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The Blackest of all Fridays is here and so starts the madness of gift purchasing. I know your palms are sweaty just thinking about it. Never fear, goons! Other goons are here to help. Please use this thread to ask for aid in all of your gifting needs. Whether it's for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, SASSmas or for yourself just because, if you give us an honest description of your needs we'll give you honest feedback. (Or at least I will. I cannot make claims for other people.) What you have to do: Fill out as much of the following information as possible to give the helpful elves as much background as possible. You know more about this person than we do. Who is your giftee: Budget: Giftee's age: Known likes/interests: Known hates/allergies: Type of gift you are looking for: Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: For Example: Who is your giftee: My Mutha Budget: $100 Giftee's age: 99 Known likes/interests: Being old, doing jazzercise, Taylor Swift Known hates/allergies: Technology, bright sunlight, kids on her lawn Type of gift you are looking for: Something practical but sweet Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: She loved that rocking chair I got her, until I nailed it to the floor See, just that easy. And then we give you magical answers. We await your queries. If, however, you're that type of person who only knows what to get people once you've seen it, here are some websites that you might find helpful for browsing purposes*: Goon-Made Gifts in the SA Mart – Thanks, you were warned, for the updated link for 2015. 2014 Handmade gifts thread – Also archived, but basically the entire DIY forum is a great place to look for ideas Perpetual Kid - for goofy, mostly gag type gifts The Hunger Site - Funky gifts that are fair trade and support a cause that you can choose (literacy, ending hunger, support for animals, etc.) Hipcycle - For the eco-friendly Uncommon Goods - Bunch of random things that will usually spark a thought The Grommet - Unique and innovative products and sellers (their description, not mine, but I have found some fun gifts on here before) This is Why I'm Broke - Some serious gifts and some seriously awesome gifts for the billionaire in your life. Great place for ideas Scoutmob.com - Homemade gifts from smaller/independent retailers More sites to check And in case there's anyone who hasn't heard of it, Think Geek is at least the starting place for geeky gifts What not to buy If anyone has other great sites that they want to share I'll be keeping a lookout in the thread and I'll edit them into this post. And Googling “Gifts for 'x' lovers" will typically get you something as well. Happy gifting!! *I do not work for any of these companies, I'm just a friendly penguin who enjoys providing information. That being said, if you still don’t trust me and want access to a third party review from Consumer Reports, first, check your local library for both print or online copies, but if no luck there, PM me and I can get you access. a friendly penguin fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Dec 15, 2015 |
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Nov 28, 2015 01:05
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I'll go first, because I fear this is going to take a while. I need help, people! Who is your giftee: Brother Budget: ~$25 Giftee's age: 24 Known likes/interests: I don't know! Known hates/allergies: Lots, but none relevant Type of gift you are looking for: Anything! Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: I've given him fancy jerky and video games, but that time feels past. He spends his time working or going to class. He doesn't drink, has no beard, doesn't care about his appearance and my Mom still feeds him, so not interested in cooking.
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Nov 28, 2015 02:37
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Who is your giftee: My Mother in law Budget: Around $20 - $30 Giftee's age: Mid-50s Known likes/interests: Nutcrackers, Alice in Wonderland, Firefly/Serenity, cute animals Known hates/allergies: Vegetarian since she was 11, clothes (hates receiving clothes as a gift, she doesn't hate clothing as a concept...) Type of gift you are looking for: Something practical but sweet - that description nails it Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: Large, acorn shaped candle holder
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Nov 28, 2015 08:42
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Brennanite posted:I'll go first, because I fear this is going to take a while. I need help, people! A gift card to the movies, or a book store or cool local store?
