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Christmas

Gifts that went down well with your difficult men

74 replies

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 03/01/2022 14:21

Every year there are multiple threads from posters looking for present inspiration for their difficult to buy for man/men (DTBFM)
I thought it might be worth capturing gifts that hit the mark this Christmas, to help with birthdays throughout the year.

Biggest hits for my DTBFM:
He bought a jumper for himself before Christmas which he really liked, I bought the same one in a different colour which he loved.
He'd also bought for himself some shoes, couldn't decide between two colours, i said he should buy both but he didn't so I went back and bought the ones he didn't.
He seemed very taken with the magnetic wristband for nails/screws which I've seen suggested on MN for a few years now but didn't think he'd appreciate it - turns out he did!
Travel guides for places he's said he'd like to visit eventually.
An upgrade of his favourite brandy.
A couple of bottles of a wine he gushed about in a restaurant on holiday.
Bizarrely, he's always happy with new socks as not the sort of thing he'll buy himself.
There were other bits and pieces too but I think the above were the most warmly received.
Oh and DD1 bought her boyfriend a case of a particular beer he likes. It's quite expensive so he doesn't buy it for himself very often, he was delighted with it. He's not a difficult to buy for person as he tells her what he'd like, but she loves thinking of something, no matter how small, that will surprise him.

Looking forward to hearing about other DTBFM successes!

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mdh2020 · 03/01/2022 14:33

A box of six different cheeses and a case of assorted non-alcoholic beers.
Best successes over the years have been activity days - falconry and playing the organ in Gloucester Cathedral - a weather station and a bat detector.
There have been many expensive rejections including a stat of the art iPod years ago.

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RockinHorseShit · 03/01/2022 14:38

A bouquet of flowers for my 85yo ex military DF.

Id messed up sending his birthday card & it was the only way I could get something to him in time.

Thought I'd get an ear bashing... nope, he absolutely loved them, talked about them for over a week as the only flowers he'd ever had bought for him ... he's usually a miserable git over gifts & yiu barely get a thank you sometimes, but not this time, it was very unexpected

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ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 03/01/2022 14:44

Got my DH a Beavertown beer gift set as. He said the glass inside was one of his favourite presents!

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abra1d1 · 03/01/2022 14:48

Wool beanie hat with inbuilt light for putting out bins and walking dog in the dark. I think it cost about £9! DH loves it. The other big success a few years ago was a head torch that makes him look like a freaky robot.

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abra1d1 · 03/01/2022 14:49

There's something quite endearing about how non-expensive, practical presents (or edible ones) please a lot of men as much as expensive ones.

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41sunnydays · 03/01/2022 14:52

Difficult to buy for DH loved a Barbour tracksuit ! He's not a tracksuit person but loves being cosy and these are smart but casual. Also loved his pack of £1 sweets from the pound shop

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RockingMyFiftiesNot · 03/01/2022 14:57

@abra1d1

There's something quite endearing about how non-expensive, practical presents (or edible ones) please a lot of men as much as expensive ones.

Isn't there just. It's just sometimes difficult to work out what that is!

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RockingMyFiftiesNot · 03/01/2022 15:00

Also loved his pack of £1 sweets from the pound shop

Love this! My idea of a perfect present (to give or receive) is a collection of well thought out gifts given in the knowledge that the recipient will love them. Worth so much more than an expensive, ill thought out gift.

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Puffthemagicdragongoestobed · 03/01/2022 15:00

DH loves Seinfeld and was absolutely over the moon as well as surprised when I gave him the Seinfeld Lego! He enjoyed building it and it's now on display in his study.

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Tournaments66 · 03/01/2022 15:02

A bath tray. DH loves his baths and this tray just ticks all the boxes. I bought the tray last year and I think it's still his all time favourite present.

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longtompot · 03/01/2022 16:14

My dh follows a sailing blog and I managed to get one of their merch T-shirts back in the summer last year. He was very pleased with it. As he was with his bottle of whisky. I don't let him have it as he goes through it far too quickly, but this is a different one to his usual and so far he seems to like it and has only had a couple of small drams.

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Wishihadanalgorithm · 03/01/2022 16:25

Stranger Things Lego set. A book by his favourite author and the Viz annual.

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ARabbitisaBunny · 03/01/2022 16:26

An indoor bike trainer stand. DH was keen to get out on his bike, but the weather and busy roads were putting him off. Now he can safely cycle (in the garage) every day. The ear buds I bought him last year have also been a big hit.

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RockingMyFiftiesNot · 03/01/2022 16:28

Some great ideas, thanks all.

An indoor bike trainer stand.
Yes my DH and several of his pals bought these during lockdown and are still being used. Wish I'd thought of it as a present first!

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PhantomErik · 03/01/2022 16:33

I bought DH a hurricane lamp & lamp oil. He did know about it as he's quite particular & doesn't really enjoy surprises.

Saying that he wasn't 100% sure if he was going to get a fake oodie but was very pleased when he opened it.

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LaPufalina · 03/01/2022 16:56

LED hat and Costco fake oodie here too also posh underpants

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HeyUpits2022 · 03/01/2022 18:01

Very specific to my DH's interest, but I got him a cooking tripod for his fire pit.

He's over the moon with it, he keeps looking out of the window waiting for it to stop raining long enough for him to set it up.

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Retrievemysanity · 03/01/2022 18:03

Lock picking kit went down well for the novelty aspect. Aeropress gets used every day and an escape room went down well too!

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LadyCatStark · 03/01/2022 18:18

Sealskinz waterproof socks, Jeremy Clarkson’s book and a new hat that’s similar to his old ones. I do think that men prefer practical presents. DH was delighted with the pyjamas that DS bought him even though he bought him very similar ones last year 😂.

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CoffeeChocolateWine · 03/01/2022 18:26

Whisky went down well, like it always does. I do tire of buying it every birthday and Christmas but he never seems to tire of receiving it! He was also very pleased with his leather gloves, sports snood (although these were both requested), and the book I bought him (Dave Grohl and Richard Osman).

What I did find interesting though was that for his birthday I bought him a belt made from recycled inner tubes (he a keen cyclist) and a Spicery curry kit; for Christmas he gave these gifts as presents to his brothers and parents! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that so I’ll take that as a hit!

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user1493494961 · 03/01/2022 18:38

A book from a charity shop, which cost £1.99.

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RedRobyn2021 · 03/01/2022 20:05

I bought my dad a pan for his. aGA and he BC was made i with it

Last year I ordered him some locally made pies and made up a hamper for him with a basket I got from Amazon. He was really pleased with this too

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MeredithMae · 03/01/2022 20:13

Ds’ dad liked the magnetic wrist thing last Christmas too. This year we got him a solid open tool bag, De Walt.

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LoveFall · 03/01/2022 20:27

A weather station thing with indoor/outdoor temps etc was a hit. Also a sort of flannel shirt to wear like a cardigan when it gets chilly.

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MaybeHeIsMyCat · 03/01/2022 20:31

My dad is really hard to buy for
Two things in the past he loved
A mobile phone/watch stand that has a built in slot for chargers and holds loose change etc
And bizarrely of of those plastic fortune telling fish. Yes the cheap ones that curl up in your hand. He had never seen one before and spent the whole day "telling peoples fortunes"

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