Illustration: Pete Gamlen
Just before Thanksgiving, we offered our gift-giving expertise to our newsletter subscribers. We asked them to tell us who they were having trouble shopping for, what that person was like, and how much they wanted to spend. Almost 300 people responded, asking for help finding gifts for hard-to-buy-fors like bro-man brothers, mothers-in-law, and no-hobby dads. For snobby best friends and fratty jock godsons. For anarchist aesthetician wives, rich cheapskate husbands, and nonbinary teens. And for a 81-year-old father’s girlfriend who’s into R&B, doo-wop, dancing, and soup. Below are our gift picks for 71 of the 292 giftees. To make it a bit easier, we’ve organized by price, from least expensive ($20) to asks with no budget. We’re sorry that we couldn’t help everyone, but for those of you who didn’t get specific answers, hopefully these will provide the inspiration that you need.
“My nine direct reports plus my boss plus two peers. I’m looking for something nice but somewhat generic — we’re based in L.A., so something local would be a plus.” Budget: $25
“My 28-year-old single sister who works from home and who is into anime, cats, and Dungeons & Dragons.” Budget: $25
“My grandsons (seven of them) between ages 4 and 12.” Budget: $25
“Twin 11-year-old girls who are into crafts and games — but I don’t want to give them the exact same thing.” Budget: $25
“My 60-year-old boss whose hair is always perfect and who’s into football, rum, and Key West.” Budget: $50
“The four-person team I support at a private-equity firm (I’m an assistant).” Budget: $50
“My picky Virgo sister who’s into Bravo, skin care, her toddler son, and falling asleep on the couch.” Budget: $50
“My late-20s female co-worker who has two small children and is into baking, hosting dinner, and trash reality TV.” Budget: $50
“My friend whom I haven’t seen in a while because I have kids and she doesn’t. She’s into the outdoors, her German shepherd, and travel.” Budget: $50
“My friend group, all of whom are women in their 50s. They’re into wine (but they won’t admit it), trying to stay in shape (but hate yoga), and dislike (a) anything that reminds them they are getting older and (b) “self-care,” which is the bane of middle-aged women’s existence.” Budget: $50
“My colleague who is an avid reader and wine drinker.” Budget: $50
“My 81-year-old father’s girlfriend who’s into doo-wop, dancing, and soup.” Budget: $50
“My 62-year-old sister who is a clinical psychologist and is into oblong scarves, supporting the Democratic Party, and bicycling.” Budget: $50
“My 60-year-old dad who is in a Jewish motorcycle gang and is into whiskey, music, art, and food.” Budget: $50
“My employees with high expectations for a gift from their boss.” Budget: $50
“My 13-year-old niece who’s into LEGO flowers.” Budget: $50
“My solidly upper-middle-class stepmother whose personal taste I don’t understand after 25 years.” Budget: $75
“My college-freshman sister who is deeply cool and into environmental activism and ’70s fashion.” Budget: $75
“My wealthy friends who have everything and are into food, wine, their two homes, and Vermont.” Budget: $100
“My rich cousin’s children, ages 2 months and 5 years.” Budget: $100
“My son’s godfather who’s into tech, expensive clothes, and showing off.” Budget: $100
“My new boo who’s into poetry, design, and the Midwest.” Budget: $100
“My bike-riding sister who’s into millennial pink, temporary tattoos, and her dog.” Budget: $100
“My mid-40s female manager with a husband and two small kids, who recently moved to the suburbs of L.A. from downtown San Francisco and misses the city. She’s into beautiful home objects that are also childproof.” Budget: $100
“My chiropractor son-in-law who’s into camping, four-wheelers, and being a dad to two kids.” Budget: $100
“My boyfriend’s European mother who is into clothes, jewelry, natural wine, and not eating.” Budget: $100
“My 41-year-old anarchist aesthetician wife with a sense of humor who is into bagels.” Budget: $100
“My 36-year-old son who is a physics engineer and who just moved into a fourth-floor walk-up in Brooklyn.” Budget: $100
“My 21-year-old godson who is a fratty jock at Tulane.” Budget: $100
“My intelligent and easygoing 17-year-old nephew who is into basketball, gaming, and music.” Budget: $100
“My adult sister who doesn’t like clutter and who is into plants, horses, and buying her first house.” Budget: $100
“My 90-year-old retired architect, magazine-publishing, sophisticated, minimalist, intellectual stepdad.” Budget: $100
“My 82-year-old Florida mother who has space for nothing and buys herself everything but feels hurt if gifts don’t arrive and who is into Murano glass.” Budget: $100
“My 50-something cool teacher dad who’s into surfing, basketball, being active, sunshine, and cold glasses of water. Budget: $100