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Nov 28, 2015 08:45
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cuntvalet posted:Who is your giftee: My Mother in law A framed print of some original Alice in Wonderland art? Or a similar thing for Firefly/Serenity - an art poster rather than a promotional one? e: Not exactly practical, but I figure something to display is better than something that just lies around. Bollock Monkey fucked around with this message at 13:52 on Nov 28, 2015 |
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Nov 28, 2015 11:13
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Brennanite posted:I'll go first, because I fear this is going to take a while. I need help, people! It sounds like you need to get to know your brother better. Perhaps some outings with him would make a good gift. Perhaps you two could explore the local restaurant scene once a month. He gets interesting food and quality time with family. Or take him to an arcade or on a hike or anything. Have a snowball fight if you can! Or, if you don't live close and can't do these types of things on the regular or since you seem to not approve of his not having a beard, perhaps you can shape his interests with a gentle nudge from The Art of Manliness
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Nov 28, 2015 20:13
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cuntvalet posted:Who is your giftee: My Mother in law http://www.litographs.com/collections/all/title_Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland ? Obviously the shirt wouldn't work since she hates clothes and the poster isn't very practical, but the tote bag seems dead on. The picture on each item consists of nothing but colored text from the classic book. Otherwise: Cozy blanket with an adorable dog? And even if you don't find anything here, you might get a laugh anyway: http://www.perpetualkid.com/pets/
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Nov 28, 2015 20:24
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cuntvalet posted:Who is your giftee: My Mother in law Does she own a copy of the Annotated Alice? Awesome book with lots of cool Alice info.
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Nov 29, 2015 02:22
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Hey OP, there's a 2015 goon-made gifts thread now.  I have some little bobby pins with cloth flowers from Mountain Musings that my SASS santa gave me last year. They're beautiful!For a while, I kept associating Angry Turtle jewelry with The_Angry_Turtle, who bitches and moans in E/N about girls not wanting to go out with him and life being so unfair, and I was suuuuper confused.
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Nov 29, 2015 04:59
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you were warned posted:Hey OP, there's a 2015 goon-made gifts thread now. Thanks! I've updated the OP. Not sure how I missed the thread when I went looking since it's been up for a month.
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Nov 29, 2015 15:12
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a friendly penguin posted:It sounds like you need to get to know your brother better. Perhaps some outings with him would make a good gift. Perhaps you two could explore the local restaurant scene once a month. He gets interesting food and quality time with family. Or take him to an arcade or on a hike or anything. Have a snowball fight if you can! Yeah, I realized that typing my post and felt bad. He's a good guy, we're just far apart in age and don't have much in common. He'll graduate in the spring, so I'm thinking of maybe a little goofy stocking stuffer and something nice for the future like cuff links or an interview tie. That's good, right?
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Nov 30, 2015 03:24
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Who is your giftee: My sister, who will never in a million years tell me what she'd like Budget: $100, but can flex up if the idea is really great Giftee's age: 22 Known likes/interests: Eats insanely healthy (think only fruits/veggies + chicken/fish), exercises daily, is into weird but not absurdist humor. She's in year 5 of 6 of Physical Therapy schoolin'. Likes so-bad-it's-good kind of movies. Greatly enjoys Norah Jones and The Eagles, but other than that her musical taste is a mystery to me. Known hates/allergies: Hates feeling unproductive. Does not like stupid people, or feeling stupid herself. Type of gift you are looking for: Something that could maybe help her unwind. She stresses herself out with school, and it sucked over Thanksgiving when she spent practically every waking moment with her nose in a book, freaking out about her grades. I got her a heated back massager last year, but she regifted it to our brother  Ha ha sex toys but no seriously.Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: She seemed to like a gift card to Women's Foot Locker I got her a couple years ago, but I'd really like to avoid going the gift card route.
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Nov 30, 2015 05:36
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Not a Children posted:Who is your giftee: My sister, who will never in a million years tell me what she'd like Has she got a Fitbit? It's not exactly relaxing though.
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Nov 30, 2015 05:48
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Not a Children posted:Who is your giftee: My sister, who will never in a million years tell me what she'd like How about a facial or a massage? You might be able to score a deal on a spa day package too.
