Hard to buy for...

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Im an extremely hard-to-buy for person. My hobbies are firearms, knives, off-roading, and camping. The problem is, I am sort of a gear-snob (I just like quality things). For the last 5 or 6 years, my wife and family have either given me a giftcert, or just asked me to tell them what to buy. I think every big gift my wife has given me has involved me taking her to the gun store and telling her, "That. Thats what I want." Ive always been gracious when getting gifts, but they know me well enough to know I only like specific things that are out of their lane.

Are any of you like this? Does it bother you that people dont know what to give you, or are you happy that you get something that you will actually use all the time?

[Joeywhat]

I'm very much the same. However there are other things I like that make great gifts...often times food, kitchen utensils (good ones are often still pretty cheap) or other 'dumb' things that really serve no practical purpose, but look cool or are fun to have.

I don't bother asking for the 'big stuff' that I use often and may rely on. It's often too expensive, or too difficult to try and explain exactly what I want. Getting some amish baked goods, a tacky Hawaiian shirt or an old cast iron pan are some great gifts I've got in the past...all fairly cheap, all enjoyed thoroughly.

[120mm]

It's only happened once, but my wife went to my FFL and asked him what she should buy me. Since I often pester him about this or that, he had a really good clue what I wanted most, so they ordered a CZ 452 Mannlicher and surprised me with it on Christmas.

BTW, if you do this for your wife/gf, expect great sex afterwords. I don't understand why more spouses don't ask their spouse's friends for gift ideas.

[Caeser25]

I'm the same way for many reasons. Many of you would fit this cateogry since we're like minded people. Our parents taught us the value of a dollar and we want to get best value for our money. We're not part of the throw away society.

[Clint]

Are any of you like this? Does it bother you that people dont know what to give you, or are you happy that you get something that you will actually use all the time?

Yes, I'd rather get one quality thing than a dozen pieces of junk or another awful sweater.

It doesn't bother me. If I like something, I keep it. If I don't, it goes back. Simple as that.

My wife knows this and did a real nice job this year with a Leatherman, Dewalt Charger, Paella pan and a Chef's knife.
(Cooking is one of my things too)

Those were all little hints. Nothing wrong with that. I appreciate a few ideas for her gifts too.

[montanadave]

My wife and I agreed years ago to check with the recipient as to the acceptability of any gift that exceeded fifty bucks or so.

I'm in my fifties, she's not that far behind, and we both know what we like, what we'll actually use, and what we might need. Spending money on a gift just to buy something is silly and a waste.

Anymore, my wife makes it pretty easy. She'll leave a catalog on the table with the item circled and the size and color marked. :laugh:

And when she wanted to buy me a handgun for my birthday, we went to the LGS together. Makes life a lot simpler.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Well, Im glad Im not alone. As Im researching reloading equipment for the first time, I keep thinking that no one will ever know what to buy me again.

My wife gets bummed out because she likes to suprise me, so I'll send her about 10 links to products I want and tell her to buy me one (I eventually end up buying the other 9 haha).

This year I had a custom Kephart knife made for me by Matt Lesniewski from ML Knives. I asked my family for "donations" to the knife fund, and wrote a little paragraph about the meaning behind the knife. They all chipped in and now its mine. Being that they are so used to buying me expensive things, they all gave WAY too much, so I'll have to repay in kind as birthdays roll around this year.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I buy my wife jewelery for holidays and keep the reciept. I get here what I think she would like , but know there is a 99% chance it is going back. The initial offer is just to set a price point. A little warmer than getting gift card, and she gets a laugh about what I think she would like. Some things like guns can't go back.

There are so many options now, how can you know what is the perfect gift. I'd like to think I could come up with a thoughtful, perfect gift everytime, but between V-day, a birthday, wedding anniversary and Christmas, but a mother's day for the little kids- how many perfect gifts are there out there? The best I can hope for is funny or ironic.

[PlatoCATM]

My wife also complains about me being difficult to shop for. She knows what I like and has given me some pretty good gifts that relate to them that I would have never even thought to ask for, such as a keurig that I use daily now. Her best gifts, though, have been experiences like a camping trip with some of the main events planned--camp site, ziplining, and outdoor play Tecumseh. When all else fails, she asks for a short list.

[militarymoron]

my wife and i don't exchange gifts for xmas, birthday etc. i buy what i want during the year, and i buy her what she wants during the year. problem solved.

[Honu]

I am lke that also impossible to buy for so tend to get gift cert or shirts :) or books I like usually :)


By the way you mention off roading and camping my big thing is expedition kinda camping
Not sure if ya know or checked out
http://www.expeditionportal.com

[SteyrAUG]

It's even worse for me, I can buy most of the things I'm interested at cost.

