Gifts for Guys and Where to Get ‘Em
Dads, husbands, brothers – the men in our lives deserve something special this holiday season. We’ll get you started with some good ideas at great prices.
Games
Video games are a sure hit with the younger crowd, but giving a great game to an adult avoids that nagging guilty feeling of distracting kids from social and educational activities – for a busy grown-up, gaming is legitimate stress relief!
Every year the biggest game releases in the most popular franchises start cropping up around the holiday season. This year, Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II are battling for biggest shooter game on the shelves, while XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a more strategic take on combat for the gamer who’d rather plan than shoot. For racing fans, Forza Horizon allows free-roaming exploration of the wide-open landscapes of Colorado, and for players who like slugging it out with their buddies on the couch alongside them, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale allows four players at once to throw down in cartoony combat between the most famous mascots in PlayStation’s history.
If you’re looking for the hottest games at the lowest prices, expect Amazon to lead the pack in Cyber Monday deals for games and consoles alike – even if you want to be first in line before the holiday orders rush in, you’ll get a little gift for yourself in the form of $10 in credit to spend on Amazon’s digital video library for each new game you buy. But if you want more bang for your buck and don’t need the newest releases, Glyde sells quality used games direct from other gamers at a fraction of the price.
Tools
A handy guy armed with top-notch tools is a gift that keeps on giving! Sure, it’s a little sneaky, but when you know who got a nail gun for Christmas this year, you know who to call when you need to install some drywall next year.
A basic collection of tools is a great gift even for the non-DIY types, they’ll surely find a use for a screwdriver or pliers at some point. If you know somebody who really has a passion for home improvement, you can consider a more specialized purchase like a professional-grade power tool or even a sturdy mobile tool cart. You’ll want to do a little detective work to find out just what they need to do what they love better – a handheld circular saw is made to tackle different tasks than a table saw or miter saw.
Expect the big box retailers like Home Depot, Ace, and Lowe’s to fight for the lowest prices as Cyber Monday closes in, but at the very least you can expect free, timely shipping. If you’re targeting a more specialized hobby, don’t limit your search to big boxes – Woodcraft, for example, will have the right tools for a detailed woodworker as opposed to the weekend builder who just needs to saw some boards. Wherever you get your gift, make sure there’s a return policy in place for more expensive tools.
Odds and Ends
Finally, here are a few one-size-fits-all gifts that should be handy no matter what your guy is into.
A messenger bag from Chrome is a stylish and durable way to carry your gear – no matter what that gear is and whether you bike or commute. Currently, Chrome has a “backdoor sale” on to eliminate overstock.
The Dollar Shave Club was a viral hit across the internet earlier this year, and not just for their infectious ad – the service ships razor blades as a subscription service each month, at an enormous discount compared to buying packages at the local drug store. Set your guy up with a year-long subscription and he’ll keep saving money even when he chooses to keep using the service after the gift is over.
For an outside the box gift, consider a present that literally can’t fit in a box! Cloud 9 Living has the tagline “create a memory, give an experience,” and offers activity-based events at dozens of locations around the country. Drive a race car, scuba dive, or go on a local food tour. At the higher end, you could gift the chance to fly a fighter plane in simulated combat or compete in a customized scavenger hunt complete with treasure maps and planted actors!
Not Just for Guys
And don’t let gender limit you in using this guide! If the family handyman is a handywoman, a tool kit is sure to be a bigger thrill than another bottle of perfume. The important thing is finding the right gift at the right price!
This is a guest post by Ben Freund on behalf of Air King Fastening Systems, an industry leading ecommerce site selling electric staplers, brad nailers, and other renovation tools. He writes tips, tutorials, and more on the Air King Blog. Follow on Facebook @AirKingFasteningSystems
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