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Nov 30, 2015 05:50
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a friendly penguin posted:http://www.litographs.com/collections/all/title_Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland That blanket is super cute!
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Nov 30, 2015 06:39
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Not a Children posted:Who is your giftee: My sister, who will never in a million years tell me what she'd like Mindfulness colouring books are all the rage at the moment and I have a whole bunch of perpetually stressed friends who swear by them, so you could grab her a set (this is a set I had been considering for one of my friends) and some good quality pencils? To bump it up from stocking filler, a spa day (as someone else suggested) sounds like something she'd appreciate, and perhaps you two could go together and have a day out "away from it all"? For weird but not adsurdist humour, I also came across The Complete Manual of Things That Might Kill You.
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Nov 30, 2015 13:00
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Who is your giftee: Partner Budget: £30 (looking for something small to complete a gift made up of a few bits) Giftee's age: 27 Known likes/interests: Fifa, cooking, worrying, surreal humour, music/instruments, unusual experiences (not like the paranormal - more like activities e.g. we did 2.8 hours later, which he really enjoyed) Known hates/allergies: Aniseed, organising things. He also never manages to finish books lately, despite loving to read. Type of gift you are looking for: As I said, something to add to a little collection of small gifts. Preferably something practical or that won't end up as clutter in our small flat. Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: A nice jumper, some spice sets/fancy oils. So far I have a beard grooming set, as he's bearded but has only recently been doing much to it other than the occasional trim when it's been unruly, a canvas tote bag (our country just started charging for plastic bags), and a silicone spoon rest.
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Nov 30, 2015 13:21
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Bollock Monkey posted:Who is your giftee: Partner https://www.mysteriouspackage.com/ If you're going for the "unusual experiences" part... But if that's a little too amorphous: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/incognito/product/creature-cups-triceratops
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Nov 30, 2015 16:09
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Bollock Monkey posted:Who is your giftee: Partner See if you can find a nice burlap bag for shopping, and use that as a gift bag. They're much sturdier than canvas, I think.
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Nov 30, 2015 17:31
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Who is your giftee: Relatively new BF Budget: $30-$50, flexible Giftee's age: 28 Known likes/interests: Oldies songs, a capella, Dogs (but dislikes cutesy things done to dogs), D&D (he's a GM), social dancing, baking Known hates/allergies: Uh, anise and cumin Type of gift you are looking for: I usually try to go for gifts that are either not easy to find online (mostly custom made) or else very useful. I'm just drawing a blank this time since I don't really know this guy well enough. Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: No prior gifts
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Dec 1, 2015 06:41
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Amara posted:Who is your giftee: Relatively new BF Not being where you are, I can't really tell you what type of shops and cool stuff might be available. However, in the spirit of wanting to do things that are not easily found online: Goon-made gifts are a good option since you'll be able to talk directly with the seller and get exactly what you want. And I'm willing to bet that there are some D&D related gifts to be found there. Scoutmob would also be a good place to look around since this is a conglomeration of independent sellers who might not have had a website otherwise. If you want to go the DIY route, you could Make a bowl out of his favorite oldies record. Well, maybe not his, but you could probably find a vinyl from a record graveyard or some such. If you're not feeling crafty, there are plenty of places online that will do it for pretty cheap. And speaking as a baker, there's nothing more that I appreciate than a fully stocked pantry. Vanilla extract, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, etc. You could buy all of the ingredients to something that you want to make and then have a baking day together even. Just a thought. Hope these help.
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Dec 1, 2015 14:00
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Amara posted:Who is your giftee: Relatively new BF I was in your situation years ago, and I did really well by just getting the girl (now my wife) a stocking. You can spend $2-6 on each item, while subtly saying "Hey, I know things about you!". Get an iTunes gift card, maybe some dice, a small simple cookbook, etc. You can also fill it out with candy and stuff, and something to remind him of you. This way, you're not putting all your eggs in one gift basket, so to speak. Re: D&D - go to http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3647634, and ask for a suggestion on dice for a GM.
