Unique Gift Ideas for the Hard to Buy for People on Your List

We all have those hard to buy for people on our list.  They have everything and can buy anything they need or want, so what can I possibly get for them that they would actually want and don’t already have?  I did a similar holiday gift guide last year, so I did something different this time, I asked my friends and family what items they’ve gotten in the last year that they absolutely love and would recommend to others.

Here is the curated list of unique gift ideas:

For the Avid Traveler in Your Life

So the first two are very utilitarian, but if you know someone that has to travel all the time for work, they will love these.

Professional Weekender Bag– The backpack is TSA approved and can be unzipped in the middle so that laptop is by itself during the security screening, that way you don’t have to take it out.  Pretty nifty huh?  The pack holds a good amount of electronic gear we all need to travel with and includes special pockets and access for the most used items.  The pack is very secure with places for locks on all of the critical openings.  You can easily carry 2 days worth of clothes for a weekend trip…well at least my husband can. I would need nine of these bags to carry all my weekend stuff, but that’s another post.

Baubax Travel Jacket/ Blazer– The blazer was designed from the ground up for travelers. It was first on Kickstarter and got so many rave reviews that they went into production. It has well thought out pockets for everything from your phone to your tablet. They make several different kinds of these travel jackets, from Blazers, to Bomber jackets and even a hoodie. My husband’s favorite is the blazer since its designed to go from the airport to the boardroom.  The built in hoodie and hand warmers can zip out to make it look just like a regular black blazer and the material is very wrinkle resistant so you will still look good when you land.  It comes with 15 features in all, including a neck pillow, eye mask, gloves, stylus pen, tech pockets….What?!?!

Travel Cord Roll- The cord caddy is a no-brainer. I can’t believe how many cords I have to travel with now! Power cords, charging cords and HDMI cables…it’s crazy. Usually I had them all tangled and stuffed in my bag and then trying to find the one that I needed at the moment was a real fun time. With this cable caddy everything is in its place safe and secure. It’s easy to find and rolls up to fit almost anywhere. A simple and elegant solution for a problem that all travelers have.

For the Techie

Parrot Bebop 2 FPV- Now this one is kinda expensive, but if you know someone that is really into VR and drones, this is the perfect combo for them.  One of my friends has this and loves it, he often goes to the roof to fly around the park near his house.  This is a great intro to the world of drones and their capability. It’s designed to be flown with the goggles so you get a First Person View (FPV) which makes it seem like you’re in the drone flying around….crazy! It has a bunch of safety features so you don’t loose the drone and it even has an emergency button that you can push and the drone will fly right back to you and land. It says it can fly for about 20 minutes on a charge and about 2 miles away from you, but my friend says to expect about half of that because of interference. This drone is very cool and so simple that even I could fly it after just a few minutes. Best of all, the onboard camera can shoot video and still images the whole time you’re flying so you can see and share your flying experiences with others. My friend says the video quality is amazing for the price and well worth it if you’re creative at all and want to get some aerial shots. Killer selfies anyone?  While there are much more expensive and maybe even “pro” drones like the DJI Phantom the price point for the Parrot Bebop and Bebop2 are well within the advanced amateur range and a super fun gift that your techie friend will never forget.

For the Gamer, Comic Book and Pop Culture Lover

Loot Crate Subscription Box– Now there’s a subscription box for gamers, comic book and pop culture lovers. They basically send you exclusive collectibles, apparel and gear delivered to your door.  My husband has had a subscription to LootCrate for over a year now and loves it.  He’s customized his based on his love of the Xbox game Halo, but there are many other options including anime, comic books, pop culture icons and TV and films.  Every two months they send a box with 8 to 10 items based on your subscription. Everything from clothing to props, to 3D printed characters and some fun little stuff is packed in the box.  Everything is well thought out and very well made, my husband keeps wearing his Halo Hoodie all the time.  If you know someone that is really into pop culture, gaming, SciFY or anime they will be thrilled with this subscription. You can buy individual crates or sign up for subscriptions of 6 months to a year.

For the Wine Snob

Coravin Model One Wine System- If you’ve seen my Instagram, you know that I love to go wine tasting.  I’ve seen several wineries use this little handy gadget to give you tastings without actually opening the bottle.  It’s great when you’re going to be the only one having wine and you don’t want to have to drink the whole bottle…. not that that ever happens.  One of my favorite restaurants in downtown Los Angeles, RedBird, actually uses this gadget to give you glasses of very high-end wines that are usually only available by the bottle, not by the glass. The device basically pierces the cork to extract the wine and replaces it with some argon gas so that air doesn’t get in and ruin the wine. The wine will continue to age gracefully and you can take your time savoring the bottle without worrying that it will go bad. It’s super handy but not that cheap. I guess when compared to a few ruined bottles of your favorite vino it’s cheap at twice the price. This is definitely on my wish list, hint hint! They make 2 styles now depending on what interests you. Both operate exactly the same way, but the Model One is more colorful and a little more casual looking, if that makes sense, while the Model Two is more expensive but with it’s stainless steel body looks more sophisticated. To each their own!

For the Elder Statesman

New York Times Custom Birthday Book- I’ve always wanted to get this kind of a gift for someone.  It just seems so cool right?  What was happening in the world on the day you were born?! Did something amazing happen (besides your birthday)?  Was there a sensational news event? Now you can see a rendition of the famous New York Times newspaper from the day your were born!  People tend to love this and I’ve even seen people frame the front page. It becomes a real conversation starter when guests see the newspaper on the wall. I’m thinking about getting one for my grandmother for her 90th birthday (hopefully she’s not reading this though).

So there you have my currated list of Unique Gift Ideas for the difficult ones on your list.  Do you have some Unique Gift Ideas you’d like to share?  Please let me know in the comments below.