I really need some doper help here.
My Dad’s 80th birthday is tomorrow and I’ve been banging my head for 2 weeks to come up with something to get him and I’m still at a loss.
He has no real hobbies or vices so there’s nothing in that regard I can think of.
He doesn’t really listen to music or have any favorite television shows so CDs or DVDs really don’t work. So that leaves…
what?!
Brainstorm for me folks - throw out ANY idea you might have, ya never know what will stick.
Thanks in advance!
What’s your price range?
Is he in good health and up for a trip somewhere? Would he like a series of gifts, like ___-of-the-month?
Too bad you didn’t tell us two weeks ago; he could have gotten cards from Dopers all over the world.
OMG - I am so gonna remember that next year! The cards form dopers thing I mean.
I tries the whatever of the month before and he didn’t go for it. Unless I get a great idea from here I’m going w/ the backup plan - A really cool White Sox jersey.
Two 40-year-old hookers would be pretty cheap and probably much appreciated.
Well, if he likes the Sox, is a road trip out of the question? Get in the car, drive to Detroit and watch them play the Tigers. Maybe you could even get them to put his birthday on the scoreboard, if you work fast.
A photo album containing photos selected from your own and other family members’ collections?
Better yet, take your Dad (along with your mother, whatever siblings are available, etc.) to a cheap photo studio and get a family portrait made. I’ll bet your father doesn’t have a decent photo of himself that’s less than 30 years old.
I was having a hell of a time coming up with something a few years ago, when I found a place that would make a throw blanket with your photo on it. Something like this.
I gave my mom a gift pack, that had her mail in her photo. I was a little fearful that it would be some cheezy printed on thing, but it’s actually a woven blanket, with fairly decent resolution.
I think this is the BEST idea! We’ve done that for my folks a couple of times and they LOVED it and it gave us all a chance to get together!
Yeah, some kind of photographic representation of him and his lineage always works.
I gave my Mom and Dad, grandparents themselves, a wood cutout picture frame that said “Grandparents” in letters big enough to insert photographs into…
…we put pics from Grandma and Grandpa’s marriage in there, along with kid pics of ourselves, and then (as you look across the word “Grandparents”, in chronological order) pics of our kids and their cousins in there.
My folks whom are almost 70, cried. I cried. They really liked it, because they have everything they want, have money, and are at the sentimental part of their life where re-living memories triggers an emotional response.
I have no idea what we’re going to do next year, however…
If you are having a party for him, I always suggest a small photo album. take tons of pictures at the party, and fill the album with them as soon as they are processed (this is part of the gift, getting the pictures printed and filling the album). I always suggest getting the album engraved, but that’s because that’s what I do for a living.
I agree with the photo album thing, especially old photos. Folks that age love to reminisce.
For my folks’ fiftieth anniversary, I collected photos from every decade of their marriage (obviously I didn’t take them all) and put them into a collage frame. They still talk about how much they love it…TRM
Relatively inexpensive are these picture frames that allow you to upload a series of photos.
You could put together a nice montage of photos and it is something you can set to either slowly move from photo to photo, or individually stop at one one photo.
A “gadget” (that most men like) but simple enough for even the technically impaired to figure out and enjoy.
These are pretty awesome. Especially if you have the ability to scan in his photo albums for him.
On a smaller scale, you can get these…I dunno what you call them…“grabber thingys” for want of a better term…it’s a stick with a handle at one end, and arms at the other. Squeeze the handle to close the arms and grasp an object. Great for picking things off the floor, yard, or high/deep shelves. Nice for folks that aren’t as bendy as they used to be…
Another idea that might work is hiring someone to get his ‘story’ written down. Not horribly expensive, and there are some good ones out there.
Give him a card, and with it include a letter that lists the things that he has done for you that helped you become who you are, the things that have shown you who he is, that lists the ways that you are a better person just because you are his daughter and the valuable things that he does today.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that most guys live their entire lives hoping that they’re doing the right thing and fearing that they are not. Let him know that he’s a good man.
Does he smoke cigars? You can never go wrong with some high-end cigars. A pipe? A lot of old men seem to like pipes; there are some truly beautiful hand-carved pipes out there - he might appreciate one of those.
Instead of having a portrait photo taken of him, why don’t you take a photo of him and then have a formal portrait painted, based on the photo? I mean, it depends on how much money you’re willing to spend, but that would be quite a unique gift.
Oddly enough, they are called “Grabbers.” Just Google that.
When recovering from back surgery, I got one so could get cans down from high shelves, and better yet, pick up things from the floor without having to bend over. Some of these are so well designed that you can even pick up a piece of paper.
I know it’s too late for the OP but for anyone else with an relative that isn’t computer savvy, Presto Email is a good gift.
The family went in together to get it for my Grandmas. It has been a big hit. I am terrible at writing letters but will email. We have all gotten in the habit of writing weekly emails and copying siblings & parents as well as the grandmas. So it has been good for everyone.
They only pass on email from approved addresses so there is no spam. It can be set to print in the middle of the night so it doesn’t tie up the phone line. My SIL who lives near them is their “IT person” so I am not sure how big of hassle it is to work with but I haven’t heard of anything major.