I'm curious what are ladies opinions about recieving a gift on a first date is it to much and too soon? What would you consider acceptable also do you feel it sets a precedent or expectation early on?

Not sure what you are referring to as gifts??

Maybe a single yellow rose (which stands for friendship) is more then enough...

Wait till the 2nd or at least a 3rd date by then there must be something..

Myself just cause I choose to go on a 2nd date, it is only to make sure I was not wrong on the first date about them.. And thought I seen something I liked..

Me showing up on the first date and paying the bill is gift enough for me.... she normally has no problem with that !!!! My limited experience though .. !!!

I totally agree with you if your paying the bill..

Myself I make it known right off the bat it is dutch deal..on 1st meet.

Reason is it is not a date to me it is a meet to get to know each other..that is if you meet them online..

Thank you for your answer and reply I was refering to gifts like shoes shopping or jewelry of some kind or some other keep sake somthing rather unexpected perhaps? Unless a unique experience would be better? like a gift card to a spa or somthing Or perhaps not.

Although I suppose roses are nice and rather low key. As for the dinner yea paying for its sort of a given.

Absolutely ... why can't I meet gals like you .... I like Dutch too ....
and yeah ... it's a meet and greet so it's normally just a coffee .... so it won't break the bank ... and don't wanna appear too cheap ha ha !!!

I guess if you want to attract gold diggers then go for it..

My opinion is that all of those items are over the line for a first date/meet..

But I assure you they may keep coming back if you keep that up.. just saying..maybe you need to get low key, if you want to find someone that wants you for you.. instead of what you can buy for them...

First dates / first meets, should always be kept light.

Hi Alex While it is a thoughtful consideration to want to give your date a gift ... it depends on your motivation for doing so . Are you trying to buy their affection or show that you are generous ? I think gift giving carries more meaning when you know each other . ... for example perhaps he/she mentioned something during conversation that they enjoyed . Active listening , attentiveness and respect are gifts that are priceless

Throws rock’s gift under the bed

On the First Date I will Give her Two Gifts , First a Wallet full full of Money Second a Single Rose . Choice is hers which one to Pick Up . In that sense i can Judge the Future of Relationship.

Perhaps I am weird (I am).
The 'gift' I 'give' is a cheerful stable attitude. Showing respect for her as a person, not an object or achievement.
I show true interest in meeting the person as she is, not as I expect her to be.
I make her laugh, I make her think and I work to ease her daily stress.
My goal is for her to feel comfortable when she is with me so she wants to be with me again.

I'm no longer randomly dating or looking, I've found someone right for me.
Even when I was dating and she turned out to be someone I was not interested in being with I treated them with respect and dignity. My honesty from the git go left nothing to guess and while we parted ways, we did not part with hurt feelings or anger.

As for gift giving on subsequent dates, I give gifts according to what I observe. Sometimes they are not 'gifts' per say but something which strikes a spot in their heart.
As a test of her personality I once wrapped and presented a girl with a rock.
I made up a story which kept her attention before I gave it to her. Then I handed her the 'gift' and she opened it, she burst out laughing and gave me a big hug and a huge smile. She loved it and it was only a rock.

I gave one woman a crystal hummingbird because I sensed her feelings were fragile. I NEVER give flowers or candy. I do buy flowers for my home and I do keep candy. My gf knows this but still enjoys the flowers and candy I buy.

In my opinion, there is no reason to give someone a gift unless you really want to do it. There's no set object to use as a gift but it should have significance to both of you.

When you first meet someone (in person), essentially you are meeting a stranger. Do you normally present strangers with gifts? Which gifts do you give strangers. Since I give my personality to everyone I meet, my personality is the best gift I have. It can make or break a friendship or a loveship.

Since you are living your own life, you should do whatever you think is right for you.

Don't drag us Dutchies in your first dates!

I've had a date turn up with a box of expensive bonbons. I sure as hell appreciated that!! It breaks the ice, and makes me open up much more. It's just a really good gesture!

I had another turn up with a beautiful rose quartz as he knew I love crystals! He'd made an effort for me to go to a good crystal shop and ask & find a nice specimen.
Again, I was very flattered and happy!

A man bringing a small gift is little effort really, and very thoughtful!

I myself tend to have a small gift for the man too, as a token of appreciation for him driving to meet me. Doesn't have to cost much, it's the thought that counts.
For one I bought a cuddly toy that cost me less than $2, but a good quality one nonetheless. That as he had jokingly said he expected coffee & a cuddle when he'd drive near 2 hours to meet me. So I got him his cuddle.
He was totally erm... flabbergabbered? A mixture of intensely pleased, speechless and mild shock, haha.
All in a good way, but he had NOT expected it and no one had ever done something like that for him.
So not even $2 and great results!!
And btw, we did get into a relationship for 1,5 yrs :D

Meaning that even if you pay the bill you can still have a nice gift for someone. I find that a weird comment to be honest. It comes across as being cheap and not very open and giving.

too funny just a figure of speech meaning each pays for their own....

Yeah, I know, hahaha. But I am Dutch ya know, hihi.
And it is funny that we have that reputation to the point it became a figure of speech. Yes, Dutchies in general don't like to waste money when they don't have to. Where Germans tend to just pay what's asked -even in countries where you're supposed to haggle- we Dutch people want the bargain and we do haggle if possible (not in The Netherlands, we have fixed prices). But we're a traders folk. Comes with the territory I guess.

I always feel what defines us is our no nonsense - down to earth approach. We have this saying "Act normal, that's crazy enough!" And some are that way to the point of annoyance (to me that is, hihi).

Oh well... you also have the "Dutch oven". Where the bleep that is based on? I never hear people fart with every step they take, if at all, so why would we fart in bed? Kinda weird, hihi.

For me, it depends. I'd be really uncomfortable with a fancy gift or even flowers on the first date. But something to do with an inside joke, I would enjoy.

For example, I had been talking to a man for a couple weeks before we decided to meet up for dinner. We had talked about the game Chutes and Ladders and were each bragging about how we were good at it. So on our date, he brought me a little travel version of the game. We played it while we waited for our dinner to arrive. He even brought a prize for the winner (me), which was a small box of chocolates. I thought that was incredibly thoughtful. We had such a great time on that date!

Wow, that's great! And indeed very thoughtful!

And think of how different it would've been if he hadn't brought the gift and the prize, but had paid the bill, which some think is good enough.

such a beautiful story ...did the second date lead to a relationship.... just curious ... ha ha !!

No, we didn't really have a spark. We talked and laughed a lot, and we had a great time. But it was more like friends. Neither of us had to say it. We both just knew. We continued to talk after that, but then we each found relationships with other people.