Profession without a name
After hearing the words “my profession has no name”, it became clear to me that the dialogue with Dima Gerchanovskiy (@gerchanovskiy) was going to be interesting. His story seems like a professional fairy tale, but in fact it is pure organic. Because there is nothing more organic than a job that happened on the basis of a personal hobby. Dima just loved choosing gifts – lots of them, often, with taste. So, at first, people started to come to him for advice, and later with a specific request. Eventually, Dima became a kind of private buyer, although he refuses to position himself as such.
How to get started
“I always start with the introduction. Who is this person? What kind of relationship does the donor have with him or her? Is the gift formal or not? And finally, what is its purpose: to make the person feel good, to show your status, to draw attention to yourself or maybe even to offend? Yes, I have received such requests…”. Dima has an “internal” classification of gifts, i.e. his own. He based it on the data described above. However, there is always a place for universal gifts. However, even here, my hero is not so simple.
“Universal gifts are something that almost everyone uses. Clothes, perfume, jewellery. But we also put this word in quotation marks, because my task is to make it unique. To do this, we associate it with a person’s hobbies and interests.”
Personal gifts
“There is another classification that is very interesting – personal gifts. There are three categories: universal gifts, specific gifts (hobbies of the person being gifted) and personal gifts (personal touches of the person giving the gift). For example, one of my friends loves rosaries. He knows them very well and gives them to everyone. It is an element of his signature personal style.”
What should you give to someone whose tastes you don’t know?
“Again, a universal gift. Here, you need to choose something more or less appropriate to the social and material level of this person. In my experience, a good backpack or hoodie is great for IT guys under 30. Or you can choose something that you yourself broadcast. For example, I know a lot about perfume, and I don’t hesitate to give it if I don’t know the person well. Because I am confident in what I choose.”
What to give to those who have everything
Giving people what you know is beautiful. At least because it sets a certain tone and level for the gift. Let’s move on. What should you give to those who have everything?
“This is the most popular request. And the answer here is the most obvious: give something they don’t have. For example, impressions. Antiques, collectibles, and custom-made items made especially for this person also work very well. That is, anything that has some kind of uniqueness. Because uniqueness means emotions. And such people really appreciate them. Up to a concert ticket.”
Remembering how Dima came up with his own classification of gifts, I wondered if there were similar checklists in terms of selection rules, such as universal or personal etiquette. “I don’t follow any rules, because every rule has an active exception. For example, there is an opinion that you cannot give a person a gift that can put them in an uncomfortable position – that is, too expensive. However, it also depends on the person. But when choosing a gift for a close friend, I would definitely not give something outrageously expensive. Even if I can afford it. But if, for example, I give a gift to a driver or a housekeeper, I don’t see a problem with the cost. This is part of the remuneration, a kind of extra bonus. In addition, you need to understand that there is no expectation of a reciprocal gift.”
“Gifts are diverse, there are no strict rules. The main thing is to proceed from adequacy, appropriateness and common sense. You need to respect your own and other people’s boundaries. But don’t forget that everything is conditional. The most expensive gifts I chose cost about $3000. But the request was appropriate. The ones I personally made cost $1500-2000.”
Certificates
Talking about such a delicate topic as borders, you unwittingly move towards an equally acute question – what is not recommended as a gift in principle?
“I don’t recommend giving money and certificates. It’s idealess and stupid. It’s a surrender that speaks for itself: ‘I am so idealess’. Certificates for impressions are the same. The gift is no less stupid, but now it comes with a signature: “I’m so boring that I can’t even choose something specific.” Choose something specific: a specific skydive, a specific lesson, a seminar, etc. And please don’t give things from a gift shop. It’s just disgustingly tasteless. I don’t know why it works like that.”
A good continuation
If every hobby has a good continuation, it’s your own business. At some point I wondered if Dima had ever thought of opening his own gift boutique. Even if it was in the form of a mysterious wardrobe. Something unique, in general.
“No, because it would immediately create a conflict of interest. I will be interested in selling my gifts to clients. And my style of work is impartial. I offer ideas and links where you can buy a gift. And the client makes the choice. Besides, this business is simply not profitable. I work with gifts that are too expensive, it doesn’t make financial sense to keep them in stock.”
Having discussed the disadvantages of his gift business and concluded that helping to choose as an intermediary is still the most successful format, we turned to the most unusual and, conversely, the most common gifts that Dima was involved in the process of finding.
Most unusual/ordinary
“The most unusual gift in my practice is one that stands out. It is a life-size sculpture of a ceramic gargoyle (that is, waist-high). It weighed about 50 kg. At first, my wife and I brought it to our home, and then we delivered it to the customer. The delivery was also interesting: we had to carry it on a floor mat because it could break at any moment, so it was impossible to carry it in our hands. I’ll never forget how the security guards looked at us like we were crazy, carrying a huge gargoyle on a mat. The cream of the crop came in the finale: the customer had a low sports car, so the gargoyle was put on the seat and fastened with a seat belt. I hope he didn’t meet the traffic police on the way.”
“The OFF-White backpack is at the top of the list of the most popular items. Only one customer ordered 3 items through me in December. They sell like hot cakes, and most importantly, the price of $300-400 does not stop anyone. And this is despite the fact that they are terribly uncomfortable. I have two models, I know what I’m talking about.”
Trends
I’m going to finish the conversation with the traditional trends in change. What was the last year like in terms of audience? What has changed in customer behaviour?
“On the one hand, over the past year, I have gained more clients. This is because people have started to think more about the price. Gone are the days when a customer would come into a boutique, point and say: “I want this”. And that’s why they come to me. It’s not just about ‘picking up a gift’, it’s also about saving money. But on the other hand, because of the first reason, the amount of orders has become smaller. Customers are counting money. Previously, the emphasis was on what they wanted, today it is on the price/quality ratio. The approach to brands has also changed, for example, people choose Heron Preston instead of OFF-White, etc.”
Give gifts?
And although the conversation had already reached its logical conclusion, I couldn’t help but ask about what torments a good half of the heroes of social events, from which you always leave with a gift, and people who are given too many “not theirs” – how to give gifts correctly?
“Oh, that’s an interesting question. Firstly, it’s absolutely okay. You need to understand this. It will be much better if the thing gets a second life than if it remains gathering dust in the closet. And, of course, try to make sure that the gift does not meet its donor. It should not circulate.”
We are always ready to help you choose a piece of jewellery: for yourself or as a gift;
just for fun or for a special occasion; basic or individual.