I just purged my room of six years of junk that's accumulated. You see, my parents and sisters loved to get me knick knacky things for holidays, even though I told them I'd rather get nothing than get something that'll remain unopened and unused. The argument behind the knick knack being that it shows the person went out and tried to get someone something, the other option ('typically') being a gift card - which shows that the gift was an afterthought. But if I had to choose between the two, I would prefer a gift card to a store I will frequent over the next few months - clothes shop, auto shop, game shop - over randomgrilledcheesemaker.

I'm sure that some of you are so noble that you find this topic superficial, but given the option between a knick knack and a gift card, a knick knack being something that might be nice but not useful to you, which would you choose?

useful knick knack.

Gifts are incredibly rare here, so they tend to be meaningful in some form. Either thing works (depending what "knick knack is", most know what I deal in so I've yet to get something useless), but the thought matters most to me.

I prefer receiving gift cards over knick-knacks.

Sadly, I usually end up not using the gift cards immediately, and the money on the cards expire because, you know, money becomes invalid after being idle for a year...

A knick-knack bar.

Why is there no other category

Hate gift cards. I rarely go shopping or anything like that, so a gift card is more of an inconvenience to me. At least in my current life-style (which will change due to college coming up).

Love knick-knacks. Small little bobbles appeal to me. You listed something like a grilled cheese griller... which I don't see as a knick-knack personally.

It was something my grandma gave me when I was sixteen, which means it sat there unused for eight years.... >_<

Oh you can buy legos with a gift card.

Obvious choice is obvious.

I don't care if it isn't "thoughtful", I'd prefer money over a gift card. Usually I just stow the gift card in some place where it remains forgotten and unused.

Seriously. Just give me cash. It's just like a gift card, except it's easier to use (no restrictions). Trust me, I'll love you just as much if you had bought a knick-knack!

I'd take a gift card ... People always give little trinkets, and they just pile up .. and I always feel bad if I try to get rid of them because whenever I see or touch it I immediately remember who gave it to me (which, as far as I know, is the point). ;o

yea...I just cleaned out my room at home and I donated boxes of little trinkets and stuff that had been accumulating dust but served no other purpose. And by boxes, I mean at least a dozen, no joke.