By DENISE HERSCHEL
Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays where the onslaught of shoppers is typically last minute. And the majority of them are male…or at least to the casual observer’s eye this is what it appears to be.
You will spot them gathered in the card aisle at the nearest drugstore the day of the event. Some may have a smile on their faces and others may look perplexed. But either way they will walk out of the store with at least a card or two in hand for loved ones.
But to be fair to those who do not choose to procrastinate, there are actually men who plan their purchases, perhaps at least a week in advance of Cupid’s Day. Norma Tolliver, owner of Main Avenue Galleria and Main Avenue Galleria School of Art in Ocean Grove, said she has been pleasantly surprised by this year’s male shoppers
“From my experience the men have been really proactive about buying their Valentine’s gifts from jewelry to art work,” she said. “They know exactly what their ladies like. They come in with their ladies and then come back and purchase it on their own. I think this year more so they are coming in and taking their time to pick out a nice trinket or a nice gift that their lady will appreciate. I find it refreshing.”
Neptune resident Ted Nebus happens to be one of those guys who prefers to avoid the hustle and the bustle of the Valentine’s Day crowd. He said flowers would be ordered the week before the holiday “to make sure they get there on time.”
“To me it’s just another day. Anything I buy is really to please my loved ones,” Nebus laughed.
Maribeth Santay, branch manager at United Teletech Financial Federal Credit Union in Neptune, said she always shops for Valentine’s Day gifts the week before the holiday. She purchases gift cards for her kids and flowers for her mother. As for her husband of 35 years, who Santay called the “love of my life,” he typically starts shopping on Valentine’s Day.
“He buys me a card but then he pays for dinner. We go out to eat and then to a movie,” she added.
Ocean Township resident Doug Laddson finds that his intentions are good every year but that the clock is always ticking and not usually in his favor.
“I have to admit I am a last minute shopper. I want to get the gifts the day or two before but it seems to never happen. My girlfriend doesn’t complain too much though because she gets a nice present every year,” he joked.
Larry Basco of Tinton Falls agreed with Laddson’s sentiments and said, “I think men should get a little break. We try and make the effort. My wife is happy with the flowers and the candy and the card .”
Katie Cashman, co-owner of Bungalow Road in Avon, said her husband is “totally a last minute shopper.”
“Typically I feel with any holiday it is usually a day of, kind of rush in and they need some help type of thing. They just wait until the end. My husband and I usually go out together for Valentine’s Day to a nice dinner and then exchange cards,” she said.
Cherith Matlosz of Tinton Falls, who has been married to her husband John for 20 years, believes that many men are just not much for shopping. But she added that her husband always buys her thoughtful gifts for Valentine’s Day.
“I try to buy sentimental gifts for him such as a picture of us in a nice frame. I make an effort to change it up every year. I want to give him something that will be appreciated and that he will have forever,” she said.
