Gift Ideas: Man Presents

Gift Ideas: Man Presents

Shopping for men is quite often hard. Things they want usually fall into two categories: inexpensive items (that they’ve already gone ahead and purchased for themselves) and unfeasibly expensive items (boats, planes, jet skis, dump trucks etc.). There’s a third category of lame things they don’t want at all, and that’s what they usually get.

Here are some gift ideas I’ve gathered from my experiences living with a champion man-shopper:

1. Paste Magazine – Magazine subscriptions are usually a cop-out but this one comes with a CD of hot songs each month. To be honest, I usually tear it out and throw the rest away. Great for the music loving brother, BF or SO.
2. Total Trolley
– It’s a step ladder! A hand truck! A dolly! A source of incredible joy to Rob and I’m sure many others like him. They’re hard to find online right now, though.
3. Archery Set – I can’t vouch for the quality of this set, but archery in general is a great hobby to introduce to a man in your life. Especially if they have an outdoor range or a large backyard nearby.
4. Sperry’s
– Sperry Top-Sider is a shoe company with 72 years of serious boat cred. Rob likes the slip-on’s pictured here (you can find them at Nordstrom Rack sometimes). Dads might like the traditional boat shoe design more.
5. Camp Axe – For the outdoorsman on your list. This portable axe and saw combo is another item that has brought Rob hours of joy. Perfect for making kindling around a campfire or sawing the base off a Christmas tree.
6. Dangerous Book for Boys
– Everyone and their brother is getting this for the holidays, and there’s a reason why. The SAS Survival Handbook is another good choice.
7. Dremel Tool – Most men love Dremels, it seems to be part of their DNA. A starter set or an accessory pack is always welcome.
8. Sweater – Nothing something they necessarily want, but they’ll definitely appreciate and use. Rob and many others I know are addicted to these half-zip sweaters.
9. Headlamp – Another great outdoorsy gift, and affordable enough for that hard to shop for brother-in-law or cousin.

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There are 13 comments for this article
  1. Katie at 8:14 pm

    Good list! The ear doctor woudl be thrilled by items 1, 2, and 5-9.

    He’s totally addicted to the half-zip sweater too! he has one in almost every color

  2. Jessica at 8:58 pm

    These are great ideas Emily. I bought the Dangerous Book for Boys for my brother-in-law who will be having a little boy in the next week or so. And I bought the Daring Book for Girls for my sister-in-law who is a new mom. They are so interesting I wish someone would buy me both!

  3. Anonymous at 1:56 am

    Thanks for the Paste Magazine idea. I hadn’t heard of it, but it’s perfect for my brothers-in-law.

  4. joey at 2:21 pm

    You just saved my hide…thank you so much for the ideas!

  5. Anne at 4:11 pm

    I got Walker The Dangerous Book for Boys too! 🙂

  6. love.boxes at 4:42 pm

    This is a great list Miss Emily. This is the part of Christmas that I find myself scratching my head. I just don’t know how to buy for boys very well. I got the Dangerous Book and I think my husband would love that sweater.. do you have any more ideas for guys?

  7. mrsem Author at 4:59 pm

    Hmmm…What specific guys are left on your list? I might have a few more ideas rattling around.

  8. love.boxes at 5:34 pm

    Still the main guy. I’m good with toys for the little guys… the nephews love me, but the husband is harder to impress. 🙂

  9. love.boxes at 6:18 pm

    he’s not ungracious or anything it’s just that I want to get him this wonderful something that he never knew that he was always dreaming of. You know.. the perfect gift! 🙂

  10. mrsem Author at 6:32 pm

    Is he into photography? A vintage camera (find one with a leica lense) could be cool.

  11. love.boxes at 2:57 pm

    His hobbies are reading, flyfishing and working out.. but truth be told he’s mostly a workaholic. I like the camera idea though.. he might like to get into photography.

  12. Adrienne at 4:50 pm

    The headlamp is genius. Men love things like that even if they’re rarely in situations that would require such a thing.