I understand what you're saying. I think you just want him to put more effort into the gifts (or listen to you and just get what you specifically say you want) and he's not doing it.

I think your love language is gifts. You give him great, thoughtful gifts because you want the same thing in return, but gifting is not HIS love language, so he doesn't see what the big deal is. Have you two done the "love language" quiz before? Perhaps one night soon so the quiz with him and see what the results are. Maybe if he sees it from something else (we have a tendency to see our SOs as nagging, though not always intentionally) he might sort of realize how important gifting is to you. In turn, you can learn what his actual love language is, so you can stop living vicariously through the gifts you give him wondering why it is not earning you the same "love" in return.