1) If you have the stock in your own brokerage account, ask your broker to transfer the shares into the DRS (Direct Registration System) and then contact the transfer agent. Most transfer agents will put the shares into the recipient's name and, if the company is still issuing paper certificates, mail the certificate. There may or may not be a fee for these services.

TIP: If the company does not issue paper certificates - General Motors, for example does not - then describe your gift on a holiday card and mail the details to your lucky friend.

2) Or, you could open a brokerage account for your recipient. To do so you will need his or her Social Security number.

3) An interesting alternative is offered by ING Direct, the online bank and brokerage company. With it's ShareBuilder program you can buy stock @$4. There's no account minimum and frequently there's a $50 bonus. For details, go to http://www.sharefuilder.com/ or one of in ING's walk-in offices (which it calls cafes) in Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, St. Cloud (MN) and Wilmington (DE).

At ShareBuilder you can choose from among 7,000 stocks and ETFs and schedule investing on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. The ShareBulder Program comes with free mobile apps for your BlackBerry, Android or iPhone.

4) Buy small. Take a look at OneShare's "My First Stock Package at: http://www.oneshare.com/. Here you can give real stock along with a stock certificate of such companies as Disney, DreamWorks, Gap, McDonald's and Mattel - companies kids know about. OneShare is the easiest way to do just that, buy one share. And the investing guide for kids is a great way to introduce them to the market.

At http://www.giveashare.com/ stocks are available from some 100 companies including the Green Bay Packers which recently went public. The list of stocks is helpfully divided into those for kids, for teens, for him and for her. Take time to read the Holiday Giving Tips section.

5) Finally, why not give a gift of history? Stock certificates of companies no longer in business can become collector's items. If someone on your list is a collector and/or is interested in the history of the world of finance, head for www.scripophily.com. Here you can select certificates for such companies as Enron, Pixar and General Motors.

Or going further back in time - certificates of the Victor Talking Machine Company (1927) or the US Leather Company, an original Dow component.

Scripophily also has historic bond certificates, autographs, manuscripts, documents and postcards. The company was founded in 1996.

Happy Holidays!

- Nancy Dunnan