"Tip # 8. In the early stages, giving him presents is too much. Generosity looks desperate to guys. You may be a great shopper and gift-wrapper; it may be his birthday and you may be wild about birthdays -- even still, he'll think you're just wild about him. Too wild."Everyone loves presents. Even guys, but how much is too much? Just use common sense. Would you want a guy to shower you with expensive gifts when you first start dating? Seriously, think about it, because you would wonder what was wrong with him.
But... I bet you wouldn't mind a small thoughtful gift. Something cheap or handmade or related to a funny conversation you once had. I think most guys would find a gift like this humorous or cute. EXAMPLE: I started officially dating one my of ex's like two weeks before my birthday. I didn't really expect anything from her besides a card, but she went out of her way to cut up a small Van Gogh calendar and wrote little thoughtful messages on them. The best part is that she hid them in places she knew I would visit throughout the day, so for basically 24 hours I kept finding little notes wishing me happy birthday. It was super cute and I kept these notes for a long time.
It wasn't an expensive gift. It wasn't generosity. It was just happy thoughts. Despite what we say. We do have emotions and feelings, so the small things do have an effect.
"It need not be something very fancy and expensive - more importantly, it has to be genuine and sincere. You just have to be very honest and convey your emotions. In case you want your gift to be really special and memorable you can always think of homemade gifts, which he would appreciate and value regardless of what his interests are." -- Gifts for Your New Boyfriend
I have no idea how Ray J has been in the game for so long.
Ray J "Gifts" official video
(This is part 8 of the "31 Things" series inspired by the article, "Things I Wish I'd Known About Dating When I was 21".)