a q for girls (or guys)... what present to get guy friends for their bday?

4321234 · 07-10-2008, 02:12 PM

one of my closer guy friend's bday is coming up.. and i have no idea what to get him. we're close enough that i know his interests and hobbies... but i'm not close enough that i would know what kind of gifts he'd like to receive. there's a difference, you know? i haven't given him anything yet, so i don't really know. my limit is $20, as i am pretty broke having lived in europe for a month. i don't want to get him anything kooky, like playboy or whatever, caz i'm a girl and it would be very strange to get him something like that.

a little more about him. he likes to play tennis, he likes to travel, he'll be going to dental school in the fall. he likes to sing karaoke. he's kind of funny, but i wouldn't call him too goofy, but he is a bit more on the serious and studious side. i don't want to get him clothes or anything. probably nothing tennis either, because i'm sure he has everything he wants or need from that. and i don't know about getting him his favorite movies because he might have them too. i really like giving away practical gifts, because i know they'll use it for something. but i'm not sure what.. and i don't know what he has or don't have or will need. ><

Easy · 07-10-2008, 02:20 PM

You know what I like receiving from my girl friends...

runforfun529 · 07-10-2008, 02:32 PM

What are some of his favorite bands? If he's really a big fan of a certain band, you could get him a poster for his apartment or something.

Maybe you could take him out for a day. Play tennis with him, take him to a karaoke bar, etc.

kelkyann · 07-10-2008, 02:39 PM

WHOA, Easy...hahaha.

Anyway, to the OP: You have a huge advantage since you know his interests and hobbies. I absolutely LOVE giving gifts and knowing the recipient's interests is the key.

You could buy him a book about something he absolutely LOVES. I have a friend who is really passionate about his cigarette smoking (yeah, sounds pretty ridiculous, I know) and I found a book at Urban Outfitters called "The Joys of Smoking Cigarettes." Or, my boyfriend absolutely loves The Big Lebowski, so I got him a book about that.

Or you could buy him posters, related to anything he likes. Movies, hobbies, bands, etc. Or a CD, especially soundtracks (or maybe I just really like soundtracks).

In terms of practical gifts, maybe a gift card? I personally don't like giving gift cards, but I mean...nobody who receives a gift card is gonna be like, "No, thanks, I'd rather not." And random, but I have a friend who for a period of time kept asking me for my hair ties to tie his hair up, so I bought him a pack of hair bands (admittedly, I didn't know him very well at this time). So...I don't really know what I'm trying to get at by mentioning that, but just start thinking along those lines...

Maybe there's something that the two of you joke about a lot? Something related to that would be good, too. So yeah, basically anything that shows you know HIM is good. Thoughtful gifts are the best kind!

ElectricTech · 07-10-2008, 02:51 PM

Cologne, maybe.

redwingshockey · 07-10-2008, 03:21 PM

i like the idea of going out to a karaoke bar with him -- other than that, a good book for him that he can take with him to school might be nice

ourlady.peace · 07-10-2008, 03:30 PM

A really good, funny book? Something like Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You!)" or Tucker Max's "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell".

I don't know how practical those are, so you might want to go with condoms or something. Really expensive ones, of course, so you don't look cheap.

hookem168 · 07-10-2008, 03:32 PM

haha w00t to ourlady...

as far as practical goes...nothing beats a pack of Trojans

Russell7 · 07-10-2008, 04:46 PM

Don't think about something to get him. Go to the mall and just look around. You'll find something.

Or, my boyfriend absolutely loves The Big Lebowski, so I got him a book about that.

That's awesome... one of my favourite movies. "I don't roll on ****ing shabbos!!!" If anyone could find me a Walter action figure... I'd love that gift. Or Blondie from the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

burgler09 · 07-10-2008, 04:51 PM

4321231, That's really nice you are getting him a present for his birthday, trust me anything you get him will definitely make him happy. If he likes to travel, is he by any chance interested in foreign language? I know I enjoy travel and really enjoy foreign language... maybe check into a language he is studying and buy him a CD of a popular group. Chances are he has a favorite country, so maybe try looking to buy some sort of souviner or something about that country for him.

leah377 · 07-10-2008, 06:08 PM

past gifts i've given one of my best friends:

-the America: The Book jon stewart tear-off daily calendar

-a book called Invasion of the Party-Snatchers about "where the right went wrong" because he's conservative but not religious
-two huge bags of musketeer bars come with all of his gifts because they're his favorite (and for some reason he's always surprised that i remembered)
-digital photography magazine

also i've in the past instructed his girlfriend what to get him..i think i suggested an REI gift certificate since he loves camping and hiking

Junglebrain · 07-10-2008, 10:48 PM

GET HIM A BIKE **** YEAH!!!

or A SPEAR COOL!!!

or A LOINCLOTH WOAH!!!

or A KITTEN HOORAY!!!

or A ****-TON OF BOUNCY BALLS AWESOME!!!

or SOME AVIATOR GOGGLES SWEET!!!

or SOME KIND OF SWEET-ASS HAMMOCK THAT **** WOULD ROCK!!!

I'm just going on what I'd like.

icanmakeit · 07-10-2008, 11:12 PM

A computer mouse is pretty nice and practical

illusionsx · 07-11-2008, 12:51 AM

Haha, you shot down the two gifts that never fail me - a nice shirt or pair of shorts, or a silly gift from Spencers.

Other than that, my only suggestion would be to take him out to dinner or a movie or something and pay for him.

hookem168 · 07-11-2008, 12:52 AM

zomg, Spencer's is the $h!t. get him something completely random from there.