Honestly, this is a "new relationship" problem where you feel like you can't be totally honest because it's rude - if you stay together long enough, THAT will go away probably. :)

I get what you're upset about - it's less the gifts and more the mutual disappointment because he did try, he was excited, you want to be grateful and excited (and you ARE grateful for the effort) but the gift just missed the mark, and you don't want that to be a bummer for him. It's taking a lot of responsibility on yourself for these gifts. Then, on top of that, it feels LIKE A LIE.

My boyfriend is not the greatest gift giver. He's gotten WAY better and he really tries, but he's not the best at picking things out for me in general (not just gifts, but I often feel bad because he suggests something he reasonably thinks I'll like and then seems a bit bummed when he's 'wrong' even though it's NBD to me) and he really WANTS to be good at picking things out for me. I can tell this. Honestly, what's happened with us is A) I've gotten more used to enjoying what he gets me with little expectation - meaning even if it's something I'd never buy myself, I can really love the thought HE put into it and thus truly enjoy the gift, B) I've gotten more honest, too. If I'm really not going to wear a shirt he bought me outside the house because of X reason, I'll say so, but I can still wear it around the house and be appreciative he bought it. This feels like less of a lie, so all the baggage is gone.

Additionally, my BF has gotten more accustomed to asking me if I want X or what I might want, and I do the same for him. We still surprise each other sometimes, but not with big gifts, which can often go wrong (if I'm going to spend over $100, I'm going to be sure he likes it first, and vice versa).