If you are looking to purchase a Willow Tree Collectables gift for someone, but you are not sure which one to buy, this handy little guide might just help you match the right gift with the right person.
First things first, why have you chosen to buy a Willow figurine? If you have a clear idea of what your gift is designed to signify, you will have a much better chance of getting choosing the right one first time. There are three main categories that a gift from the Willow Collection falls into:
1. A gift for a collector
2. A gift to celebrate an occasion
3. A gift for a special recipient
1. A gift for a collector of Willow Tree collectables
If the person the gift is for has a reasonable sized Willow collection, it is essential that you find out which pieces are missing from their collection. I know they can exchange the figure if they already have it, but that takes a lot of the enjoyment out of receiving the gift and just creates hassle for the recipient - and I'm sure that's not what you had planned.
There are a few ways to make sure you buy the right Willow Tree statue; first off you could just ask what pieces they have missing and what piece they would most like, but if you are like me, you will want the gift to be a surprise.
Your second option is asking their partner or someone close to them to see if they can give you any ideas of which pieces you should buy, but most of our partners don't share our passion to the same extent as we do, so this might be a long shot.
Do they have a wish list? More and more of us are adding wish-lists in all sorts of places like Facebook, Bebo or other social sites. They might have a favourite website they use to buy their Willow Tree from; often these sites allow you to create a wish-list - just an idea.
2. A gift to celebrate a life event or special occasion.
If it's a christening, birthday, communion, or the birth of a child that you are marking with your gift, than it is much easier. The range is categorised along these lines and the choice within each category is very comprehensive. Many of the pieces are interchangeable, the Willow Tree angel 'Celebrate' for example would make a suitable gift to mark any of the occasions I mentioned earlier.
While it's always worth checking to avoid duplicating a gift, if you are buying a gift to celebrate a special occasion like this, there is far less chance that you will be buying a figurine that is already owned by the person receiving the gift.
3. A gift for a special recipient.
The chances of buying the wrong gift for friends or loved ones who fall into this group is minimal. Generally speaking we have 'access to insider knowledge' in that these people are usually close to us and it is normally easier to find out which Willow Tree Collectables they already own.