Hey guys and gals, I'm terrible with coming up with good guy gift ideas, so I'd love your help! A nice friend is putting me up for the weekend for a quick out of town trip to run an errand. He's in his late 40's and unfortunately does NOT collect toys or anything that I can think of. He doesn't have any real "oooo I must have that" type of list. He doesn't have pets, doesn't garden, not a book worm, not a gourmand or wine fanatic... He's a hard person to buy for! What do guys like to receive as nice host gifts? What do YOU like to receive as a nice surprise gift? What do you find useful? What makes you smile? Price is $50 - $150. Any help greatly appreciated! Thank you! p.s. I do plan to take him out for a nice dinner at the end of the stay, but want to leave a thank you gift as well.
Well, if he does drink, then a nice bottle of scotch would probably do well. Any good spirits shop would help you select a one in your price range. Coming back to say as a man in my late 40's I would would be pretty excited to get a new pocket knife. Your price range would cover a pretty nice one, I think.
Hmmm... Do you have any other info at all? You told us things he doesn't love but nothing that he is really into. Do you know if he likes to drink alcohol besides wine? Any idea what kind of alcohol? A nice bottle of liquor is always appreciated by most of my friends of any adult age and even GREAT bottles are well within your price range. If you can find out from someone else if he likes scotch or whiskey or cognac that would make a perfect gift. You could even toss in a really nice little pocket flask and still stay under budget.
Alcohol tends to be a common host gift? And since you said he's not big into wine, then maybe some good scotch, cognac, whiskey, rum or tequila? But if he's not a fan of alcohol in general, and no toys, and no wine, and no other stuff... Maybe something food related? Fancy cheeses? Fancy steak? Fancy candy/desserts?
What about a nice lil Bluetooth speaker if he likes music? Or a slick pair of sunglasses? Idk, I like music and hate the sun. Maybe he do 2!?
Never underestimate the value of giftcards for people who are hard to buy for. They can be great for people who prefer experiences to tangible items!
I really like gift giving. Here is my general way to go about it: First go to is a good bottle of alcohol, like many other here. You can pair it with a couple of glasses if you think/know he doesn’t have any. Imagining he is not into that, I would consider anything for the house (besides kitchen knives). If you know he has a favorite dish he likes to make, you could find the fancy or smart version of the ustensiles needed to make it. I m thinking something he would definitely use, contribute to make his life easier but that he wouldn’t ever consider getting for himself, that kind of idea. If he doesn’t drink and doesn’t cook, think about the rest of the house (besides the bedroom which I think is creepy for people you ain’t super close to). Plenty of things there. I like giving plants. People like plants. If you know he doesn’t like plants, then I would think about any kind of accessories that are nice for the rest of the house. A real nice kettle or tea pot, a tray or tray set, something smart, small, that compliments his home and doesn’t stand out too much. If you don’t know what the house looks like, find something you like. Good luck !
Unless he has a strict diet, snack foods are always good. Most guys will consume whatever is left around them given time.
I was going to say, get him a zip of the finest cheeba you can find. I always enjoy getting cannabis and /or concentrates as a gift. Or.. What about a butter dish? Most people don’t realize how much better butter tastes at room temperature. I’ve got this butter dish a while back and I absolutely love it. I’ve given them as gifts before and they’ve always been appreciated. https://www.zerojapan.info/en/catalog/dining/byk12/
Or a boyfriend, for that matter. My go-tos for anyone are interesting alcohol, food, and household items. If I know them a little, clothes or a book. This is really sweet of you; enjoy the trip!
