Do you spend endless hours searching for the right gift for a loved one or are you more likely to pop into the local Spar and grab the first thing you see? Do you want something in return or are you truly altruistic? Do you think that your gift choice says more about you than the person you are giving it to?

Here we take a closer look at the different gift-giving types and what they say about your personality.

Gift Planners

There are some people who always have a gift or two available for those special emergencies and always, always plan events like Christmas and birthdays. To the rest of us who take a more haphazard approach to present buying, they can seem a little annoying to say the least.

They’ll buy gifts in advance, put them in categories and have an instinctive idea which suits which of their friends. It’s like they have some gift buying superpower.

They have their Christmas planner full by September, presents and budget sorted and cards bought and written. This is the organised shopper who has maybe previously been the last minute shopped and decided not this year.

Last Minute Gift Buyers

If you’re running to the corner shop or stopping at the petrol station before you go to a party, you’re probably a last minute gift buyer. Many of us put off buying gifts for one reason or another, which usually means we end up with something that hasn’t been thought through or may not even be suitable for the person we’re giving it to.

Once the gift is accepted, we have to come up with a good explanation why we bought it and dispel any suspicion we only got it in the last ten minutes.

Flowers however are the one exception of where a last minute purchase of fresh flowers is a good idea, and can make a wonderful gift.

The Thoughtful Giver

You’ll probably have one or two of these in your life at any one moment. They’re family members or friends who know you well and will buy you a gift that they know you will like. If everyone was like this, we probably wouldn’t notice. But the fact that it’s the exception rather than the rule makes gifts from these individuals such a pleasure. They thoroughly think about the receiver and what he/she is likely to want on past purchases and style.

The Self-Enhancing Giver

For some people, gift giving is all about enhancing their own self-worth. They have a status to maintain and they get a warm glow all over when you are surprised at the gift they have bought you. They like nothing more than a gushing thank you with recipients talking to all and sundry about what a wonderful present they have received.

The good news is you’re likely to get a pretty good gift because the giver is set on reaffirming how great they are. It’s a win-win situation! These sorts of people also tend to buy gifts for everyone and anyone they’ve met; postman, corner shop owner, they like to show thanks at special times like Christmas with a gift.

The Even-Steven Gift Giver

This is the type of gift giver who really expects something of equal value in return and is generally disappointed when this doesn’t turn out to be the case. Beware if someone has bought you a thoroughly expensive lavish gift and you’ve only got them a pair of funky socks. They’re likely to feel duped.

Okay, this might be a little over the top but this type of giver is permanently focused on not being out of pocket. Of course, if the situation is reversed, they’re more than happy to skulk off into the shadows while you try on the socks.

The Power Gift Giver

This is a rather creepy kind of gifting practice but it’s more common than we think. It’s the sort of present that says something about you and not necessarily in a good way. It’s the supposed ‘friend’ who buys you a gift that is designed to show their superiority over you.

The Complaining Gift Giver

Last, but not least, this is the gift giver who takes a lot of time telling you how much trouble they went to getting you the present in the first place. Whether it was trekking hundreds of miles through dense undergrowth in the Andes or searching a zillion online stores to find just the right present, they’ll explain to you in intricate detail about their travails and how much you should thank them for their efforts.

If your looking for a planner to help you plan the best gift, a last minute idea, a thoughtful picked out personalised gift, a budget friendly collection of gifts or a lavish over the top array of affection, Mollie and Fred have something for everyone.

Looking for a great gift for a friend or loved one? Why not browse our selection of hand-picked gifts and homeware at Gifts from Handpicked.