Some gifts lose their value when batteries - or trends - run out.
Toys break. Styles change.Bookstores provide a place to buy a classic gift - one that will take a memorial place in a loved one's heart through the years - outliving changeable trends, says Boyd S. Ware, manager of the ZCMI Center Deseret Book store.
The last two weeks of December are typically the busiest time for bookstores, said Ware. "People don't need to worry about getting the right size or color and there's a variety of gifts to suit everyone on your shopping list," he said.
He and his wife, Linda, have a tradition of buying a classic children's book every year to read to their three children. Their daughters are older now, but they still enjoy reading books that have become a part of their family heritage. Such favorites books, which are still selling very well in 1993, include "Polar Express" and "Little Match Girl."
This year, popular artist Mary Engelbreit's "The Snow Queen" (an adaption of Hans Christian Andersen's story) is a popular new children's book that will certainly become a classic, said Ware. It is Engelbreit's first children's book. Utahns recently stood in lines for hours for an autographed copy when the author recently had a book signing in Salt Lake.
Another sure bet for a new children's book is "Santa Calls" by William Joyce, said Ware.
Families also enjoy watching classic Christmas films together, such as "Scrooge" with Albert Finney or "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" with Loretta Swit.
Porcelain sculptures are excellent gifts for parents and grandparents, suggests Ware. "Twilight" sculpted by Utah artist Florence Hansen, features an older couple sitting holding hands. "When your grandparents get to the stage that they have all the sweaters and socks they need, a sentimental sculpture is a gift that your grandparents will cherish all their lives," he said.
And for grandparents looking for a classic gift for grandchildren, dictionaries are also appreciated by young students, says Ware. "Brass bookends are gifts that children can keep on their shelves and think of grandma and grandpa too."
Prints of religious paintings are growing in popularity. Utah artist Greg Olsen is gaining a national reputation for his classic artist style. "To buy a religious print and hang it in your home promotes a reminder of the meaning of Christmas year round," said Ware.
For a unique idea to preserve family history, computer software has been developed to trace family origins. Genealogy records can be preserved on visual family trees, outlining relationships of families through the ages. Names of 30,000 individuals can be entered, providing vital tracking of hereditary information. Data bases can utilize information accessed through national databases or other family members.
"At a bookstore, you can find the kind of gift the people will remember years later as a memorable part of their Christmas 1993," said Ware.