Five Holiday Gifts for the Person Who’s Hard to Buy For

Do you struggle to cross people off your gift list? Check out these suggestions on what to buy for the people who seem to have it all.

The holiday season is rolling around again, as it does every year. If you’re like most, you enjoy buying gifts for the people in your life. You like seeing the surprise and delight on their faces as they unwrap their gifts. 

It’s satisfying to know that you helped put that look on someone’s face.

But it can be a struggle. If you have a few people on your gift list you have a hard time choosing gifts for, you aren’t alone. It happens to everyone. 

Some people are simply difficult to buy gifts for. It seems like they have everything they could possibly need. Or they can afford to buy anything they could possibly want. Maybe they’re minimalists who don’t want much at all.

You still want to surprise them with a great gift and watch their face light up. It’s also a good way to build bonds in your personal and professional life.

So what can you do to buy them something they’ll love?

There are plenty of great gift ideas on the list below, as well as types of gifts to avoid. Learn the difference so you can pick out a truly great gift… Even for people who seem to have everything.

Types of Gifts to Avoid

Some people give gifts that fall flat despite their best efforts. Others purposely give bad gifts as a joke. Take a look at one woman’s story about receiving a gag gift:

Deborah was a kid when her dad gave her a gag gift. Each box seemed to contain a box within, getting smaller and smaller. As her young hands unwrapped each box layer, her anticipation grew. When she finally got to the last box, she found that it was empty. The experience crushed her, even though her dad found it funny. She never really got over it.

Deborah likes to say, in her father’s defense, that he did give that particular gift on April Fool’s Day. This holiday is notorious for practical jokes and pranks. But giving joke gifts can have a huge impact on the recipient.

Mean gifts can take a tremendous toll both in monetary cost and relationship damage. It may surprise you to find out, though, that many mean gifts aren’t intentionally cruel. In fact, some people give gifts without considering a recipient’s feelings at all.

The next time you pick out a gift, make sure it doesn’t fall into one of these categories:

#1 – Confrontational Gifts

These types of gifts are personal affronts. For example, one woman gave her childless daughter-in-law a pregnancy test for Christmas. Mean-spirited, confrontational gifts can destroy relationships and fray tenuous family ties.

#2 – Selfish Gifts

Selfish gifts are ones that benefit the giver more than the recipient. For example, one man gifted a big-screen TV to his wife for her birthday. The problem was the timing. It was just in time for the Super Bowl – that he planned on watching and she did not.

#3 – Aggressive Gifts

Aggressive gifts are explicitly meant to offend the recipient. The giver picks out gifts to purposely anger the recipient. Gifts of this nature may be a sign of a deteriorating relationship.

#4 – Obligatory Gifts

You may see a lot of these gifts around the office during the holiday season. Sometimes the giver doesn’t know or care what the recipient would want. They’re just buying something to check off a box on their list.

#5 – Competitive Gifts

Some people give large, extravagant gifts to compete with someone else. The giver wants bragging rights and to “out-gift” one or more people. This could happen at work, as well as in your personal life.

The List of Great Gifts

Picking out gifts for some people may be a daunting task, especially those who seem to have everything. But some great gifts are simply useful ones that aren’t necessarily things they would buy for themselves. 

Here are some great gift choices for the person who’s difficult to buy for:

Gift Idea #1 – Wine Tool Set

Every wine lover has a tool set. You can enhance their experience with a beautifully personalized wine set, customized just for them.

Box sets are available in bamboo or leather, with customizable covers. Choose from different sets to suit a recipient’s individual needs. 

Minimalists who only need a stopper and corkscrew will enjoy a personalized 2-piece set. There are also 4-piece and 5-piece sets for recipients who need a comprehensive tool set.

Gift Idea #2 – Personalized Watch Box

For the watch collector in your life, what better way to show off a collection than with a personalized watch box?

The 12-piece Cherry Watch Box from Kustom Products is made of luxurious cherry wood with a rich finish. Each box has cradles for 12 timepieces and a glass lid to show them off. The watch box also has a key for added security. 

Don’t forget to personalize the lid. Each lid is engravable – specify up to three lines with different font choices. Help him protect his watches in style with this beautiful felt-padded box.

Gift Idea #3 – Lovebirds Photo Album

Remind your gift recipient that the best and most beautiful things this world has to offer are felt with the heart. Fill a brand new Lovebirds Photo Album with all the memories you cherish most of the both of you.

Made from Rosewood and Maple, the engraved cover will be embellished with your names and a special date, along with all the increible photographs you hold closest to your hearts.

This album is perfect for couples who were married this year, celebrating a big anniversary, special vacations or trips, and welcoming newborns.

Gift Idea #4 – Cigar Humidor

For that extra-special smoker in your life, a cigar humidor is a perfect gift. The Mid-Century Humidor from Kustom Products is an elegant piece that looks great at home or in the office. 

The box has a high-gloss ebony finish with a sleek handle and plaque in front to commemorate your special cigar lover. The digital hygrometer makes sure that all your new cigars are kept fresh in tandem with the matching ebony humidifier vent.

Help the cigar lover in your life grow his collection with this sophisticated humidor. Give him a special place to keep his favorite cigars fresh.

Gift Idea #5 – Decanter Set

What’s better than enjoying your favorite liquor after a victory? Celebrating with your own decanter set. 

Each decanter set is made from lead-free crystal. The sets also arrive with two or four rocks glasses so your recipient can share their good fortune with friends. Engrave the decanter and glasses with the recipient's initials for that unique touch.

Choosing the Perfect Gift

Some people are difficult to buy for because they seem to have everything already. What more could you add to their lives? The answer is simple… 

Focus on buying useful gifts that they wouldn’t normally choose for themselves. Wine drinkers might already have the proper tools to enjoy their favorite vintage. But they may appreciate an elegant engraved set to show off when in the company of others.

That’s where you come in.

Choose a gift that reflects their personality or interests and personalize it for that special touch.  Recipients may show more appreciation for gifts they can use. So when in doubt, go with simplicity and try not to overthink it.