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Dec 1, 2015 15:52
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Who is your giftee: My husband Budget: Unknown, could do one big gift or several smaller ones, no more than 200-300 in total Giftee's age: 32 Known likes/interests: Football, beer, video games, reading, star trek, outdoor activities, traveling, sleep, food Known hates/allergies: Type of gift you are looking for: Practical, useful, something he will like. He's super hard to buy for. Everything he likes he buys for himself or is super expensive. I guess he could use new clothes, shoes, and socks but those seem pretty impersonal for Christmas. We also have a 2.5 year old son that sucks up most of our time. Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: He wants a new wallet, he does a lot of the cooking so maybe some nice kitchen stuff? He likes video games but he has very limited time to play them. Our lives are basically work, child rear, sleep, repeat son anything that would make our lives more exciting or easier would be good.
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Dec 1, 2015 21:02
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sheri posted:Who is your giftee: - What game systems does he own? If he has a Wii U, Mario Maker is easy to play for 10-15 minutes, and put down. If you don't own one, think about that - you can get a bundle at a good price, and the tablet controller means he can watch Netflix/Amazon Video or play games while you watch TV. But definitely do a little research - make sure he actually likes Mario/Nintendo. - Get him a new wallet, and line it with a few gift cards - a playstation network gift card or x-box store card, amazon card, itunes gift card, best buy, restaurant gift card, etc. - Does he have a favored brand of dress? If he has a certain style/pattern of dress shirt, for example, and mostly buys Brooks Brothers, find out the size, and get a new shirt for him. Put that in a gift box along with a tie suggested by a salesperson. Additional accessories (tie pin, tie clip, handkerchief, etc.) can go in there, too. May not seem very personal, but having an extra day's shirt of your 'thing' is a really nice luxury.
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Dec 1, 2015 21:33
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sheri posted:Who is your giftee: If he wants to spend more time doing things outside, they make ways to take the kid along. It might be an extra burden, but also good exercise. If he likes hiking: http://www.rei.com/product/828439/osprey-poco-plus-child-carrier If he likes bicycling: This was a really long link I'm actually not sure if these are gifts for your husband or for your kid... but there you go anyway! Otherwise, I think the wallet with gift cards as mentioned by Red above sound like at least a fun way to give gift cards.
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Dec 2, 2015 13:47
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Who is your giftee: Friend Guy Budget: $50 give or take Giftee's age: 29 Known likes/interests: Running, Soccer, Disc Golf, Board Games, and he is completely remodeling his bathroom from the ground up this year Type of gift you are looking for: I'm not sure something he'll use and like Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: I got him yeast for brewing beer last year since he's done that a couple times, but he didn't seem too excited. Who is your giftee: Friend Gal Budget: $50 give or take Giftee's age: 27 Known likes/interests: Arts and crafts, Owls, Being a teacher, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Germany. Type of gift you are looking for: Again just something that will be used or enjoyed. Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: Picture book of Owls? I'd also like to get her a book about philosophy (if that's the right word) for stuff like why are we here/why do we exist, but really light not in depth and avoids death as a theme.
