What gift cards topped your shopping list in June? Surprisingly, almost the exact same ones, in the same order as last month – but with a little twist.

Home improvement giants continued to top the list, with Home Depot and Lowe’s ranked at #1 and #2. The secret is out – builders, subcontractors and professional handymen can increase their margins by buying discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s cards are currently offered at 7% off, immediately shaving costs and adding profit to the bottom line.

And it’s not just skilled experts that enjoyed savings. With June graduations and the Father’s Day holiday, Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards made terrific gifts for the home improvement hobbyist.

Walmart and Target again ranked #3 and #4 respectively. As one-stop shopping centers, Junglers saved on nearly everything under the sun, including house wares, toys, clothing, electronics, and even groceries. With 3% discounted gift cards stacked on top of Walmart and Target’s already uber-competitive low prices, these cards get swiped up fast, so sign up for a notification alert to get first access.

Best Buy again ranked #5. A great source for computers, video games, televisions, digital cameras, mp3 players, mobile phones & appliances, Best Buy gift cards likely made for some great Father’s Day and Graduation gifts as well.

The next three spots were filled by clothing department stores: Macys (#6), Kohl’s (#7) and JC Penney (#8). Perhaps our Junglers were freshening up their summer wardrobe with new shorts, tanks, sundresses, swimsuits and sandals. All three merchants have darling summer clothing collections on sale now, as they make room for their fall and back-to-school collections.

The Apple Store held spot #9. Our family celebrated the end of school and good report cards with a new iPhone for my daughter, a new iTouch for my son and a new Nano for mama (I deserved a little treat for helping with all the homework and packing lunches all year long, right?!) Apple Store gift cards are quite popular, so be sure to plan ahead and sign up for an email alert when they become available.

Rounding out the Top 10 was Barnes & Noble. (Cabela’s filled this spot in May.) A popular go-to, slam-dunk teacher’s gift is always a Barnes & Noble gift card. Was your child’s teacher the lucky recipient of one of these end-of-the-school-year gifts?

Special Honorary Mention goes out to iTunes, who ranked #6 in quantity (vs. revenue), with a whopping 6,125 cards sold in June. That’s a lot of TV, video, movie, app and music downloads!

These Top 10 gift cards are just the tip of the iceberg (or should we say tip of the palm tree?) Plastic Jungle has  nearly 400 brands, with discounted gift cards offered up to 35% off. Click here to see what hot cards we’ve got up for sale now!

Apple makes it easy for you to give the gift of technology. Check out the help on their Gifting Page to discover the many ways you can give an Apple gift card for use toward an iPad, iPhone, MacBook, and all the fun Apple devices. Get a deal on an Apple Store gift (or purchase!) by buying discounted gift cards right here on the web’s largest secured gift card exchange.

Delicious! Get discounts on the Apple Store Gift Card at Plastic Jungle.

The Apple Store is an online technology treasure chest for everyone from teachers to professionals to kids getting their first iMac for school. Apple Store retail locations are incredibly fun places to play with the hottest and latest technology-made-friendly. Shop Mac computers (MacBooks, iMacs, Mac Pro), iPhones, iPods, iPads, and accessories. You can also get a ton of help and support online and in-store.

Hot Tip: The Apple gift card is not interchangeable with iTunes gift cards. You can’t use an Apple gift card toward iTunes purchases. BUT you can use an Apple gift card to purchase an iTunes gift card or gift certificate. To get information on checking iTunes gift card balances, check our blog post regarding iTunes gift cards.

To check the balance on your unused or partially used Apple gift cards, we’ve got the information and links you’ll need.

Check your Apple Gift Card Balance

PHONE: 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753)

ONLINE: Note that you will have to create an Apple ID – an Apple account that will give you an online ID to help you find your balance. Check the balance of your Apple Store gift card.

IN-STORE: Check the Apple Store locator for a location near you.

Once you’ve acquired your Apple Store gift card balance, you can sell your Apple gift card to Plastic Jungle, and save yourself the hassle of carrying around unused money. There are a few ways you can optimize your sale, including trading for an Amazon.com Gift Card, funding your PayPal balance, or having a check mailed to you.

To know how much your Apple gift card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up Apple Store, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.