about.  Your gift will be valued and remembered as something from the heart.

Tags: mediocrity, subversive, sustainable

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 1:18 pm and is filed under Daily subversive tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.