[Insert Witty Title Here]

As the deadline approaches for thinking of that great gift for friends or family, I thought I would pass along my thoughts on what makes a great gift:

• Something that the recipient doesn’t NEED.  By buying something that is needed, you are essentially just paying for something that the person would have bought for him/herself anyway.  That’s no fun.
• Something that you know/think the person would really enjoy but would probably never buy for him/herself.  This especially includes gifts that you know the recipient has been coveting but could never justify actually buying.

Thinking back to some of my favorite gifts or gifts that I know are favorites of my friends and family, I would say that most of them fit the above criteria.  Do you have any criteria to add?