DEAR ABBY: Please tell me the proper etiquette for gift-giving. My in-laws often leave the price tags on gifts, especially if the gift was expensive. I believe price tags should be removed. Shouldn't a gift come from the heart and not be a monetary statement? -- OFFENDED IN WISCONSIN
DEAR OFFENDED: Yes, it should. Leaving a price tag on a gift implies that the giver is also "giving" the recipient a burden of gratitude. And the burden of gratitude can weigh so heavily that it diminishes the pleasure of receiving a gift.