There is a right and a wrong with gift-giving. Most of us want to give a gift that adds positive value to our friends’ lives, rather than just getting them a gift so we can say we did. But that can be a tough nut to crack, especially when you don’t exactly know what they want. Most people do not straight-up say they want a particular gift because most adults feel coy about asking for a gift at all. If your friend says, «I really love Bill Durham» in casual conversation and you remember that and get them a DVD of Bill Durham for their birthday, it will make you seem like the best friend ever. 

Most people will say that they’d be grateful for any gift they received, but that’s not really true. If your friend wrapped a singular string cheese and gave it to you for your birthday, you’d probably rather they hadn’t gotten you anything at all. It seems passive-aggressive and odd to get someone something that is not worth gifting, especially a condemned item.