Getting the Gift

I was shopping with my wife and her sister. They were discussing what to buy for their respective Grandchildren. Now my wife's sister is a little older so her Grandchildren are older than ours. She was saying how she thought she would give them gift cards. My immediate reaction was to say, I like getting them but I don't like giving them. If you are going to give a gift card why not just give the cash. This sparked quite a debate about whether giving gift cards are appropriate or not.
My side of the argument is that only in certain cases should they be given. If you really don't know the person on a personal level its' ok. If the person lives a distance away and shipping charges for a gift are too high a gift card may be appropriate.

When I was a child I had an Aunt that always gave us cash for Christmas. It came in those envelops that the bank handed out. The ones with the cutout in the center that showed you the presidents face. Although she lived in the same town as we did we rarely saw her and I'm sure she had no idea what children would want. She never had any children of her own and I don't believe she was around kids much. We were allowed to spend this cash anyway we wanted too. I don't remember a thing I ever purchased with this money. I do remember gifts that I received from another Aunt and Uncle however. That says something about giving cash or the modern version a gift card.

I try to find a gift for each person that I feel they will enjoy. The price of the gift is not the point but whether it is something that will use is most important. A gift is a personal thing and should reflect that you at least pay attention to them enough to make an informed choice. To me giving a gift card certainly doesn't qualify.

The best gift to me is a gift that you know they want but wouldn't buy for themselves. This can be very difficult depending on the person. Getting the gift takes a little thought and effort on your part. A gift card ?
I think not.