Yup. Wishlists are a wonderful solution to this problem. You indicate which specific item you want, perhaps with a justification for why, and someone has the option of getting it for you, or not. Or just giving you some cash to go towards getting that one particular item.

Of course, gifts in the $300+ range are relatively rare, so most musicians won't usually have to worry about someone getting them the wrong, but high enough quality you can't return it, item.

Somehow my sister collected enough gift certificates when I was a kid to get a nice viola. (note to non-music nerds, not a misspelling, its kind of a big violin)

The music instrument market is weirder now and uses cost as a race and class filter to keep the wrong people out. Collecting $25K for a conservatory class instrument in gift certificates in 2016 is a bit unreasonable, but "in the old days" they gave out scholarships based on ability and didn't use the art as a filter on finances, race, and class like they filter for today. Even today you could collect enough gift certs to get an instrument for the joy of music and learning, just not to get a scholarship.

> Collecting $25K for a conservatory class instrument

Wow. Considering you can get a perfectly functional violin for around $100 on Amazon (there's a great YouTube video where a professional violinist picked one up to trash it and ended up recommending it), $25,000 is a lot of money for an instrument.