Wine
Homemade treats (cookies, chocolates, whatever you enjoy making)

Some nice folding chairs. I live in a studio and don't have space for a ton of seating for day to day living, but would love some cute, comfortable folding chairs to be able to pull out when I have guests over for a party.

Nothing. I just want my guests to come and have fun and I don't want anything at all except their company. If they insist, a bottle of wine is nice, but truly not necessary. I really think the gift giving is overdone these days.

I agree with NINAAX but for folks really do like to bring hostess gifts, I like anything home cooked/baked. If store bought, really nice scented candles-pillars, not tapered.

Send me a thank you note a few days after the party. Or shoot me an e-mail telling me about something you enjoyed.

totally agree with Mary! I love a thank you note. That said, if you bring me a bottle of champagne or prosecco AND you send a thank you note, you will be invited to ALL of my parties.

No gifts, please! I'm trying to keep my small place clutter-free, and your need to bring me "something" doesn't help. Or, bring a simple appetizer or cheese and crackers, something edible that I won't have to keep forever or explain the absence of next time you're over.

I agree with Mary --- thank you notes are nice. So are reciprocal dinner invitations!

I agree with all of the above: it's not necessary to bring anything, wine or champagne is always good, but a thank you note is best!. As much as I'd like anything home baked, if it needs to be consumed within hours I'd like to be notified (to avoid ending up with two cakes, for example). Something home made that could be stored, like chutney or jam, would be perfect. Actually, anything that I could keep 'till after the holidays is appreciated. A great book, bath oil, candles, or flower bulbs for spring! Why not?

First and foremost, I feel like the visit from my guests is gift enough, but I do very much appreciate bottles of wine and classic spirits (not the weird trendy stuff). I do not have a sweet tooth and my husband has become very health conscious, so either we serve any sweets or baked goods on the spot, or we re-gift them. Sweets are a perennial hostess gift, but honestly I don't like receiving them at all.

Mostly I appreciate gifts that were selected with my husband and me in mind -- memorable hostess gifts from the last couple of years have been pocket sized scrabble dictionary, appetizer forks, dog treats, peppermint scented foaming hand soap for the kitchen sink, caramel champagne, and some smoked cheese. I don't want my guests to feel obligated to bring gifts, and that sense of obligation is transparent when a gift is something like candles, potpourri, mini photo frames, oddly flavored popcorn or hot cocoa mix, etc.

Cheap gifts under $10 that I love to receive any time of year for any occasion:
Bar towels (6 for $4 at Bed & Bath)
More foaming hand soap for the kitchen sink!
Cellophane-topped toothpicks -- hard to find these days
Packs of batteries (AA & AAA for headlamps and camp lights, in case of power outages)
Garden gloves
Pet treats

Cheap Food Gifts:
A nice fat butternut squash or acorn squash (autumn of course), a basket of berries (summer), or some farm-fresh eggs (the real deal!), fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, and my very favorite: garden tomatoes, especially cherry toms
Mandarin oranges (or "smarties" )
Sea salt, saffron, a jar of herbed olives, unusual jams and jellies
Vanillia beans
Loaf of fresh baked artisan bread
A pound of artisan dark roasted coffee beans
An interesting cheese that you have tried and love
Anything by LuLu Restaurant (tapenades, dressings, mustards, jams, vinegars)

Wine. Gourmet Cheese Platter to share

I still love flowers. If some brings a bouquet I am instantly elated. And if your host does not have a proper vase, there is always some vessel on hand that will hold a bundle of blooms. My most favorite flower arrangement at the recent funeral of a dear friend was three gorgeous white roses tucked into a slender bud vase.

NOT wine! (I know, I'm weird. But we don't drink it. We got 2 bottles for a birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and don't know what to do with them!)

I don't need anything at all, but if you feel like you simply MUST bring something, bring a small side dish (for dinner) or appetizer that YOU like to eat (for a party). Something that goes away at the end of the event, and that will contribute...

NO gifts! My apt is too small, and I’m VERY picky. To make matters worse, I’m not good at faking my thoughts … so if I hate it, you will know… and that’s always awkward.

Food is no different. Unless I ask you to bring a specific dish... I generally don't want you to bring food. Not because your food sucks (although…), but because it might not mesh well with my theme (theme is everything people!). Plus you might take away my end of night, food coma induced praise… and that’s my life essence!!! Do you want to kill me?

But as InezD points out, homemade food that can be stored is awesome!!! It’s something only you can give me AND it saves me a grocery trip  SCORE!

Nothing new to say, just writing to add to the statistics:
No gifts please. Thank you notes are GREAT. However, if you feel obligated for some strange reason, bring wine, flowers, candles, food - there is a reason the old stand bys are still around. Oh, and dog treats :-) And I also like it when you bring music you love. If I don't love it, it will still let me get to know you better and therefore is appreciated.

Nice oil - organic olive from Spain or Italy- really old vinager, exotic and deliciuos pepper, surprising chutney - bref, any kind on delicatessen i long for but dont indulge in. And if you have kid, a piece of art from them specially done for me, that's the best.

