A Guide to Finding Gifts for Unique People
Buying gifts for someone may look straightforward at first. Who wouldn’t like a gift card to Starbucks or Target? But the truth is, gift buying should be more about the receiver and less about the giver. While getting a gift card to one of your favorite places might seem simple enough, when you have friends who are a little more unique in their tastes, it can be difficult to buy for them. Add to the mix their interests, dislike of big box stores, and even their hobbies, and you might feel completely overwhelmed in looking for the perfect gift. The truth is that finding gifts for unique people is easier than you may realize, you just need to ask the right questions.
Think Outside The Box
First of all, most unique people aren’t going to be in love with something from a big box store. You need to think outside of the typical retail box. Think small, like small business small. Go to your local downtown and walk around the shops there. You’d be amazed at the unique pieces you can find in these places. You’ll have a much easier time finding a great unique gift instead of something mass-produced for a large retailer.
Discover Their Hobbies
Do you know what your friends like to do in their spare time? Do they collect old records or go golfing? Do they attend poetry nights or go to karaoke? Maybe they enjoy reading classic novels or they go to comic conventions. Knowing their hobbies is a great way to connect what they like to do with a gift that might suit them. If they are nostalgic about their favorite childhood cartoons or characters, or they love watching cult classic movies, then something like a nerd box would fit them perfectly.
Find Out What They Are Interested In
Aside from hobbies, they might have other interests. Maybe they enjoy hiking state parks, and they have a goal to hit all the state parks in their area. Perhaps they enjoy camping on the weekends, and you could give them a new piece of camping gear. What if your friend enjoys baking desserts? You could give them a tool to help them express their creativity through food. For the animal lovers out there, they might enjoy a gift that also gives back to an animal shelter or rescue. When your friends have unique tastes, normal gifts just won’t do.
Ask About Their Favorite Stores
Aside from avoiding big box stores, you can sneakily find out if they have a favorite store. Maybe there is a gaming store or nerd shop they enjoy going to. If you’re going the gift card route, a card to their favorite place would be much more appropriate than one to a normal place like Costco. You might also be able to gauge if they have a favorite online retailer that you could find them a cool gift from as well.
How Would You Describe Them?
Find the right words to describe your unique friend. Are they nerdy in a computer tech kind of way? Or maybe they are more classic and enjoy things like Jane Austen and dressing up in vintage-inspired clothes. When you can find these words, it makes it easier to find gifts they’ll love. Giving a gift can bring the giver great joy, but when the receiver feels seen, it creates something much more important. Being seen for who you really are by a good friend means that the friend took the time to discover what really made you tick. Everyone knows what it feels like to get an obligatory gift and how it feels to get something meaningful.
Ask Them What They Want
This can be hard because you want to surprise your friend. But there may be something that he or she really wants that year. Ask them if there is anything they’d like for their birthday or Christmas or another holiday. You’d be amazed at their response. Some will say “oh I don’t need anything” while others might express what they would really enjoy. Maybe it’s a weekend away or a day at the spa. Perhaps it’s a ticket to a show that’s coming to town. Simply asking can give you all the information you need to buy your unique friend the perfect gift.