Creative gift ideas for the man who has everything?

I am 100% out of ideas for a gift for my father. He's active (regularly plays both golf and tennis and does bowflex), loves football and historical stuff, can't eat anything that is supposedly 'good for you' (like spinach, blueberries, nuts, whole grains, etc), and in his late 60's.

Any thoughts? I'm really desparate for ideas!

Edited to add that he lives in the opposite corner of the country from me, so gifts like dinner out or activities together are out.

What did you get your fathers, husbands, etc that isn't bike related?

What is 'historical stuff'...books, dvds? A gift card for movies. Or a good fleecy jacket/vest for chilly rounds of golf. Magazine subscription.

As for my father in last few years, it's been a cheque. Really, he appreciates it. It's not as crass as some folks would think if one knew the low wages he used to earn. He and mother just rely on typical pension that govn't gives to low income earner. His employers never offered an additional private pension. Restaurants usually never do.

For a lark, I have bought a lottery ticket or 2 in past. Since he used to buy cheapo lottery tickets occasionally.

Can you ship some of your homemade canned goods from the farm? That would be wonderful, assuming he can eat them. Maybe a gift basket of local goods. I wonder if there's a store that could put together a gift basket of local goods in his area--that way, it would all be local, it would meet your philosophical criteria, and he might find some new products that he would really like.

Or a collage of your past life in the PNC so he can have a reminder of you. Dads always like that sort of thing.

For my grandfather, I bake a huge bunch of different types of cookies - I would be willing to bet that I make 7 -10 dozen. They ship nicely and freeze well and he enjoys them year round.
One year I snuck his photo albums home and had enlargements made of some photos I thought he would like. I then made a calendar with the pictures.
Good Luck!!

shootingstar - my father would laugh if I sent him a check. He probably makes more in a month than we both make in an entire year - and he's retired! That's why I have to be creative and get him things that he would never think to get himself, you know?

For historical stuff we've gotten him boxed sets of documentary series, of radio shows, things like that.

Tulip - that's what we sent last year! Unfortunately, most of what the PNW is known for - he can't eat (berries, nuts, etc). I can send him salmon, but one of his uncles always sends them a box of PNW smoked salmon. For years, we sent them gourmet cheeses which they loved (mom, too), but that gets tired after awhile. We were thinking of sending him the makings for a New England seafood dinner from Legal Seafoods (our family lived in Boston for years), but I feel weird sending him something that he has to cook to enjoy, you know?

Oh, and they took home suitcases full of our 'farm stuff' when they were here in September. And we already shipped my mom a case of wine from a local winery...so wine is out.

This is hard! If I can't think of anything creative by Saturday, I'll stop trying and just get him a couple of nice golf shirts. Boring but useful, I guess.

Flybye - that's an idea! When they were visiting, my mom brought us a bunch of our old photo albums. I could scan some of the best photos and maybe frame them or do a calendar or something else...hmmm....

The creative juices are flowing again!!! Thanks!

i'm there.
what i'd want from you is the gift of time. Take your grandfather out to lunch.
we don't want more stuff, we want to be around the people that love us.

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

we don't want more stuff, we want to be around the people that love us.

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I totally agree. That's kind of hard to do when they are 3000+ miles away though. :(

This isn't creative, but it was a huge hit with my step father:
http://www.duracell.com/en-US/product/mygrid-kits.jspx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

i'm there.
what i'd want from you is the gift of time. Take your grandfather out to lunch.
we don't want more stuff, we want to be around the people that love us.

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Methinks that's what my father might say to me (in addition to the check. I tell them, to use it to phone me freely, buy groceries, gas..). He is the same father who has prostate cancer. :(

That's why all the presents to him, will not give back to him a peace of mind, his excellent health for past 80 yrs. until now. It's very strange for me to think of a family member like this..for the first time in life.

Time is ...so..valuable. I'll be flying out next year to visit.

sports massage!

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I am 100% out of ideas for a gift for my father. He's active (regularly plays both golf and tennis and does bowflex), loves football and historical stuff, can't eat anything that is supposedly 'good for you' (like spinach, blueberries, nuts, whole grains, etc), and in his late 60's.

Any thoughts? I'm really desparate for ideas!

Edited to add that he lives in the opposite corner of the country from me, so gifts like dinner out or activities together are out.

What did you get your fathers, husbands, etc that isn't bike related?

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Gift certificates for a massage!

Karen

My father sent a well-thought out email last week asking that we end the tradition of giving gifts. He's in major purge mode anyway, getting rid of stuff in the house (much to the chagrin of his wife). Anything I gave him would be just another thing he would have to purge later.

So, I'm okay with that. I usually skipped giving him something for xmas, but his birthday is 1/1 so I usually got him a gift for that. I think I'll just write him a letter this year.

Karen

yes, photos and a nice letter if you can't be there.

My mom and aunt were trying to figure out what to get my grandparents. I pointed out that they didn't need any more stuff and that, in fact, they (mom and my aunts) were going through the house getting rid of stuff, so don't bring more in. I said they'd probably enjoy a gift certificate to dinner somewhere, and eventually we concluded they'd really enjoy dinner with us. So we'll all be going out to dinner right after New Years.

I'm also doing the calendar thing for my parents and brother. We went to Italy this summer, so I'm using the pictures from the trip. I've also started making soap, so everyone's getting soap, plus some jams I made over the summer and bread from our favorite book;). Maybe you can do the calendar and a gift certificate to a restaurant in their area. If you call, you might be able to pay over the phone and have them mail it.

Heifer Project
www.heifer.org

Make a charitable contribution in his honor.
Choose an organization that your father would be compassionate about.

Local children's hospital
Local food banks and shelters
Lydia Project is good if breast cancer has touched your family.
Live Strong for all cancers. Brings in the fitness element as well.
Toys for Tots
Angel Tree for the children of incarcerated parents
Samaritan's Purse delivers shoe boxes full of gifts to children around the world

This is a short list to get you started.
We try to give a special Christmas gift to at least one each per year; local, national and global.

Tulip, thanks for mentioning Heifer.

We just sent a Hope Basket in honor of my in-laws.

Karen

Thanks for some great ideas you guys!

We've done many GC's to local restaurants and Heifer International in the past too. And a bunch of different charitible donations as well. I swear, my family has been in the 'purge mode' for the past 15 years, so we all try to get really creative with gifts. My mom just sent us a case of oranges and I LOVE it!

So, we strolled the local sporting goods store last night and I bought him an Oregon Ducks Rose Bowl golf shirt (which he will totally get a kick out of!) and that will go with something creative using the photos from the photo albums. There is one picture of me as a little girl dumping water on his head as he was lying in my kidding pool. It's always been a favorite of both of ours, so I'm going to have it turned into something (not sure what).

And lauraelmore - I'm totally bookmarking that charger for my husband for his birthday, that's a GREAT idea!