What’s Hot and What’s ‘No Way’ When It’s Time to Give That Gift

As the days count inexorably down to Christmas, here’s what professional gift consultant Andrea Claster says not to give your nearest and dearest:

* Fruitcake.

* A pet, no matter how cuddly.

* A home appliance--especially to your wife.

A man should “never, ever” break the last rule, Claster advises in her witty, new gift-giving guide, “Modern Living and Modern Giving,” unless he’s “looking for a sneaky way into divorce court.”

After nine years in retailing in stores like Bloomingdale’s and Alexander Julian, in renowned shopping havens like Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and New York City’s Trump Tower, Claster knows whereof she speaks.

These days, as president of Claster & Co., a gift advisory company in New York, Claster’s primary focus is corporate gift-givers. But whether the giver is a CEO or someone buying for the in-laws, many people get sweaty palms just thinking about gifts, she said in a recent telephone interview.

“Problem-givers resist shopping out of fear,” Claster said. “They panic and forget to break the issue of what to give away from the emotion of whom they’re giving to.”

Time is also a key issue for people juggling full professional and personal lives, she added. Because of that, she encourages telephone and catalogue shopping, and she often advises harried clients to use a personal shopping service.

While some gifts are absolute no-nos, there are related items that pass muster, Claster says. A pair of house slippers is a bad idea for men, who prefer to think of themselves as “padding around the jungle barefoot,” but socks--particularly the decorative type--are just fine.

Men buying gifts for women often need help more than anyone, Claster said.

Flowers are always a good gift in an emergency, Claster said. And “why not work a piece of jewelry into the arrangement?” she added.

Gifts related to sports--such as a whistle, a sports watch or a “fanny pack”--are good.

Can’t-miss gifts. For the parents of a newborn, chocolate cigars, flowers, a silver spoon or a tree planted in the baby’s honor “could make you into a super-giver,” Claster said. Older kids would be thrilled with a long-promised trip to the amusement park, with all the cotton candy they can eat.

There even are some can’t-miss ideas for the office: A recent Gallup survey of business gift-giving found that 40% of the women preferred plants or flowers as a business gift, while 46% of the men preferred tickets to an entertainment or a sporting event, Claster pointed out.

Really thoughtful gifts for family or friends. For a spouse’s birthday, breakfast in bed or a night out at the theater. For your grandparents, a weekend of sightseeing or a morning spent helping them in the garden, complete with a gift of new shrubs.

Never give money, Claster advises her clients. Instead, give children a certificate of deposit, which grows with them, or invite adults to dinner at a restaurant and give the maitre d’ your credit card number beforehand to pay for the check.

“Remember, it’s the thought that counts,” Claster said. “Everything comes back to that.”