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Dec 3, 2015 02:35
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moctopus posted:Who is your giftee: Friend Guy Get him the classic version of Carcasonne: http://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-78000ZMG-Carcassonne-Classic/dp/B008ULAMSG/ Much better than Settlers of Cataan, in my opinion, and takes a bit more strategy, too. Get him a six-pack of his favorite beer to drink while you and he learn the game. quote:Who is your giftee: Friend Gal Go to Etsy.com, and search for owl ornaments (or https://www.etsy.com/search?q=owl%20ornament). Get her a flock of owl ornaments. You can also find owl ornaments all over the place - Target, World Market, Wayfair, etc. See if you can find a gift bag that's wood/tree-patterned, and line it with green tissue paper to simulate leaves. (Being that it's Etsy, ensure you're buying an actual made product - not a pattern.) Red fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Dec 3, 2015 |
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Dec 3, 2015 03:16
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Who is your giftee: Girflfriend's male cousin - secret santa deal. Budget: $A 50. Giftee's age: About 25 Known likes/interests: Has traveled extensively, will be going to work in paris next year, has an Olympus camera, writes on their laptop. Fashion sense lies somewhere between trendy and surfer, doesn't surf as far as I'm aware of. No real helpful suggestions from family. Known hates/allergies: Unknown Type of gift you are looking for: Something they can take with them when they go overseas Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: Liked an owl mug they got from a previous secret santa type deal. Think it was a yankee swap maybe.
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Dec 7, 2015 00:10
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sheri posted:Who is your giftee: If you don't already own one, a pressure cooker is something that is massively useful to have, especially if you're both busy people, and he likes to cook. It's way easy to throw something in there, and have a meal in 20 minutes or so done.
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Dec 7, 2015 01:31
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Amoeba102 posted:Who is your giftee: Girflfriend's male cousin - secret santa deal. How about a camping stool?: As an example - http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Rambler-TM-II-Stool/dp/B00339911O/, but there are tons out there. It's light and folds up, and can be carried easily to the beach, as a utility seat while fixing things, or used as an extra seat for when you have too many people in your house. If he goes overseas, it should be easy enough to pack into a box being shipped over. Edit: I added http://www.amazon.com/Byer-of-Maine-222P-Collection/dp/B001ECQ1HO/ to my wishlist. Red fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Dec 7, 2015 |
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Dec 7, 2015 05:04
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Amoeba102 posted:Who is your giftee: Girflfriend's male cousin - secret santa deal. Paris is a place for walking. His family will likely be outside going to the places that they need to go. a sturdy messenger bag This is just one of many possible options A sturdy umbrella Again, lots of options Rain jacket I'd say sturdy walking shoes, but it's unlikely you'll find decent ones for your price point. Basically think, "if I had to walk to work, to the grocer, to the museum or perhaps take the metro, what would I need?" And go for that. Especially if there's anything you know for making riding the metro easier... in French.
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Dec 7, 2015 14:54
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moctopus posted:Who is your giftee: Friend Guy KanJam moctopus posted:Who is your giftee: Friend Gal Owls are kind of a thing at the moment. Just google owl craft or owl jewelry or owl anything and you will have options. But if you want to avoid the owls... http://www.germangiftoutlet.com
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Dec 7, 2015 15:08
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This one is going to be a doozy, as my family doesn't like or do anything  Who is your giftee: Brother Budget: ~100 or so, can be combined for bday/xmas Giftee's age: 32 Known likes/interests: Final Fantasy MMOs, unflavored and overdone meats. Known hates/allergies: Uh, probably going outside Type of gift you are looking for: no loving clue Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: A Nirvana Tshirt when he was 14 Who is your giftee: Father Budget: ~50 Giftee's age: 61 Known likes/interests: Football, Star Trek, TV Procedurals, survivor, house hunting shows, unflavored and overdone meats, Star Craft. Known hates/allergies: Flavor, effort in food, friends, all gifts ever Type of gift you are looking for: no loving clue Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: A telescope 12 years ago that he never used Who is your giftee: Mother Budget: ~50 Giftee's age: 62 Known likes/interests: TV Procedurals, Survivor, House hunting shows, unflavored and overdone meats, Cracker Barrel, hoarding food. Known hates/allergies: Flavor, effort (especially in food), anything that has to be washed/sorted by hand/drycleaned/etc. Type of gift you are looking for: no loving clue Ideas that you've had or gifts that have been enjoyed in the past: Jewelry from Uncommon Goods has worked pretty well in the past. Basically, I'm the blacksheep who didn't go to college, lives in another state and didn't grow up to enjoy sitting at home watching marathons of Blue Bloods on DVR every night. Also because they don't do anything, whenever they want something, they just go and buy it. It's really hard to gauge interests when they don't really show interest in anything that isn't super bland. Also all teatotallers, so no alcohol, tobacco, or firearms. In the end I'll probably just end up getting gift cards this year, but I figure I'll give it a try.
