i have one of those ridiculously hard to buy gifts for dads and his birthday is the 17th. i'm going up there this weekend since i've got school on monday, and i haven't gotten him anything yet. i know some of you have got to have hard-to-buy-for people, too, so i was thinking maybe you had some good ideas?

he's a mechanic and he really loves cars. right now he's rebuilding a 1974 corvette with all stock parts, and i would get him something he needs for that but i'm not sure what he needs -- he's already got a lot of it. i really have no idea...i'm sure this isn't very helpful, but it's really the only thing he shows interest in. cars and motorcycles.

My dad's birthday is on the 18th and I'm at a loss for him. But maybe a nice coffee table book with photos of neat old cars in it? Would your dad like that?

I've found that those "hard to shop for" people really love sentiment. A nice picture frame with pics of you or loved ones.
I know my dad melts when I get him a kid's book that reminds him of when I was young (ex. "Daddy's Girl").
Take him out to dinner. Time spent with him will really be valued, expecially now that you're grown up.

Old LPs, tools, CD's/mp3 play loaded with good oldies, my dad loves the garmin i got him for christmas, antiques (compass, golf memoribilia), massage gift certificate... these are just a few that i have done. Hope this helps!

OOhhh!!! My dadd's 50th is on the 24th!! Yikes. Keep the ideas flowing. I like the idea of memory gifts seeing as I just got married...

My dad is a total geek and loves TV shows like Star Trek TNG and MacGuyver, so I started getting him seasons of his favorite shows for each birthday & Christmas. He LOVES it and it's the gift that keeps on giving! Pick a long show and 1 season = 1 holiday = lots of gifts! It's made gift giving for him so much easier.

The trouble with my dad is not that he doesn't want anything - the trouble is that everything he really wants is way too expensive to consider.

That being said, many guys love sophisticated new things. A special shaving oil (instead of soap), little handy devices (keys, buttons, gotta love em), desk items are examples of things I've bought and that were well received.

Oh yeah! Things Remembered is one of my favorite places. My dad works behind a desk, so for a year or two I got him personalized desk accessories. A clock for Fathers day, name plate for his birthday, and so on. He really liked it and they all match. Got him the mahogony and silver set. It might be something to check out - you can get other manly things. Like a personalized flask or wallet or lighter or beer mug or picture frame... And they have lots of sales, especially around the holidays.

gift certificates are usually safe. dinner is also a good idea.

My dad gets mad if I spend money on him usually... So I usually get him something small, or make him something. I bought him some slippers for xmas this year. He'll like them, and they're cheap enough that he won't freak out on me for spending money.

Calendars are sometimes a good choice... most people will use them, but few buy them for themselves. There are probably hundreds of car/motorcycle ones out there.

How about clothes? Do you know what size he wears? My husband and my dad both hate hate hate buying clothes, but love having new things to wear, so that's my fallback gift. I probably buy my dad at least one shirt/sweater/jacket a year.

Most people like gifts they can do or eat. Gift cards for restaurants, movies, bowling, a zoo or museum... gift baskets of foods/beverages... that sort of thing.

My dad is one of those uber-mechanics too, and anything car-related that I would buy him is usually just not right for whatever reason, so I wouldn't go there.

What they do typically like is machinery in general and being able to see how things work. So combine that with something he needs.

If I were you I would probably get him a skeleton watch.


To add: http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wat...5/product.html

That watch is fantastical, but it might not be his style. Just remember that most are automatic, so they must be worn a few times a week (the natural motion of your arm keeps the gears in motion) in order to keep time properly. If you get him one, you should also get him a watch winder for when he doesn't have it on or it will quit working. It's easily remedied just by putting it on for a few days and manually winding it every morning, but nobody wants to wear a watch that doesn't keep time. It looks stupid. Best to avoid that issue altogether. LoL.