Me and my partners are creating a website that in a nutshell is kickstarter for gifts and events named NoBadGift(dot)com.<p>Nobadgift(dot)com is a site that allows users to make wish list of item/gifts for anything but focuses on gift giving events like birthdays, x-mas, house warmings, and such, like an online registry. Next users can share these wish list with friends and family members through e-mail, social media, or mailed invitations. On the other hand those potential gift givers can now view these wish list of exactly their friend or loved ones wants. Then either buy a gift on the list and have it shipped to them or make a contribution towards any number of gifts on a wish list for a small transaction fee. On the day of the big event all the money that has been contributed to a users wish list is then sent to that users paypal account.<p>What do you think? good or bad idea? Poor execution? Is there something we are missing?
The idea is good. However, not unique (yet :)). I am sure you know <a href="http://www.giftsproject.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.giftsproject.com</a>.
It will come down to "ease of use". Maybe try to integrate it with the social networks through an easy to use app (within that social network instead of adding more to the already crowded profile wall's etc...).
If you wanna hit a home run maybe try to figure out how the gifts will be selected: <a href="http://ycombinator.com/rfs2.html" rel="nofollow">http://ycombinator.com/rfs2.html</a>.
Its not easy but if you find an elegant solution I believe you will be off to a good start!
You need a way to see what the other friends are buying. Let's say I set up a list of 10 items that I send to my 5 best friends for my birthday. They would like to know if one of them has pledged to buy me a certain gift, so that I don't get something twice. Of course, it should be made so that I can't see what my friends are planning behind my back.<p>The only problem with this is it would be easy for me to send an invite to another fake friend and log in with that e-mail to see what my real friends are doing.