Something with a nice pattern on it is what I like to get. not a throw pillow, but more like a funky salt shaker or a kettle holder or even a thing to hold things in. I am in the “very-difficult-to-shop-for” club and I feel that things that have an interesting component to them are always thoughtful (for me that’s patterns). It works best if it’s even something that matches the decor in the home but it’s more the givers style. Dunno, lots of good ideas here already
Whoa!!! Lots of GRRRREAT ideas here! Thank you everyone! I really appreciate all the suggestions (although, I am not the type to give porn, sex toys, or "girl friends" as gifts ), thanks for taking the time to add some very nice ideas! Keep them coming in, also good for future reference! So running with your ideas, I did some homework... Also, to answer some questions, he's an ex-colleague from a former work place. Really nice guy, but I am way to old for hiim! Plus we are strictly friends (it'd be like dating a younger brother if it was anything else). He is single (there's nothing wrong with asking) but seeing a nice lady. He's intellectual, very brainy and super duper smart (and competitive), but also enjoys hiking and the great outdoors. He's a gear hound, but has all the technical gadgets and equipment, and stays up to date on all the latest and greatest gear (I'd have to know specifically what he does not have, which would be hard to do). A great conversationalist, likes music and literature (reads e-books), as well as design and architecture. A minimalist when it comes to house decor, likes the sleek and high tech look, and space is everything, so no clutter. Loves animals but is always traveling, so no pets yet (trying to convince him to get a rottweiler puppy!). There is a beautiful garden, he has people come in twice a month to keep it looking good, but he himself is a black thumby! Blake, I also love love love a good pocket knife! I've been eyeing this one for myself... Spyderco Chaparral, Stepped Titanium, SP-C152STIP https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Cha...parral&qid=1624081171&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-2 *Fast forward to 2:06 to see the details on the handle, just gorgeous. The handle is titanium, blade is steel, back lock locking mechanism. Not a tactical knife, but a good little knife for general purpose. Love the design, the pattern reminds me of cherry blossoms. An expensive sucker though! +$400 @gatiio , this would fit your suggestion of nice patterns, but it's a bit over the price range On the complete opposite end of pricey knives is this Mikov (a 200 yr Czk manufacturer) fingerling fish knife https://www.fayettechill.com/products/molly-jogger-fingerling-fish-knife $11 and nicely boxed, or you can get it on Amazon for $8 (not sure if it's boxed though). I ordered one for myself (need a cheap purse knife), so I'm eager to see what it's like. These would make great stocking stuffers! Mikov makes tons of technical knives https://www.mikov.cz/rsc1528371-pribeh-ktery-stoji-za-zrozenim-predatoru?lang=en You can find them in the US by doing a web search @blakewest ,*update* the Spyderco Pochi pocket knife is cute for an edc knife. Designed by Kazuyuki Sakurai, it's pretty small (not necessarilly practical because of the short blade length) but would be a great addition to a pocket knife collection Another pricey one $190 https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-C07...s=spyderco+police+knife&qid=1624126393&sr=8-3 I asked his friends if he likes liquors, and heard a resounding yes. Enjoys a good scotch in particular. These were a couple of suggestions... Lagavulin Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aberlour 16 Year Knappogue Castle Irish Single Malt 21 (a bit over budget but still do-able, I hear it's very special) *LOVE the idea of adding a nice pocket flask or fancy glasses! Thanks @Waterbear and @nico000 --brilliant suggestion! If you have any suggestions of your fav scotch, please mention it! Lessee, @Roger your Bokksu suggestion is amazing! https://www.bokksu.com/pages/past-themes Very tempted to give him a subscription, but it's nice to leave a perfectly wrapped gift in the room as a surprise when he finds it . I'm adding it to my list for Christmas and Birthday gifts! Different, yummy, and really looks fun! @akum6n guys and gals both like nice snacks! @noeleaser butter at room temperature is definitely a plus! I use a french butter crock, as the water seal keeps the butter fresh longer, and prevents it from getting rancid Leaning towards a good bottle of scotch with a nice small hip flask. Thanks for taking the time to add your suggestions! You guys and gals are the bee's knees! p.s. @Roger , while you and I would love a Royal ape, I don't think it's quite his style
How dare you. Apes are EVERYONE'S style! Everything Spyderco makes is really good so I bet he would be happy with those. I have a small thumb knife of theirs on my keychain that has lasted forever. If he is into outdoorsy stuff, does he have an REI nearby? Maybe you could find something there for him. Or, maybe get a gift certificate, but I know you want to get him something.
Ooooo since you know he loves scotch I would go in that direction for sure! Maybe instead of getting something his friends know he enjoys you should try a scotch he probably has never tried before. That would make the gift both thoughtful and a fun surprise. This would be my suggestion. It's a 15 year so the quality is very impressive and it spends it's last few years in what are basically wine barrels so it picks up a fruity almost sweet flavor. I love it. And you can get it easily for under 100 bucks.
@Waterbear I'm trying that for sure. Suntory Hibiki is my favourite whisky to date (nicer than the aged singles I've tried imo) but a single-malt with a year label is definitely better for a gift. Lagavulin has a ton of fans too. @Michael Beverage, scotch recs!
@Waterbear great suggestion! I'll have to ask his friends if they know what he usually drinks. I like your idea of gifting him something he hasn't tried. I don't know anything about scotch myself, I gravitate towards the dessert liqueurs, i.e. Benedictine, Cointreau, Pama (pomegranates), Strega (uranium yellow Italian herbal, weird medicinal, an acquired taste -- will help prevent garlic breath after a heavy garlic-laced meal by burning the stuff off your lungs!), Frangelico, etc. Local side note, if you haven't discovered Hangar 1 Distillery they are located in one of the old hangars on the old Alameda Naval Station. They make a great honeycomb vodka https://hangarone.com/spirits/honeycomb-vodka/ with recipes! https://hangarone.com/recipes/ fun tasting and a tour of the distillery (call first, not sure what's going on with the recent covid updates) https://hangarone.com/visit/ @Roger , yes! He does frequent REI (frequently!). He pretty much has all the gear he needs, anything else is expensive and very specialized, so I'd have to know what's "on his list"