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By John Lewis Pitts
Times-Democrat Special Writer
Everyone is searching for the “perfect” gift, but it’s the kind of quest that can get exasperating.
After all, what does a 42-year-old bachelor know about the perfect gift for a teen-aged girl, or a 3-year-old?
Online retailers are trying to make the task easier.
A growing trend on many popular sites are extensive gift guides, some interactive, that help take some of the struggle out of the gift search.
On a recent visit to Amazon.com, for instance, a gift ideas section had suggestions for all age groups:
• For children to age 3, the featured recommendations included the classic Fisher-Price Com Popper ($7.99), or a copy of the Dr. Seuss classic “Green Eggs and Ham” ($5.59).
• For ages 4-8, the suggestions included “All You Need is Love: Beatles Songs for Kids” ($11.18) or, inevitably, a Pokemon starter gift box ($24.99).
• For ages 9-12, the suggestions included “A Children’s History of the 20th Century” ($20.97) or a classic game such as Twister ($12.99).
Leading Amazon’s list of their bestselling 100 books as the holidays approach — the list is updated hourly — were all three of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books currently so popular with the middle school crowd.
EToys.com is so popular, it can sometimes be tough to access. But it offers a lot of features to make gifthunting easier, including a “Shop by Age” section for every year from 1 to 9plus, with toys, books and even software.
Among the gifts for a 3-year-old: a red Radio Flyer tricycle ($49.99). For 7and-up: A cool tie dye kit ($17.99). Another feature directs you to “200 treasures under $20.”
Clothing retailer J. Crew (www.jcrew.com) offers an interactive search feature. You input some information about the person you’re shopping for — sex, how much you want to spend, the person’s basic style — and it suggests a gift.
A gift for under $50 for a man who likes lazy Sundays and classic clothing? A $38 pair of rubber-soled boiled
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