So I can't ask for anything I can order for myself cheaper. As a result on those times when my wife wants to buy me a gun, I have to order it.

Usually I just find a bunch of stuff that you don't need to be a FFL to buy and I send them links and let them pick from the list. Most people just send me a Walmart gift card. Between prescriptions and ammo it's always useful.

[Jellybean]

Yes, I'd rather get one quality thing than a dozen pieces of junk or another awful sweater.........


my wife and i don't exchange gifts for xmas, birthday etc. i buy what i want during the year, and i buy her what she wants during the year. problem solved.

Bingo!
Screw all this "it's more special if it's a surprise" bollocks.
Take me to the store or make a donation- it'll mean just as much in the end. Actually more, since I won't have to re-do the purchase to get it right or what I really want/need.

Yes, I am hard to buy for....:lol:

[trinydex]

I am the same. My best friend does surprise me, hes gotten me cool stuff i never expected but would never have gotten myself. Like a yesr subscruption to netflix.... Gettin his moneys worth outta that one.

[HES]

I'm really specific about what I want. The things I chose, I only do so after a lot of research. So what I do is maintain an excel spreadsheet with a variety of things listed by name and model number and links. I also put a lot of stuff into my Amazon wish list that my wife can access. So if she wants to buy me something, she can reference those two lists and select from there.

[Smash]

The parents just pay my yearly subscription for Sirius/XM.

For the girlfriend and her parents I gave a list of 10 specific items with website links and accompanied discount codes. I got a CED 7000, Glock 17, and some other stuff so it worked out wonderfully. I was buzzed enough Xmas afternoon that I didn't remember what I asked for so I was surprised and happy.

[Belmont31R]

The In-Laws just get us a Visa gift card, and thats perfectly fine with us. They do it for our birthdays and Christmas.

[SeriousStudent]

........

I also put a lot of stuff into my Amazon wish list that my wife can access.

.......

This.

Also, G & R Tactical does offer gift cards. :D

[ucrt]

.

I am hard to buy for, too. I think the problem nowadays is no one has the time to learn about what their spouse is interested in.

My wife has always been great. This Chirstmas she gave me a pair of Sordin Supreme Pro-X's. She heard me talking to a buddy about them and ordered them. A few weeks before Christmas I told her I was going to buy me a pair, so she had to tell me she bought a pair.

Probably 10-12 years ago, I saw my 1st SureFire 6P at a friend's pawn shop. I looked the light up that night and saw it was well worth $20. I got up the next morning and told her I was going to the pawn shop to buy that light because it was cheap. When I got there my buddy gave me a story about "some big fat security guard just left with it". Darn it!

The next week was Christmas and she gave me my light in gift. She had called my buddy when I left, asked him to hold it for her and to make up a story.

The spouse's friend is an excellent idea. All my buddies get good gifts because I tell their wives what they "need".

I really think people are just too busy to give the effort and it is an effort to buy good gifts.

I have a good wife.

.

[orionz06]

my wife and i don't exchange gifts for xmas, birthday etc. i buy what i want during the year, and i buy her what she wants during the year. problem solved.

This^

But we ended up doing Xmas anyway.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

my wife and i don't exchange gifts for xmas, birthday etc. i buy what i want during the year, and i buy her what she wants during the year. problem solved.

My wife and I have discussed a "no material gifts" christmas before. Basically just buying a trip for eachother to create memories since we both buy whatever we want during the year anyways. I think we'll try to stick to that more this year.

Someone sent me a PM telling me about the Amazon Wishlist Gift app for computers, seems like a good idea.

Maybe I'll make it easy this year and send links out for relaoding dies, G-Shock Watches, and maybe some new ponchos, all of assorted mfgers, that way whatever I get will be a bit of a surprise.

[Magic_Salad0892]

The woman for a while ends up buying me video games, and suits.

The shit I REALLY want to spend money on, but can't find a logical reason to spend money on.

I love Christmas.

I buy her lingerie (sp?), dresses, and odd things I find around/random things I think she'd like. And this year HK MP5 magazines were on the list.

We were both quite happy.

[uwe1]

I buy her lingerie (sp?), dresses, and odd things I find around/random things I think she'd like. And this year HK MP5 magazines were on the list.

We were both quite happy.

Dude, so you bought her lingerie and you got some MP5 magazines in return...sounds like you came out ahead.:D

[trinydex]

Dude, so you bought her lingerie and you got some MP5 magazines in return...sounds like you came out ahead.:D

sounds like he got two presents for himself...