Dh says even MN can't help with this one. (A difficult present buying thread).

[wendylovesbob]

Budget - about £50

Must be able to order online.

We have to buy a present for an extremely wealthy man in his 60s. He has very particular taste in everything. He buys himself whatever he wants whenever he wants it. We can't afford most of what he likes. He is rather snobby and scornful about anything that isn't precisely to his taste. He likes expensive, exclusive things.

Try not to question the fact that we have to get him a birthday present .

We usually get him dreary dull books which we are convinced that he never opens (but which don't actually offend him).

I said to dh that we would ask MNers for ideas, and dh laughed and said even MNers can't help with this one.

Prove him wrong, please!

100% cashmere socks

Oopslate - you are right about not getting something to be kept or treasured. We need to get something thoughtful that he can carefully lose in one of his many houses.

He must know he is a nightmare to buy for! What about something ridiculous that would raise a smile?
giant gummy bear
space hopper
the problem is that you don't seem to know him well enough to know what he would really like...

Taaaddaaaa

www.moleskine.com/catalogue/passions/wine_journal/

It can appeal to his love of wine, it's a heritage brand and it doesn't break the bank.

Look HERE - you can name a rose, or see if there is already one which shares his name. And they deliver...

membership of the art fund

subscription to vogue traveller or conde naste traveller

is he affectionate towards his family? I knew someone who got her great-grandparents' wedding photographs cleaned up, remounted and presented them to her grandparents, they went down very well.

an antiquarian book or print, maybe antique maps?

Olive tree
Standard bay tree
Box topiary
Camellia
Orange/lemon tree for conservatory

I-phone charging thing is great. Trying to remember if he has an iPhone or a Blackberry.

Socks - a bit too Grandad, even Royal, cashmere ones.

I think he would find the planet and cartoon ideas a bit tacky. I like them though.

On the wine theme, does he have Reidel glasses, made to enhance the varietal he prefers? HERE

[http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/ hotel chocolat]

unbelievably good quality chocs. bloody expensive but you'll find something there for under £50. and my are they GOOD.

dammit

This might not be appropriate if he is not family or not this well known/familiar with you, but what about a calendar with photos of your family for each month? You can upload photos onto Snapfish website, design the calendar yourself and they will gift wrap and send for about £20. Not sure if you can start the calendar in March though!

Oh Lulie you reminded n=me Riedel do a black glass for blind tasting he might like £65

Exploding clays for target shooting?

Army wash bag for travelling?

Bottle of wine/champagne from Berry Bros & Rudd.

Lulie - thank you for the link. We have found a beautiful yellow rose of his name. Delivered in a pot. Perfect.

Dh says huge thank yous to everyone. Really appreciate all suggestions.

Would he like a photo album of his life - This Is Your Life style? (leave a few pages blank for the next chapters of course.)
Dh wrote his Dsis a poem when she turned 30 and put it in a little frame (she cried).

ok, contrary to your post, I am going to question why you need to buy him something?! Spill!

I would either go down the Royal Family route - apparently they all buy small silly things (eg a silver toothpaste tube squeezer ) because clearly they have everything they could want. Your £50 (or £500 or £5000) just can't buy him anything unusual or exclusive enough because he has cash coming out of his ears so you have to think small and silly (but not tacky of course).

Either that or just stick to the coffee table book on a subject he likes theme, sounds fine to me.

This site sells vintage Fortune magazines from the 1930s.

They are very lovely, and they have a very substantial texture and heft - the covers are like art paper. They were very expensively produced in the first decade of the magazine's existence, before WWII.

The contents are fascinating (all about business and industry on an epic scale, lots of gorgeous photos and illustrations) and the scale of the magazine means they feel very lavish to hold, browse and read - not like dinky Forties-era mags you might see.

I love 'em. A lot. And they are very tasteful. Your friend might find them momentarily diverting .

Oh, too late! Oh well. Next year!

Does he have a special place/house somewhere that you can get a photo of? If so how about a sketch of that place like this here or this.

Wow there are some great suggestions here. Going to bookmark!

Hurrah!! Am v v glad you've found something. REALLY hope he likes it,

And yes, slightly pleased that I 'won' (well I think I did). Competitive, moi?

cd by the sixteen
he might already have (for example) Handel's Messiah, but a fresh and brilliant recording might be nice.

or neal's yard cheeses of the month - gorgeous and disposable