Christmas giving tends toward practical

Six-year-old Lilly Rose of McCook shops with her mother, Alicia Berry, at the Walmart Supercenter in McCook for a Christmas gift for Lilly's new cousin. For herself, Lilly would like this "ride-on sit-on" giraffe, a stuffed dog, a doctor's kit ... Walmart's line of $10 toys and games are proving to be popular gifts for Christmas 2008, according to store officials. [Click to enlarge]

Christmas shoppers may have the hearts of St. Nicholas, but they're carrying the pocketbooks of Bob Cratchit.

Retailers are still reporting fairly brisk Christmas-season shopping, and can identify what many shoppers are looking for. The kids want Wii, Mom wants a slow cooker and Dad wants a chain saw. Other than the traditional toys and games for the children, shoppers appear to be trying to be practical -- "It's something we need or would like anyway -- we'll call it a Christmas gift."

Lori Pearson at Sears in McCook reports that household appliances are "front and center" at Sears, and at the top of shoppers' wish lists are the high-efficiency front-load washers and dryers. "People seem to be more practical, except they're treating themselves to a little luxury as well because this new laundry system is going to save them time, water and electricity as well," Lori said. "It's an environmentally-green choice as well."

Brandy Sydow of Clarksville, Tenn., coaches her mother, Vicki Sydow of Stratton, on an elliptical walker exerciser, one of the best-sellers for Christmas 2008 at the Sears store in McCook. Brandy, who returned in November from her second tour in Iraq, said she was looking for inside exercise equipment because it's too cold to run outside in Nebraska. Brandy said she almost prefers Iraq's heat to Nebraska's single-digit frigid temperatures. "I hate the cold ... I despise the cold," Brandy said "Iraq's a little extreme ... Tennessee's nice." (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette) [Click to enlarge]

Lori said, too, that shoppers are paying lots of attention to LCD and flat screen TVs, and -- another practical touch -- "exercise equipment for after the first of year."

Tim Lord of Lord's Hardware in Indianola chuckled, "Well, they're not very exciting, but we're selling lots of washers and dryers for Christmas." Another sign of shoppers' practicality ...

Shoppers at Lord's are having a little bit of fun as well, buying flat screen televisions and Tempur-Pedic beds and pillows.

Kirk Ware, assistant manager at Orscheln Farm and Ranch in McCook, reports that practical shoppers are buying tires. "We're selling lots of tires," he said, "Parents are buying tires for their kids going to college. Safety first, you know."

Ware said that popular stocking stuffers are always hand tools and gloves. "Gloves always sell well," he said. Dewalt power tools are high on shoppers' wish lists as well.

As far as gifts for the kids, the "Deluxe Work Bench" play set and the girls' pink BB gun are selling well, Kirk said.

And, browsing through the well-stocked pet department, Orscheln's shoppers are also picking out toys and dishes for their dogs and cats.

Greg Hepp, co-owner with John Havens of Outdoor Sports, also reports that guns will appear as gifts under Christmas trees this year. The shop's best sellers, Greg said, are semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity pistols. "And of course, some kids are getting their first shotguns," he said.

For stocking stuffers, Greg said shoppers are buying gun cleaning kits, choke tubes and ammo of all types and sizes.

Dick Winters at Automotive Sales and Service said Stihl chain saws will be gift-wrapped and tucked under many Christmas trees this year. "Lots of people are buying chain saws for Christmas gifts," he said.

Another popular gift line at Automotive, Winters said, is the Stihl brand of clothing -- shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps, stocking caps.

Michael Long, an assistant manager at McCook's Walmart Supercenter, said that a slow cooker with three different-sized inserts is a popular gift item. "The small convection oven is popular. Oh, and the hot chocolate maker," he said. "That's really cool."

In Walmart's toy department, Sherri Van Pelt reports that the collection of $10 toys is extremely popular. The line includes some Barbie dolls and Tonka trucks, and a for-real newborn baby doll.

Sherri said, "This year, Play-Doh sets are selling well, and so are Star Wars, Nerf Vulcans (fully-automatic dart guns) and a cupcake maker."

Bobbi Allen, manager of Walmart's electronics department, said the Wii game console is extremely popular. "It's getting hard to find," she said. "If you can find one, you'd better buy it."

Popular "social gaming devices" are Rock Band II and Guitar Hero, Bobbi said. PlayStation III (PS3) and Blu-ray players are both pretty expensive, she said, "but people are looking."

