# Gift advice thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596 "2011-11-21T00:21:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/1 "2011-11-21T00:21:14Z")
I’m looking for some advice on what to get my in-laws for Christmas/Hanukkah (we’re a mixed bag on religion). All ideas, big and small are welcome. I’m pretty sure I know what I’m getting my wife, so at least that’s taken care of. Last year my wife and I got them a very nice pot and pan cooking set, to replace the thin stuff they’d gotten as a wedding gift in 1974. I’m not sure it was a huge hit, but they use it all the time, and it sure is nice to use when I cook at their house. Anyway: [ul] [li]_Father in Law_ We often get him toys, like a remote control airplane, or the Tardis shaped USB hub. He seems to like them, but they really don’t get used much. He likes gadgets, books-on-tape (well, iPod), weaving, Macs, movies, photography, and other old hippy and geek kind of stuff.[/li][li]_Mother in Law_ She likes more high culture stuff than the FiL, but also gardening, books (fiction and non-fiction), baking, baseball, and moose.[/li][li]Bonus! _Sister in Law_ will be in town for Christmas. This is most difficult, because it has to be small enough to take back on the airplane, and she has very little space, because she has a room in a shared house. That screams gift-card, but I’d specifically like to avoid gift cards. She likes high culture, books, and crafts (fiber, yarn, sewing, probably more).[/li][/ul] As I said, any ideas, large or small are welcome. What is something you’ve gotten recently that you like, or what are you getting your SO, because you want it? ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/2 "2011-11-21T00:30:52Z")
What’s an approximate budget per person? That would help with the suggestions. If your in-laws are like mine (and my husband’s) they already have too much stuff and not enough space, so we go with practical, sentimental, or experience gifts. This year, everyone gets a selection of rechargable flashlights and pictures of the grandkids. Last year, my in-laws got an annual state park camping pass (they just bought an RV,) and my folks got concert tickets and a pre-paid hotel stay. (And pix of the grandkids.) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/3 "2011-11-21T00:56:43Z")
I don’t have an answer for the OP…but may I highjack the thread and ask my own gift advice question? What to get for the clerks at my favorite local comic book store? Last year, I got 'em a big box of mixed chocolates, and I’d do that again this year, except that I happen to know two of them are dieting. What’s an appropriate alternative? **Lacunae Matata** : Hm… rechargeable flashlights… Hm… You might have answered both our questions! ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/4 "2011-11-21T01:58:46Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > What’s an approximate budget per person? That would help with the suggestions. I couldn’t decide if I should put that in or not, because I don’t want to bias people on suggestions. Less than a Mac Air, unfortunately. Probably in the $100 range per person, but I could go higher for something good, or combine the MiL and FiL gifts into one big one. Experience gifts are good, and maybe my FiL will get a ticket to the Mythbusters Live show, even though he already knows I’m buying him a ticket… > [@Trinopus](#): > > I don’t have an answer for the OP…but may I highjack the thread and ask my own gift advice question? What to get for the clerks at my favorite local comic book store? Last year, I got 'em a big box of mixed chocolates, and I’d do that again this year, except that I happen to know two of them are dieting. Please, hijack away, as long as it’s gifts. That reminds me, a selection of $10-20 chocolates for everybody from a local chocolate maker is always welcome. We usually all get some type of high end candy anyway, but more is better. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/5 "2011-11-21T02:30:04Z")
Do they eat meat? One year my brother and I got our parents some nice steaks from one of those high-end mail order places. Something they can use that they wouldn’t splurge on themselves. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/6 "2011-11-21T03:24:51Z")
I’ll add my own query. My brother’s birthday is in a couple of weeks. He just broke his collarbone and some fingers. Does anyone have any thoughts on something that would be both a good gift and useful for a person who can only use one arm? He will be 22, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/7 "2011-11-21T04:10:05Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > I’ll add my own query. My brother’s birthday is in a couple of weeks. He just broke his collarbone and some fingers. Does anyone have any thoughts on something that would be both a good gift and useful for a person who can only use one arm? He will be 22, if that helps. Perhaps a touchpad, like an Amazon Kindle Fire (much cheaper than an ipad, if not quite as feature full)? You can’t touch type on them anyway, and if he can set it on a table or other surface it should be quite usable with one hand. A bluetooth headset, so he can use the phone without using his one good hand. If he likes wine (and it didn’t lead to the injury) then one of those lever activated cork screws which can be operated with one hand. If he’s the beer type, then a wall mounted bottle opener would be cheap, but highly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-advice-thread/603596/8 "2011-11-21T04:11:36Z")
For your sister-in-law, maybe a couple magazine or newspaper subscriptions? I subscribe to a couple of British magazines - expensive but fun to read.