# Perfect gift for budding rock star/magician? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974 "2008-05-20T15:21:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/1 "2008-05-20T15:21:29Z")
My girlfriend’s son is turning 15 this Saturday. I’ve only spent a little time with the kid, but he’s asked that I attend his party. (I declined, as I’m going away for the weekend, and stealing his mom on Sunday.) How much would be an appropriate amount be to spend on a gift? I’m think in the $10-20 range. I want to get something thoughtful without being extravagant. His biggest hobbies are playing guitar and performing magic tricks. Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/2 "2008-05-20T18:09:40Z")
New guitar strings? Snazzy guitar accessories? A bunny? Sorry I’m not more help… Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/3 "2008-05-20T19:24:57Z")
Music, like Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Zeppelin? Maybe something a bit more obscure that he may not have heard before, like Blue Oyster Cult. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/4 "2008-05-20T19:53:52Z")
I’m not sure what I could get him for music. Maybe some of the newer Pink Floyd stuff. But I don’t think he’s a huge fan. I don’t even know if he has a CD player. Probably, but kids today, with their iPods… Guitar accessories sound good. Maybe a guitar tuner or a really cool strap or something. Keep the ideas coming! ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/5 "2008-05-20T20:04:49Z")
Ask his mom what sort of bands he likes, and get him a t-shirt/poster? If you want to be bit more creative, how about some of [these](http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/6bd8/) or maybe [these](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/993b/)? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/6 "2008-05-21T12:23:34Z")
A guitar music book? Probably too expensive. Guitar accesories can include strap, picks, cables, capo, tuner, strings, string cleaner, machine head winder, metal or glass slide, tools for setting up the guitar (screw drivers, feeler gauge, truss adjustment tool,) or maybe just go the easy option and get him a voucher for his favourite music store. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/7 "2008-05-21T15:07:00Z")
Honestly? Have we moved to necessarily sentimental gifts yet? A Newbury Comics gift card is like candy to a kid that age. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/8 "2008-05-21T15:35:36Z")
How about an inexpensive set of “Cups and Balls”. You can get plastic ones for about $10 at most magic stores. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/9 "2008-05-21T16:15:42Z")
A trick deck of playing cards with an iTunes gift card stuck in it. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/10 "2008-05-21T18:22:58Z")
Clever. You’re the sort of person that probably enjoys giving gifts. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-gift-for-budding-rock-star-magician/449974/11 "2008-05-21T19:13:06Z")
Clearly an attention whore. How about a [Portable](http://www.nextag.com/portable-spotlight/search-html) [Spotlight](http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/Portable-Spotlight.html)?