Who's buying gift cards?

I don't know. The only cards I have ever bought are phone cards. You definately have to scratch some stuff off to the to the number. Well, I've heard of a scam involving taking a picture of your credit card at the register with a cell phone to capture the number and expiration date, so who knows.

On the other question, I think gift cards are kind of tacky, but just as sensible of Mom and an aunt exchanging ten dollar bills at Christmas. Till times got rough, of course. Then they exchanged five dollar bills, to save money. It was a cute tradition.

Sometimes, I truly don't know what to get someone, or know that they don't like others picking out gifts. Sometimes I'll get a gift card for a service, say a coffee shop, so that the recipient can pop in and get coffee free for a month or so. But big gift cards are a little tacky...

Though, I'll Take em!

Seems to be everyone's opinion on the matter.

Cycloptichorn

We don't see any of nine grandkids regularly, anymore. Not only are we out of the loop as to what they would like for gifts, it would be awkward sending that many packages. So, we are sending gift cards.

What about just sending checks in a nice card? Someone gave me a generous gift card to a store I never shop in and is out of my way to get to. I ended up buying stuff I didn't really need just to use it up. Cash goes anywhere.

My grandfather sends me a leather belt one year and a pocketknife the next, alternating. I've literally never bought a belt or pocketknife in my life.

Cycloptichorn

A large number of gift cards never get redeemed, so the store makes lots of money on you.

Not just that. It's really an interest-free loan on the ones that DO get redeemed. Stores make quite the pretty penny off of gift cards even when they have 100% redemption, let alone those who don't get used at all or not fully.

Cycloptichorn

with the string of bankruptcies expected in retail gift cards a kinda like Russian roulette. Unsecured creditor gift card holders might see something, but as Sharper Image proves, maybe not.

I'm seeing ads for Prepaid Visa Credit Cards at the bottom of the page. What the hell is a prepaid "Credit" card. It's credit, or it isn't.

Prepaid credit cards are essentially debit cards. You put $$ into an account and you get to carry around a card.

Anyway -- gift cards -- we buy 'em online and have 'em shipped directly to the recipient.

I agree. I have been reading , in a number of articles, that it is a gamble to buy gift cards year. You will never know when a store will suddenly go "belly up" and the card will be worthless.

We went out to eat in a mall last night. Afterwards, It was about 6 p.m., and the mall was not crowded at all. I have never seen so many sales before Christmas in my entire life. In Dillards, where the staff were standing around talking to each other, Mr. P. picked up a beautiful $300 sport jacket for 50 bucks.

I think that after the holidays, many of the stores that you would not expect will go out of business.