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Smart, Alternative Gift Ideas
For The Person Who Has Everything
Our alternative gift ideas will please recipients who seem impossible to shop for. The perfect gift is easier to find than you fear! For the person who has
everything, though, it certainly can seem daunting.
I can remember the frustration of trying to tease a gift idea out of my
grandmother, and still hear her replying, “Give me a kiss – I won’t have to
dust it!” Well, there are lots of alternative gift ideas more tangible than a kiss.
Here are some suggestions:
Consumables
Everyone – including the person who has everything – uses up certain items, so
they will always have a use for consumables. Here are some fun and useful
consumable gift ideas:
• roll of postage stamps with a box of note paper and/or a nice pen
• regional foods or products not available near your recipient’s home
• big sack of birdseed in a covered metal bucket
• wall or desk calendar, planner portfolio with pad and pen
• box of score pads for participant's favorite game or sport
• membership in museum, auto club, etc. (or extend one they have)
• subscription to magazine or newspaper (or add to an existing one)
• certificate to a hair salon, in a basket of favorite hair care products
• international phone card for person with friends living abroad
• certificate for a car wash, wax and detailing – “the works”
Consumable gift ideas can be given in quantities, or with embellishments, suited to modest or more generous gift budgets. Use your imagination!
Collectibles
Almost every person who has everything is a collector of something. If not,
an alternative gift idea is to get your recipient started on a collection related
to his or her interests. Do some research to discover those interests, and to
learn what sorts of collectibles are available. A great side benefit is that you’ll
have gift ideas for this person for years to come!
Or you can add to an existing collection (easier if your recipient collects
paperweights than vintage autos!), or look for gift ideas that have some
relation to the collection:
• book about the item or a related historical event or person
• journal-style calendar with illustrations and facts on the topic
• accessory for the whole collection or for one of its pieces
• storage or display unit (album, case, stand, frame, fancy shelf)
• gift certificate to a shop carrying the item and/or accessories
• subscription to a collector’s magazine
• tickets to a convention or hobby show related to the collection
Things They Don't Do For or By Themselves
Among the best alternative gift ideas are items that recipients don’t purchase
for themselves, or experiences they might not wish to pursue alone:
• send a series of gourmet food, flower, or fruit-of-the-month gifts
• take recipient for a helicopter or hot air balloon ride
• take recipient scuba diving, or for a kayak or whitewater outing
• have a star named after him or her
• take recipient to a play, concert, or sporting event
• take recipient on a whale watch
• take recipient to a nearby museum or historic site – too many people
never get around to visiting important places right in their own back
yards! (For years I lived an hour’s drive from New York City but have never
visited the Bronx Zoo, the Statue of Liberty, or Ellis Island.)
• a website makes a
unique gift idea, trendy and versatile
– it can open up a new world!
• see A Charity Gift Gives Twice
for thoughtful, alternative gift ideas
Alternative gift ideas for the person who has everything need not be expensive
gifts. It's easy to assume, just because your recipient doesn't seem to need
anything, that an inexpensive gift idea will be inappropriate. We have gathered
some ingenious suggestions at
Affordable Gift Ideas
. One of them may be
just what you're looking for!
You'll get the best alternative gift ideas
for people who have everything
when you consider the things they enjoy.
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