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Male Procrastinators Out In Last-Minute Shopping Blitz

QUEENS, N.Y. (CBS 2) – As Christmas approaches, men are scrambling to do what they hate the most: shop.

Last-minute male shoppers were out in full force on Thursday, and the Queens Center Mall was no exception. They say they just have to do it.

"There's football on Saturday and Sunday. It's tougher to do it," one shopper told CBS 2's Magee Hickey.

Male shopping procrastinators fall into three categories: the grab and go - someone who wants to get in and get out; the whine and wait - a male dragged along to the mall by a female; and those who have a fear of the feminine - a male who hates shopping and avoids it at all costs.

When asked what type of shoppers they were, three men all said, "Grab and go."

While Christmas giving is supposed to be an expression of love, it often backfires.

Experts say there are several items that men should never get for that special someone: anything for cleaning the house or the car, weight loss equipment, cheap perfume, or cheap jewelry.

Mall shopper Patty Napoli said she withstood one embarrassing present one year, but that doesn't mean she hasn't forgotten it.

"My husband gave me the most awful pair of gloves. They had a piglet on it from Winnie the Pooh," Napoli said.

Jackie Montez said one of her past companions got her a pair of socks.

"Not very romantic," Montez said.

When asked what happened to him, Montez said, he was "long gone."

Another mistake men can make is buying a thong. Mall shopper Ruby Rouillos said she received a thong once, but never wore it.

"I don't wear them. They droop," she said.

But there is hope. Some men are clearly on the right track.

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend," Cory Ancrum said.

Maybe not for some men.

"I got her a slow cooker. Oh yeah, she's been waiting on that for a few years," James Skinner said.

Vito Casione bought flannel pajamas for a close friend.

"Keeps them nice and warm," Casione said.

More than half of all men recently surveyed said they would rather be dumped by their mate, lose their job or move back home rather than shop for Christmas presents.

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