Buying Presents for People You Don't Know

[Skandranon]

I had something similar happen to me just the other day. Was puttering around in the local game store, and this woman was shopping for neices and nephews, and chattering away to a friend about how she didn't know what to get them. Then she comes up to me and starts asking me for advice. By the end of it, she even called up and put one of her nephews on the phone, then handed him over to me.

He wanted Call of Duty and other combat games of the same vein. None of which were suitable for his age... 10. I wasn't really surprised he was playing mature games (all kids do these days, ne?), but when I pointed out the mature rating on his picks to the woman, she got huffy and snapped at me that they were inappropriate, as if I was the one that chose them.

I finally shoved Kingdom Hearts 2 at her to shut her up.

[Sliceanddice]

i have done this but i always go generic.
20 dollars would buy a throw, a hat and gloves for a winter gift very generic if you get the right colors.

[Chromatix]

Warm clothes are always a good fallback for Christmas. Everyone can make use of an extra pair of thick, comfortable socks.

Of course they're also clichéd to heck and back because of this, but you can at least exercise your sense of taste on them. If you have a sense of taste, that is.