Cody Dame, co-owner of "Game On" with Tanner Lytle, said, too, that Wii is super popular. "We get 10 to 15 requests for it every day," Cody said. "We get a new shipment every week, and they come in and go out."

Video games, any video game -- "there are no favorites," Cody said -- and software are the store's best sellers as well.

Favorite stocking stuffers at Game On include Yu-Gi-Oh and "Magic the Gathering" cards, Cody said.

At Alco, group manager Bonnie Brown reports that the Fisher Price "I Can Play Piano" system is really popular. "The Crayola art sets, like the light brush, sold out, and we're still getting calls for more," she said.

In Alco's electronics department, TV's -- "big TV's" -- are selling swell, Bonnie said. And in housewares, she said, single-cup coffee makers and those that dispense coffee into travel mugs are flying off the shelves.

Mike Ford of Knowlen & Yates, on the bricks in downtown McCook, reports that the "Onion Keeper" is a popular Christmas gift-kitchen gadget in his shop. "We're selling lots of pots and pans sets, cast iron, and knives," Mike said.

"Oh, and old-fashioned hand-made candy canes," he said. "We sell hundreds of them."

Donna Stevens, owner of Donna's Gift Palace in downtown St. Francis, said any of her Christmas-related decorative items are selling well. "And the Jim Shore collection of figurines and collectibles is popular," Donna said.

Parents and grandparents are buying shoes from the "Robeez" line of premier soft-soled baby and toddler footwear, she said, and "Paddywhack Lane " dollies and "costumed kids" are selling well.

"Lotions ... oh, and Burt's Bees products are always popular," Donna said.

Donna said she also has "a great set of holiday dishes," and the dip mixes, spreads and bowls sell well in her kitchen area. Donna also reports that nativity sets are good sellers.

Betty Kenner said shoppers at her Accents ETC store in downtown McCook are also shopping for nativity sets, and Christmas ornaments. The No. 1 selling book at the Book End is "The Nebraska Football Vault," she said.

Sharon Harvey at McCook's newest downtown shop, "Cowboy Up Tack," said that leather purses are good sellers at Christmas time, as are a new line of hide and rhinestone jewelry. And horse blankets and matching headstalls and breast-collars are selling well, she said.

Manager Marianne Johnson at J.C. Penney in McCook said cold-weather wear -- coats, hats and gloves -- sells well at Christmas time. (That practical bent of midwesterners, ya know.)

But shoppers are also treating their gift recipients, or themselves, and are buying jewelry -- "mostly diamond jewelry," Marianne said.

Merrilyn Leibbrandt, owner of Fine Things Jewelry and Gifts in downtown Imperial, said that sterling silver gift items are popular in her shop. She added, "Oh, and atomic clocks ... we're selling tons of 'em." The clocks are super-accurate, she said, with digital readouts and inside and outside temperature readings.

JoLee Ebbers, owner of Blooms in Cambridge, said poinsettia plants are selling great this year, as are wreaths, fresh and artificial. "Snowmen are popular, too, because you can leave them up all winter," she said.

Although crystal-blue and icy white are popular colors in many advertisements for Christmas 2008, JoLee said her most popular Christmas tree this year is decorated in purple, turquoise and silver.

Tara Piper of Prairie Winds PC's in McCook said popular gifts this year seem to echo last year's wish list -- Notebook computers. "We offer more sizes this year," she said. "Including mini Notebooks."

Doug Lambert, at Lewis Motor Sports on North Highway 83, McCook, said windshields, helmets and accessories are popular Christmas gift items at the shop.

Bob Elder of the Sports Shoppe said Husker items -- of course -- are his best sellers. "Nebraska clothing ... Nebraska everything ... kids to adults ... always sell well," Bob said. And the shop sells gift cards that people most often use then to buying athletic shoes, Bob said.

Sherri Byrd, of Hershberger Music Co., said Christmas music is selling well. "Oh, there's not one favorite," she said. "The list is too long. Everyone has a different favorite Christmas song."

Guitars, sometimes accompanied by lessons, are selling well, Sherri said. "We've sold a couple Clavinovas," she said.

To record memories of Christmas 2008, shoppers at the Scrapbook Station in McCook are buying special Christmas papers for their scrapbook and photography album projects. Jolene Brown said that the "Believe" and Santa Claus -- especially old-fashioned Santa -- papers and "Crafty Secrets" acrylic stamps with vintage Santas are their biggest sellers.