By David Mantey, Editor, PD&D

"I formed three piles: immediate use, usable once or twice a year and regiftable. That’s right, I’m a regifter, and I’m not afraid to admit it."

Yes, I know, the holidays are finally over and we are all rejoicing in the fact that we can return to work and finally settle into the status quo.

No more fake smiles, no more copious amounts of ham and cheese-laced potatoes; we can all sit down and understand that we’d rather spend our time in front of our monitors than explaining ourselves to friends and family.

Don’t worry about it, it’s simply human nature, and the computer screen doesn’t inquire about future wives and grandchildren yet to birth.

As I opened the totes, packages and last-minute gifts wrapped in FedEx’s finest flat-rate boxes, I formed three piles: immediate use, usable once or twice a year and regiftable. That’s right, I’m a regifter, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Judge me if you will, but I know plenty of friends and family members who would get much more use out of the Crock-Pot. I only hope that my brother doesn’t read this before February 14, when he receives Rival’s finest – with a spill-proof carrying case – for his birthday.

I gravitate towards the immediate-use items, things I need or could use professionally or personally on a somewhat daily basis (towels, detergent, music, movies, a bed, etc.) The gift of the year? A dictionary.

I now possess one for every place that I would possibly work. The latest word-soaked addition, a gift from Grandma, is sitting beside me now as I scribe this in the wee hours of the night. I’ve already turned to it twice — Dictionary.com isn’t accessible as the result of a soon-to-be-updated router, and the dictionary on Microsoft Word is sending me in circles. I need definitions and context, and this five-pound wonder is providing all the answers.

I’m by no means a minimalist, but I believe in having what you need rather than what you want when it comes to leading a successful career.

I have ventured out to shows the past few months, and I noticed that too many companies are shooting for what they want to see in a product, while they’re not exactly tending to the customers’ needs.

Some companies are shooting too high and missing when they could’ve landed square on the mark had they simply dialed it down a notch. Companies are incorporating features they desire in a one-and-done as-seen-on-TV product, rather than featuring a sturdy product many consumers could enjoy for a long time, on a regular basis.

Isn’t it better to create a product that finds the customer's hands daily? Doesn’t that form a legacy, a relationship with the customer? I have steered clear of companies that have provided an excellent product that I used only once or twice a year. While I do enjoy making quesadillas, how often am I going to pry the maker from my pantry's depths to partake in toasted tortilla glory?  

What does your product need? What’s missing? Sometimes the most logical answers are overlooked because they’re too … logical, and too many believe that that the fast track to innovation is by hurdling logic.

I understand that we may not have some of the products we can’t live without (cell phone, iPod, Xbox for some, a toaster for me) if the most logical route wasn’t sometimes surpassed.

However, the post-holiday stack of recalls might be quelled with a bit more time spent on the components that a successful product needed rather than a few choke-inducing features that snap off our new gadgets as they're removed from a seemingly infinite amount of packaging. 

Seriously, I must be the only man in America who has yet to own a toaster and lays claim to a Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker. If you’ll excuse me, I have some shopping to do: This injustice cannot stand.  

What's your take? Send comments to david.mantey@advantagemedia.com