We’ve all had that moment. You spend days thinking of what to get your dad, brother, friend, or partner for their birthday, only to finally give it to them and get a less than ideal reaction upon the unwrapping. It’s unfortunate, but luckily it doesn’t have to happen to you again.
Read on as we share some of the best kinds of Father's Day or birthday gifts to give certain people, and where to find them. No matter if you’re in need of a gift for a foodie, art lover, comic or tech geek, or anyone else, we got you covered.
Be Different
The easiest way to avoid the lackluster reaction you find yourself getting all too often when gifting that special someone, is to be different. Rather than going to your local gift store or department store, try thinking out-of-the-box. What would make them smile? What would show them that you put time into their gift and really thought about them?
The answer is something different, as it usually can’t be found at your local store. UncommonGoods is one of the most popular sites for, well, uncommon goods. You’ll find cool and unusual gifts that are great for birthdays. There are thousands of creative gifts for men, women, and children, and you can sort through them “By Interest” and look through categories like music and sports, “For Couples”, and even “For Teens and Up.” Is your best friend a unicorn lover? No problem, UncommonGoods has gifts that they’ll love. Do you have a cheese or wine aficionado on your hands? Choose from herb choppers, wine pourers, cheese slicers, cutting boards, and tons of other accessories. The site has creative and original gift ideas that are sure to wow the birthday girl or guy. There are such interesting gifts on the site that you will most likely be distracted for hours – consider yourself warned. UncommonGoods also has a great customer support department that is there to answer your questions about products, shipping information, or order status by phone, email, and live chat.
If you’re looking to give that special someone something out of the ordinary, you will also have luck on Kikkerland or Aha Life. Kikkerland was started in 1992 and aims to offer original designs that can make people’s lives more enjoyable. Whether it’s a clever gadget, smart items that make everyday tasks easier, or small things that make you smile, Kikkerland has it. You can buy Kikkerland’s items in physical stores around the world – mostly museum gift shops and specialty shops – or online. Think of the most different and ingenious item, and Kikkerland most likely has it. You can shop by category such as “stationary,” “tool & tech,” or “home,” and browse for hours. Find a cupcake-shaped memo pad, cat butt push pins, a smartphone selfie light, and tons more. If you still haven’t found that one perfect gift, give Aha Life a go. The company offers gifts in the categories of men, women, kids, pets, beauty, and home, and offers a huge price range to satisfy both the spenders and the savers out there.
Gift Your Loved One Something With Meaning
If you like giving gifts with something more to them, we recommend Etsy or Brika. Anybody can go to the store and pick a gift off the shelf, but it’s a whole new level when you get something made by hand or personalized. Etsy is a Brooklyn-based company that was founded in 2005. The Ecommerce platform lets individual creatives sell their handmade or vintage items and supplies, and has a community of over 100,000 hobbyists from around the world. One of Etsy’s selling points is that it offers unique and one-of-a-kind gifts you won’t find anywhere else. What’s also great is that rather than buying from a major retailer, you’re supporting independent sellers who put their heart and soul into the item.
If you’re nervous about buying from individuals, rest assured, as it’s extremely protected. Before buying anything, you can read reviews of individual sellers and contact them with all your questions to make sure you’re on the same page. Additionally, Etsy has strong security guidelines when it comes to payment, so if anything goes wrong, they’ve got your back. Brika is a similar concept to Etsy and offers independent designers a place to sell their goods. You will find accessories, home goods and paper items, as well as hand-made jewelry. Brika also has
free shipping on orders over $150, and a flat rate price of $15 for orders under $150.
The Geek Friend Everyone Has
Everyone has one, and they’ll be the first to admit it. They’re a geek. Luckily for you, shopping for a geeky friend or spouse is easy. Check out Think Geek or DealExtreme and you’ll see why.
Think Geek is a geek’s best friend, as it turns their sometimes embarrassing favorites into insanely cool gifts. It’s known by consumers as the place to go for toys for adults. Shop by interest like movies, video games, or books, or browse by gifts or bestsellers. Doesn’t everyone need a Nintendo controller floor mat and Harry Potter Hogwarts dinner dishes?
DealExtreme offers similar products to Think Geek, but is a bit more tech and gadget focused. It also offers more affordable gifts, and even has a $1 item section!
The Perfect Gift for Every Person
Since not everyone fits into the geek or hand-made item loving categories, you have stores like Mouth and the MOMA Store. Mouth is the best online gift destination for your foodie birthday girl or guy. Its goal is to help people discover the most interesting indie food products and support indie makers. It offers food and drink kits, subscriptions, and gift boxes where you can choose the items or have an expert curate them for you. For those cultured birthday celebrators, there’s the MOMA Store, which is the New York Museum of Modern Art’s retail shop. There’s always something fun and different to play with. Of course, for anything else under the sun, there’s the always reliable, Amazon.
Next time you find yourself stressing to find your friend or spouse a gift, remember there’s a site and store for everyone’s tastes.