“A 21-year-old nondrinking, a cappella–singing college senior who’s into gaming, programming, and music.” Budget: $100
“My extremely dapper, sartorially elegant dandy dad who’s into Savile Row and Jermyn Street tailors, things with old-world charm, James Bond, and oysters.” Budget: $100
“My sister-in-law who’s into camping, long acrylic nails, and discovering oneself.” Budget: $120
“My bro-man brother who’s into UFC fights, Joe Rogan, documentaries, and Chicago sports teams.” Budget: $125
“My Gen-Z ecoconscious nephew who’s just out of college and is into Christopher Nolan movies and video games.” Budget: $140
Photo: Retailer
“My 79-year-old retired NYPD homicide-detective father who’s into reading spy novels, sitting in his recliner, and eating sweets.” Budget: $150
“My sister-in-law who wants to stay hip as a new mother and who is into Mexican textiles, fair-trade coffee, and organic baby clothes.” Budget: $150
“My nerdy manfriend with benefits who’s into nuclear energy, DIY crafts, and dirtbag-left comedy.” Budget: $150
“My spouse, who’s into classical music.” Budget: $200
“My minimalist boyfriend has a long commute and a Frenchie.” Budget: $200
My girly, sporty, best friend who’s never been married and is turning 40. She’s into workout gear and trendy jewelry.” Budget: $200
“My girlfriend of six years who’s into tattoos, cats, and skateboarding.” Budget: $200
“My Gen-X best friend from childhood who is a family doctor and who is an empty nester as of this fall. She’s into literary fiction, dogs, Hawaii, and all things Disney.” Budget: $200
“My father, who is retiring and has absolutely no hobbies.” Budget: $200
My brother and sister-in-law, who for some reason we still exchange gifts with.” Budget: $200
“My 70-year-old architect mother who is notoriously difficult to shop for. I have gotten her the exact thing she has mentioned and she still returned it. She’s into modernist-designed objects for her new desk.” Budget: $200
“My 41-year-old boyfriend who still wears his old college T-shirts and who is into hockey and golf.” Budget: $200
“My Gen-Z tattooed husband who is into LEGO and yard work.” Budget: $200
“My 16-year-old granddaughter who’s into Taylor Swift, learning to drive, and Lululemon.” Budget: $200
“My snobby best friend with exquisite taste who is into cooking and reading.” Budget: $250
“My friend who is extremely wealthy and who is into horses, fast cars (as in owns multiple Porsches), gin, and body maintenance (we are past 62).” Budget: $250
“My 14-year-old son who lives in Mexico and who is into politics, girls, growing weed, and getting off the grid.” Budget: $300
“My nonbinary teen who’s into sarcasm, 2010 cartoons, and YouTube.” Budget: $300
“My millennial son (38) who can afford to buy himself anything and is into sports, music, F1, NFL, and cooking.” Budget: $300
“My 36-year-old fiancé finishing a Ph.D. in neuroscience who is into film, cooking, high-tops, and minimal graphic tees.” Budget: $300
“My 19-year-old son who attends college abroad and is into philosophy, intellectual speakeasy situations, girls, and traveling by train throughout Europe.” Budget: $300
“My girlfriend, who lives in a tiny apartment with two roommates. She started her new job as an assistant fashion designer in June. She’s into cooking and baking and really enjoys the fall season.” Budget: $300
“My wife, who is a very hardworking primary-care physician, mom to two tween boys, and a patient partner. She’s into gardening — she has all the tools she wants and loves to go to garden stores to pick plants. And we have too many houseplants and pots already.” Budget: $500
“My minimalist-obsessed — but can’t get enough tie-dye and the Grateful Dead — husband who’s into man purses.” Budget: $500
“My grumpy 75-year-old father-in-law who has everything but is obsessed with his boat.” Budget: $500
“My ‘I wish I were 16, but I’m only 13 years old’ daughter who’s into skin care, makeup, shopping, and anime.” Budget: $500
“A high-powered music lawyer who owns 50,000 albums, thousands of CDs, and rock-and-roll photo books.” Budget: $500
“My 45-year-old rich cheapskate husband who is into tennis at the country club but also hate-eating leftovers because he can’t handle food waste psychologically (for no reason — did not grow up poor, treats it like a game he wants to win).” Budget: $1000
“My 53-year-old sister who has terminal cancer and is into linen skirts, gardening, and the color blue.” Budget: No limit
“My refuses-to-get-a-hobby husband who’s into grilling, bad ’80s music, his Peloton, and Italy.” Budget: Any
“My spontaneous but practical 60-year-old mom who hates dressing up but loves going out. She’s into rom-coms, travel, live theater, and good gossip.” Budget: Any
“My husband, who works in sports and has too many baseball caps. He’s into running and being good at things without trying.” Budget: Whatever it costs but not Goop $$$$
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