The gift of their presence.
When in need of reinforcement, one can never go wrong with champagne or flowers. OR champagne and flowers.

Re-gift the wine.
That's what makes it the perfect gift - either you drink it or you have a gift for that next neighborhood holiday party where you don't know the hostess and you have no idea what to bring.

Chocolate purchased on a recent trip to Belgium
A gift certificate for a weekend at the Four Seasons hotel of my choice (it's a wish list, right??)
If a guest can't manage either or both of the above items, I only wish their presence at my shindig

i agree with the posters about ...
- a nice handwritten thank you note.
- some nice olive oil, tea, honey, chocolate, nuts, or jam
- homemade treats
- wine or champers (as long as it's not that really cheap holiday-themed stuff. we all know it's junk ...)
- decent functional wine stoppers (I'm always loosing them!) - preferably not those ones with cheap corks and crazy decorative tops
- mixed cd of your fav dinner party music
- mild-scented holiday candles

I'm with Griffin - an invite to your place. We host a lot because we enjoy it, but it's weird if someone has been to your place a ton of times and you've never been to theirs or they haven't invited you out to dinner.

Otherwise, no stuff. Actually it strikes me as being very 1950s or Southern or something. Wine is nice and a text of "I'm going by the store on the way if you need me to grab anything" has at times been a godsend. Sometimes you just forget something.

Wine or potted plants (succulents are always welcome). My tastes are far too picky and I dislike clutter.

Of COURSE your presence is a present, but if you're asking...those macarons made me click on this post before I even saw what the topic was. Any splurgy, indulgent treat--overpriced pastries, fancy chocolate in a fancy box, flowers, frivolous tea towels, even some perfectly ripe tropical fruit--meets my ideal definition of "gift." As much as a $50 gift card to Home Depot would be practical, it doesn't really say "Here's something you'd never get for yourself--enjoy!" Of course, that's just me--and having a good friend know that the rose-and-lavender scented tea biscuits are just the right thing for me is a present in itself, so as much as I wouldn't get the same thrill from it, I am happy to give the right recipient that Home Depot gift card if that's what she really wants...

Agreed with many who've posted that I don't expect a hostess gift for a party—I appreciate a bottle of wine, but there's always so much booze hanging around after a party that it's faintly irrelevant. The only time I guess I actually do think gift-giving is expected is for a houseguest. I always bring a present when I stay with someone else (usually something that's generally handy from a store I like in Brooklyn or wherever else I'm coming from—soap, dishtowels, a candle, or whatever) and do sort of expect friends coming to stay to pick up a dinner or bring a bottle of wine or something. But please, no non-consumables!

We usually ask guests who want to bring something for red wine if they prefer it, since we only buy white wine for ourselves. An after-dinner liqueur, enough for all the guests to try out, would be a real treat. A dip, cheese, or crackers that you like. A special tea or coffee is welcome. Cut flowers are great, especially if they are from your garden. Do Not bring a live plant as I will kill it and feel guilty. No knick-knacks, as your taste might not match ours. A Christmas ornament would be an exception, because if we like it at all, it will remind us of you each year as we hang it. If we don't like it, we can always regift it. Unless you know us well, know our tastes and our needs, a kitchen gadget wouldn't be a good idea, as it might feel like you thought we weren't sufficiently equipped.

I'd rather just have a thank you note and a happy guest. I have food allergies, so edible gifts are hazardous, and I'm not a big fan of kitchen or home clutter - I entertain a lot, so if I need it, I already have it.

If someone really wants to bring something, I'd prefer they just ask if there is anything they can bring. I'd never say no to a nice cheese, a bottle of wine, or a nice loaf of bread if I was sure I could eat it safely.

I don't drink myself, but that's WHY I appreciate gifts of alcohol. Then I have something to serve my guests at the next party I throw. Just because I stopped drinking doesn't mean I'm against serving liquor in my home.

I love when guests bring something. Some of my favorite things are:

- a bottle of beer from out of state or that is otherwise hard to find (my husband is a brewer and he loves to try new things)
- a bottle of wine or champagne
- a treat for my pet parrot
- tea or coffee
- anything hand-made like a card or quirky art piece
- cheese
- a board game (even just for the night, take it home if you want)
- get dressed up
- come a little early to help

I love entertaining, and I feel like a gift or even just showing up looking dapper or gorgeous shows that you appreciate the effort I put into the party. A thank you note or text is always very nice too. My friend once showed up to my party several hours early, unannounced, to help clean and make sure I was eating (I get nervous before I have company over). She also brought wine, which helped me to relax.

I just wish people would RSVP and then send thank yous. That's all.

Nothing is required, but if you wish to bring something consumables are best: wine, spirits, olives, cheese, jam, a nice candle in a fairly neutral scent (like vanilla), or some other special type of gourmet food the average person wouldn't splurge on for themselves.

Some sort of food item my guest has discovered on their travels or by chance. I live alone so wine is appreciated but not consumed quickly (I have a "thing" about drinking by myself. I don't like doing it.).