Best Christmas Gifts of 2012: Is It Just Gift Cards?

Have you spent hours looking for that perfect gift for that special someone? 

If so, you might be wasting your time.

According to the National Retail Federation, requests for gift cards to stores such as Target, Best Buy, Walmart and Kohl's are up this holiday season.

"When it comes to holiday wish lists, the usual culprits top the list each year: clothing, books, DVDs, video games, and electronics, but there’s one that stands out more than any other—gift cards," the NRF's annual holiday shopping forecast says.

According to the survey, six in 10 (59.8%) of those polled say they’d like to receive gift cards this year, up from 57.7 percent last year and the most in the survey’s history.

St. Peters Patch readers were split on the issue. 

On Twitter, Derrick Dockett descirbed giving gift cards as a both good and bad. Dockett said: "The recipient can buy what they want with a gift card, but part of Christmas is figuring out what to buy."

On Facebook, users were also mixed. Kathy Apker Hartnell called it an "easy way out." However, Jane Johnson has no problem with the cards. She said: "I love gift cards because sometimes there are things in a store that I would like, but don't want to get myself/right then, but I couldn't classify them for a list."

Perhaps Craig A Bandy summed it up best: "Gift giving is an art, and some people lack the talent to do it well. From those I would love a gift card."

What about you? Are gift cards great gifts? Or do they dampen the spirit of gift giving?