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ORIGINAL: SweetDommes

Have you ever heard the saying "it's the thought that counts"? In general, it's true. It's not the monetary cost that gives a gift value.

People have already mentioned that tokens of affection count as "tribute" to them - a flower picked on a walk, a card to show thought and care, a poem or a drawing done specifically for the Dom/me - these things cost little to nothing, and would certainly count for us and others - but then again we, personally, don't require "tribute." We do want our boys to show affection to us, but we dont' call it tribute.

If there is a toy that he really wants used on him, he will be expected to buy it - is that tribute? to some yes, to us ... eh, if things don't work out, he takes the toy with him ... so it's not really ours.

It all depends on perspective - and yes, some "Dommes" out there are greedy ... but I would have to say that in general, most would be just as happy (if not happier) with a hand-picked bouquet of wild flowers as with a dozen long stemmed roses.

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ORIGINAL: LdyAuburn

Not everything is d/s even when in a d/s relationship.
Example : Brat has sore throat (flu's are rife in sydney at the moment) I buy him throat lozenges.... is that a nice gesture?
I have sore throat, brat buys me throat lozenges... is that a submissive action?
As I said.. not everything thing needs or should be acknowledged as service

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ORIGINAL: SweetDommes

I do appologise for lumping "tokens of affection" with "tribute" but many people do lump them together and I was trying to make a point - what some people consider to be 'tribute' in D/s would be considered 'tokens of affection' in a vanilla relationship (and this line of thought kind of goes along with Fastlane's thread about Dommes and if we can do vanilla things with our boys - as if we have to turn the Dominance off to cuddle *rolls eyes*).

As I said before, there are things that we do/have done that would be considered "tribute" by some, but for us, it's just signs of affection from our boy(s). When we give them an assignment, we expect something to come of it, but we don't consider that to be tribute either, mostly because a submissive should be able to follow directions - anything that he buys to complete the assignment is his, we just want the completed assignment (which is normally a story or pictures).

Imtempting - if you are only running across Dommes who insist on expensive tribute, then you need to change your search criteria, I think. Most that I know of will request one large thing as a sign that you are serious and not as likely to vanish after they put time and effort into you, and then it switches to the kind of thing that happens in 'vanilla' relationships - flower, candy, cards, tokens of affection.

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ORIGINAL: SadisticPrincess


I am not against the idea of asking for something costly as a means of proving interest/fidelity/staying power, though I am not sure that I would dictate the actual item.
.

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ORIGINAL: dark~angel

A couple of times, I have wanted to 'tribute' people with something because I know they would wish it. So, I have done as imtempting has mentioned. One was a poem, one a story, and two paintings. All were individual and unique, not to be repeated. Now they considered them tributes. As did I because that is what I was allowed.

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So how many dominants would be happy to receive something like flowers or a drawing or a poem instead of something with a $ value?
Dont use " we do a service" as this is pro domming and that is a payment not tribute.

Thank you

imtempting