Research Desk: What's the Price of Love? Average of $128 Spent on Valentine's This Year, And Men Lead the Charge

What's the price of love?

An average of $128 will be spent on Valentine's Day gifts this year, according to a new study from Brand Keys, New York, though Brand Keys founder Robert Passikoff said, in a statement, that the spending increase was about half the jump in 2006.

The study surveyed 1,200 men and 1,200 women between the ages of 18 and 60 about their purchase intent and celebration plans for the Feb. 14 holiday.  Turns out the guys end up dropping more cash, averaging spends of $166 versus $90 for the ladies. Younger respondents, pegged at 18-34, planned to spend the most, at an average of $162, ahead of 35-49 year olds with an average spend of $69, and those over 50, who planned to spend an average of $52 on Valentine's Day gifts.

Maybe I'm just a big grump, but my boyfriend and I are clocking in at $0, since we don't celebrate Valentine's Day. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that our anniversary falls the day AFTER Valentine's Day, so perhaps our splurge is just time-shifted).

Anyhow, onto the good stuff. While the fashion biz seemed to fall towards the back half, still a strong showing for those looking to market their fragrances, apparel and jewelry collections. Here's the Top 10 Valentine's Day Gifts for 2008:

                            

And for those of you looking to size up which celebrities you'll be wanting to seeding your product to, here's a round-up of the Top 10 Fantasy Dates, broken out by gender. Don't forget, the Oscars are just around the corner! Or are they?

Hey, we didn't make this list, so feel free to post your disagreements below. While we understand George Clooney's placement (though we feel Owen should be up there), we're a bit baffled by Rebecca Romjin's top slot. Seriously? Guys would rather date her than Angelina?

And notice who didn't appear? While Nicole Kidman got a nod, seems like Tom Cruise is out of the picture. Guess no one wants to date crazy anymore.