A curated digital collection of gifts with a built-in search function, San Francisco-based <a href="http://www.wantist.com/">Wantist </a>is taking the guesswork out of buying presents for the people in your life. It can be especially useful for those who might be uninspired about shopping but want to give a creative gift.

Wantist

This San Francisco-based service seeks to reinvent the experience not only of giving a gift but of receiving one. Like Wantist, the <a href="https://wantful.com/">Wantful </a>website offers an assortment of gift items to choose from. The buying part is where things diverge.What's innovative: Shoppers select 12 items from the collection -- which is heavy on housewares, jewelry and other accessories -- that they think a recipient will enjoy. Wantful then custom-prints a photobook showcasing those 12 items and ships it to the recipient, who can choose one to receive as a gift.

Wantful

A subscription service that allows you to receive gifts from people and companies you find interesting, Hollywood, Calif.-based <a href="https://quarterly.co/">Quarterly </a>is about broadening your horizons while treating yourself to something special.What's innovative: Each gift is a surprise. You choose to which contributors you'd like to subscribe, and every three months you'll receive a special package from them at your door. Contributors in the Quarterly stable include Timothy Ferriss of The 4-Hour Workweek, writer Joshua Foer, Kottke.org's on Kottke and the women behind venture-backed online food community Food52.

Quarterly Co.

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								December
								19, 2012
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		Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
	</div>Just in time for the holidays, online retailing giant Amazon has teamed up with <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/facebook" dir="ltr">Facebook</a> to bring social gifting to the masses. Its new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/gift-central/organizer" dir="ltr">Friends and Family Gifting</a> feature alerts you to loved ones' birthdays and anniversaries, and lets you browse their Amazon wish lists for presents.Though Amazon is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for all gifting needs, it is by no means the only option. There's a growing army of <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/startups" dir="ltr">startups</a> that are rethinking the process of giving and receiving gifts.Here's a look at three of the most interesting gifting-related startups we could find. One has pioneered a way to make online shopping more personal, while another lets you browse using unique categories. And the third is all about getting cool gifts for yourself.1. Wantist. A curated digital collection of gifts with a built-in search function, San Francisco-based <a href="http://www.wantist.com/" dir="ltr">Wantist</a> is taking the guesswork out of buying presents for the people in your life. It can be especially useful for those who might be uninspired about shopping but want to give a creative gift.What's innovative: Need "something clever" for "someone sophisticated"? Or maybe "something romantic" for "someone outdoorsy"? No problem. At least that's the idea: Wantist's drop-down menus of descriptive characteristics can help you find what you're looking for -- even for those difficult-to-shop-for people on your list.The four-person team, anchored by husband-and-wife co-founders Jacob and Brittany Reiff, shares gift-giving advice, design tips and more on their <a href="http://blog.wantist.com/" dir="ltr">blog</a>.2. Wantful. This San Francisco-based service seeks to reinvent the experience not only of giving a gift but of receiving one. Like Wantist, the <a href="https://wantful.com/" dir="ltr">Wantful</a> website offers an assortment of gift items to choose from. The buying part is where things diverge.What's innovative: Shoppers select 12 items from the collection -- which is heavy on housewares, jewelry and other accessories -- that they think a recipient will enjoy. Wantful then custom-prints a photobook showcasing those 12 items and ships it to the recipient, who can choose one to receive as a gift.For the socially conscious, it's also possible to make a donation to one of 11 nonprofits, including Foundation Rwanda and the International Rescue Committee, instead of purchasing a product.3. Quarterly Co. A subscription service that allows you to receive gifts from people and companies you find interesting, Hollywood, Calif.-based <a href="https://quarterly.co/" dir="ltr">Quarterly</a> is about broadening your horizons while treating yourself to something special.What's innovative: Each gift is a surprise. You choose to which contributors you'd like to subscribe, and every three months you'll receive a special package from them at your door. Contributors in the Quarterly stable include Timothy Ferriss of The 4-Hour Workweek, writer Joshua Foer, Kottke.org'son Kottke and the women behind venture-backed online food community Food52.Each subscription to Quarterly -- which was named one of Entrepreneur's <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223612" dir="ltr">100 brilliant companies</a> for 2012 -- costs between $25 and $50.

As Amazon partners with Facebook to make gift-giving easier, a look at three services that are innovating this time-old tradition.

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Just in time for the holidays, online retailing giant Amazon has teamed up with <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/facebook">Facebook </a>to bring social gifting to the masses. Its new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/gift-central/organizer">Friends and Family Gifting </a>feature alerts you to loved ones' birthdays and anniversaries, and lets you browse their Amazon wish lists for presents.

Though Amazon is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for all gifting needs, it is by no means the only option. There's a growing army of <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/startups">startups </a>that are rethinking the process of giving and receiving gifts.

Here's a look at three of the most interesting gifting-related startups we could find. One has pioneered a way to make online shopping more personal, while another lets you browse using unique categories. And the third is all about getting cool gifts for yourself.

1. Wantist. A curated digital collection of gifts with a built-in search function, San Francisco-based <a href="http://www.wantist.com/">Wantist </a>is taking the guesswork out of buying presents for the people in your life. It can be especially useful for those who might be uninspired about shopping but want to give a creative gift.

What's innovative: Need "something clever" for "someone sophisticated"? Or maybe "something romantic" for "someone outdoorsy"? No problem. At least that's the idea: Wantist's drop-down menus of descriptive characteristics can help you find what you're looking for -- even for those difficult-to-shop-for people on your list.

The four-person team, anchored by husband-and-wife co-founders Jacob and Brittany Reiff, shares gift-giving advice, design tips and more on their <a href="http://blog.wantist.com/">blog </a>.

2. Wantful. This San Francisco-based service seeks to reinvent the experience not only of giving a gift but of receiving one. Like Wantist, the <a href="https://wantful.com/">Wantful </a>website offers an assortment of gift items to choose from. The buying part is where things diverge.

What's innovative: Shoppers select 12 items from the collection -- which is heavy on housewares, jewelry and other accessories -- that they think a recipient will enjoy. Wantful then custom-prints a photobook showcasing those 12 items and ships it to the recipient, who can choose one to receive as a gift.

For the socially conscious, it's also possible to make a donation to one of 11 nonprofits, including Foundation Rwanda and the International Rescue Committee, instead of purchasing a product.

3. Quarterly Co. A subscription service that allows you to receive gifts from people and companies you find interesting, Hollywood, Calif.-based <a href="https://quarterly.co/">Quarterly </a>is about broadening your horizons while treating yourself to something special.

What's innovative: Each gift is a surprise. You choose to which contributors you'd like to subscribe, and every three months you'll receive a special package from them at your door. Contributors in the Quarterly stable include Timothy Ferriss of The 4-Hour Workweek, writer Joshua Foer, Kottke.org's on Kottke and the women behind venture-backed online food community Food52.

Each subscription to Quarterly -- which was named one of Entrepreneur's <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223612">100 brilliant companies </a>for 2012 -- costs between $25 and $50.

3 Startups Rethinking the Business of Gifting

Wantist

Wantful

Quarterly Co.

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