> There's a very real chance they spent 2 seconds buying something last minute because they were obligated to buy you something!

That's a hell of an assumption to make. In my family we negotiate what we going to buy for every member for at least two weeks, taking account what they are going to like and what they actually need, amongst other criteria.

Any friend of mine and my wife also gets the same treatment, as far as I experienced.

BTW, nobody is obliged to buy me anything for any day. I'm perfectly OK with that.