# Retirement Gift (Suggestions Needed!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248 "2007-09-06T15:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/1 "2007-09-06T15:24:51Z")
My dad is retiring in three weeks, after 37 years of service at a vocational school. He’s been a custodian, counselor, recruiter, admissions officer, dorm attendant, and is currently the dorms manager. He doesn’t have any hobbies, but he is always busy with one thing or another. Fixing stuff around the house, yard work, church stuff, community activities, babysitting neighbor kids, etc. He’s sixty-three years old, and is wonderfully healty. He wears hearing aids in both ears, but other than that has no ongoing health issues. He didn’t even need reading glasses until 7 or 8 years ago. Dad’s one of those people who has everything he needs and asks for nothing, which makes him difficult to buy for. He and his wife live in a pretty small house, and it’s already full of furniture and art and all the stuff that simple-living folks in their 60’s and 70’s have. In the recent past (the last few years), I’ve taken to donating money in his name when gifting time rolls around. I know he’d appreciate that yet again, but I’d like to send him a token of some sort. Things I’ve thought of so far: gift basket Yeah. I need ideas. Got any? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/2 "2007-09-06T15:57:51Z")
How about a nice evening out for your dad and his wife? Dinner somewhere nice and a play or concert or even just a movie, if that’s the sort of thing they like. Memories of time spent together are worth more than some knickknack that needs to be dusted. Or a dog. My default gift idea is always a dog. The only love money can buy. StG ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/3 "2007-09-06T16:16:36Z")
We got my dad a telescope. He loves it. ---
**Author:** ![poetwarlord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@poetwarlord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poetwarlord)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/4 "2007-09-06T16:18:54Z")
How about just asking him what he wants? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/5 "2007-09-06T16:58:33Z")
Membership in a wine or beer of the month club? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/6 "2007-09-06T19:16:16Z")
My dad is also hard to buy for. When he retired last year, I got everyone in the family to pitch in for a “brick” for him - the Cleveland Indians were selling commemorative bricks to be installed at Jacobs Field. He absolutely loved it, said it was the best gift he’s ever gotten. Is your dad in to any sports teams? Enough that he’d want a commemorative brick? Most stadiums have similar programs - always trying to make a buck 🙂 And if not, maybe season tickets? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/7 "2007-09-07T03:33:19Z")
Well, of course the perfect gift is Bacon Salt, but I’m presuming you’ve already gotten him some. We had a retirement party at work a few weeks ago and about fifteen of us went in on a collection for the retiree. After buying lunch for everyone, the obligatory cake and card for everyone to sign, there was just over $100 left in the collection. So we got a crisp hundred and framed it nicely with a tag attached reading “Break in case of emergency.” We even tacked on a tiny miniature mallet to dangle underneath it, the retiree was greatly amused. Somehow making it a jokey money gift made it okay for him to accept cash, y’know? ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirement-gift-suggestions-needed/418248/8 "2007-09-07T12:01:20Z")
The telescope is seconded. The money one was funny. We got a 40 year retiree a really fancy-shmancy toolbox (he was an engineer) and then we attached a brass nameplate. Then we filled it with the crappiest tools in his house that his wife could find.