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So youve missed the genuine Concorde memorabilia auction in London and dont quite have enough funds for a ferry, the latest selling craze on eBay, and youre certainly not thinking of a fruitcake. Is there anything left to give the person who has everything? Luckily, there are plenty of ingenious (or weird, depending on how you look at it) inventions manufacturers come up with, so between those quirky items and some other nontraditional ideas, you still have the chance to come up with something appealing for the person to whom any new stuff is as exciting as a new tie for dad.
Hasbro (www.hasbro.com) has a real psychedelic suggestion thats bound to be a hit with teen-agers and groovy teens at heart: a giant, poster-sized wall phone. The Thintronix Poster Phone is more than 2 feet high, very light so it hangs easily, and features gigantic dial pads. Some reviews say the sound is surprisingly good for a speakerphone. The Thintronix Poster Radio is another thought. Both retail for around $20 and are sold at select Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target, Kmart, K-B Toys and other shops.
Use some wild ideas from T.Shipley (www.tsipley.com) if you want to expand the collection of your has-it-all friend or relative: a Mouse Rug for $22 (youve read it right, they are a actual hand-woven mini-replicas of Persian rugs, a world map licensed by the Library of Congress, or the design of Freuds rug that he draped over his infamous couch, designed to be used for the computer mouse); a $195 ostrich wallet in black or tan color; or a $29.95 Wine Master that would help even the lousiest wine enthusiast choose with confidence, with 10,000 reviews and ratings packed into a small electronic device that also stores wine terms and pairing suggestions.
Someone who loves puzzles will enjoy the New York Times Touchscreen Crossword Puzzle by Excalibur about a thousand puzzles all in a convenient palm-sized gadget. It even has memory so that puzzles can be finished later, and three levels from beginner to advanced. For $59, you can buy it at www.platinum-deal.com.
For someone whos truly tired of all the stuff, give a feel-good gift: a piece of the rainforest. Well, they wont really get a tree in their home or a trip to the Amazon, but by adopting an acre of rainforest, they can help save endangered species and the already packed space in their homes. Organizations that offer rainforest adoptions include the World Land Trust (www.worldlandtrust.org) and Rainforest Action Network (www.ran.org). The Nature Conservancy (nature.org) offers a $75 gift certificate package for its Adopt an Acre or Rescue the Reef programs. The package includes a certificate for your recipient acknowledging the area being protected, postcards and a subscription to the Nature Conservancy Magazine.
Earthjustice not just another CD, but one that supports grassroots efforts to fight air pollution, toxic contaminants and other dangerous practices in various communities. Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Willie Nelson, Tina Turner and the Neville Brothers are some of the artists featured on the $17.98 Where We Live CD (www.wherewelive.org).
Another consumerless gift you can offer perhaps the best is the gift of yourself: Write an I-O-U note for a few hours of baby-sitting, garden weeding, chess lessons, financial planning, photography, or anything else you excel in. The personal gift certificates are the least expensive, most original offers you can make that will bring much more excitement to that one special person who has it all than this years new must-have.. |