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Dec 7, 2015 15:21
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Iron Crowned posted:This one is going to be a doozy, as my family doesn't like or do anything A final fantasy shirt might be a safe bet. Try out redbubble with a search for Final Fantasy XIV. http://www.redbubble.com/people/vargotha/works/15345452-final-fantasy-xiv-bard looks neat. quote:Who is your giftee: Father Hm, Star Trek offers plenty of options, but could still be a tough one. Two ideas: If he had any originals when he was younger, he might dig the retro Mego-like Star Trek figures: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diamond-Select-Star-Trek-Captain-Kirk-Retro-Mego-Like-/262179578394 If not, maybe a Trek version of Settlers (board game): http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Catan-Board-Game/dp/B008MWWEJI/. You may have to bribe him with snacks to play, though. If neither of those are appealing, does he still work? If so, get him a mug for his desk, along with a bunch of pens, sticky pads, etc. - and a bucket boss for the mug: http://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Boss-Brand-99981-Organizer/dp/B000037X0F. Then, get a loose Mego 3 3/4 Star Trek figure (based on the 79 film), and drop him in the mug. The little Star Trek guys are very easy to find on eBay. quote:Who is your giftee: Mother Get her an inexpensive necklace, and loop a Cracker Barrel gift card on to it.
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Dec 7, 2015 15:46
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Iron Crowned posted:This one is going to be a doozy, as my family doesn't like or do anything In addition to what Red said above, since anything may or may not work for these people, I might add A George Foreman Grill so that they can all enjoy flavorless meats. Get your mom All the food hoarding accessories she could ever need. Or since they seem to love TV, have you thought about just buying them a subscription to Netflix/Prime/Hulu/DirecTV/ChromeCast/insert endless TV possibilities here?
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Dec 7, 2015 16:25
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a friendly penguin posted:Or since they seem to love TV, have you thought about just buying them a subscription to Netflix/Prime/Hulu/DirecTV/ChromeCast/insert endless TV possibilities here? Did you ever watch Everybody Loves Raymond?  Get the USS Remote Boat.
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Dec 7, 2015 16:34
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Unfortunately, they already have similar items, which is why they're so difficult to buy anything for. On a side note, I also rue the existence of vacuum sealers whenever I visit.Red posted:Get her an inexpensive necklace, and loop a Cracker Barrel gift card on to it. This is probably the only thing that will really work, I just don't know, I want to be able to put a little more effort into something. Then again I've gotten birthday cards before that weren't even signed, and the only reason I knew it was them was because of the return address. Thanks for trying at least 
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Dec 7, 2015 16:44
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Get the Gordon Ramsay cookery cookbook so they can learn to cook food that isn't overdone and poo poo
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Dec 7, 2015 16:51
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Iron Crowned posted:Unfortunately, they already have similar items, which is why they're so difficult to buy anything for. On a side note, I also rue the existence of vacuum sealers whenever I visit. I'm kind of in the same boat with my mom, to be honest - I feel your pain. I try to think practical, but I never know what to get.
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Dec 7, 2015 17:07
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Iron Crowned posted:Unfortunately, they already have similar items, which is why they're so difficult to buy anything for. On a side note, I also rue the existence of vacuum sealers whenever I visit. What if you cooked for them? One day you just make a big meal and be done with it. You expose them to delicious food and that accounts for their gifts. They can't refuse to eat, can they?
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Dec 7, 2015 17:19
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