hmpmrj:No rules about gifts. If someone wants to give my kids a gift, they can give them what they want.
My rule for our house is plastic stays upstairs in the playroom.
This, except we don't have a playroom.
Honestly, if someone is giving my kids a gift, it's up to them what it is. Of course I like it when people ask for my input and get them wooden, kidpowered imaginative toys. However, I'd be extremely ungrateful to turn my nose up at the plastic, light up ridiculousness that my eccentric, almost 90 year old great aunt [who is on an extremely limited income] gets for them. Sure, I roll my eyes, but she loves them and bought them a gift. We say thank you and appreciate the thought.
It also helps that sometimes DH "can't" get toys out of the package for DD1 to play with at the moment, and later we can exchange them. ;]