I have also been gifted few pieces, as most people probably think I'm pretty picky, and I have never gotten into loops of gift giving with people.
That said, my best collectors have started as gift recipients, and most probably very disproportionate gifts, if I value my work in it's professional sense.
But I wanted them to have them, and in one case those people had already bought one small thing, and later bought a few more very expensive works, as well as gifting me the computer that I write this comment on.
Another collector of mine, who has shown me great support, started as the recipient of a drawing.
I gave all my language clients a drawing one year, as I really needed to retain them into the next year, and I was trying to buy them off.
haha
It made no difference in a couple of cases.
But now I have a family who buy a few things off me every year or so.
So both those cases worked out pretty well, for all concerned.
It also establishes a very strong relationship with people, except if it doesn't.
I have gifted to a much more valued artist, (I mean in the gallery art world system) and received gifts in return.