Buyer's Forum
A gift that's priceless

I worked out a deal with my three nephews. Rather than knock myself out trying to figure out what they want for their birthdays, I simply shuttle them off to Toys "R" Us and tell them to get whatever they want, as long as the total cost comes to no more than $50. (OK, sometimes it comes closer to $60.) So I was surprised when my oldest nephew, Alex, told me that he wanted to do something else for his 10th birthday. He called me up and said, "This year I just want to spend the day with you." This pronouncement came in such a mature tone that I realized he was really growing up--faster than I ever expected.

Our day started with lunch at the local diner, his favorite eating spot. Then we took in the movie Monsters Inc. I was relieved when Alex laughed genuinely throughout the film, thankful that I hadn't entirely missed the boat on his childhood. Next we browsed the bookstore, where I bought him a biography on one of Alex's favorite authors, J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series. We capped it off with eating hot pretzels at the mall while people watching.

Since our day together only cost $40 and I wanted to make good on my fiscal promise, I gave Alex $20 to put toward his college fund. This time together was more enjoyable than giving him a toy he would eventually discard the way I toss out last year's handbags. At the end of the day, I felt as though I had been in one of those sentimental credit card commercials:

Lunch at the diner: $12
Movie tickets: $13
J.K. Rowling bio: $11
Pretzels: $3
Contribution toward the college fund: $20
Spending an entire day with Alex: Priceless

The younger boys--Matthew and Davis--still prefer their Toys "R" Us birthday run, but I suspect that will change. I can only hope they'll eventually feel like Alex did at 10: That it's not about the gift, it's the special shared moment that makes it fun.

Similarly, it's not entirely about the frame, it's the experience of getting the frame that counts for a lot. Remember that, and who knows--years from now a teenager may walk through your doors for a new pair of glasses and in his own way say, "I remember coming here and liking it. That's why I'm back."

Like the credit card commercial implies, you can't put a price tag on a great experience. And when people revel in the magic of a memory, they always come back for more.

Marcy Bruch, Executive Editor, Frames and Retail