Christmas Gift Ideas - $20 or less

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BMCGear

BMCGear

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So this year the family is doing the gift exchange a little different. The brother n laws are exchanging gifts and the limit is $20 each.

Brother N Law 1 - likes to hunt and cook. He doesn't seem like a knife guy at all to me but he hunts all the time and likes to enter cooking competitions.

Brother N Law 2 - He's more of a homebody. Likes video games and history.

Any ideas for gifts around 20 or under?
 
20s kinda limiting, but, the hunter/cook, not going to get a decent hunting knife for twenty bucks but one of those magnetic strips you hang on your wall to put your knives on for cooking probably get that for twenty bucks.
A nice blacksmith forged meat hook, for cooking on a fire, you can get those for around twenty bucks, a bit more for a nice one though
The video game/history guy, don't know, 20 dollar gift card to GameStop, or gas money to get back and forth to school. No video game experience.
Good luck and Merry Christmas.
 
Milwaukee makes a pen light for $20. That’s getting a lot of praise. I found it in 2 packs for $30. Limit of 5. So I bought 5, So have 10 presents to give.
 
For the Hunter\Cook, maybe some Wild Game Seasonings like Field & Stream sells. I don't know about a wild game cookbook but you might be able to find one for less than $20
 
$20 or less ?
Get a 10" lodge cast iron skillet , or the little egg sized skillet in the wildlife series that is cast with an elk or deer on the bottom. ( The 10" in the wildlife series is about $30 )
 
$20 is rough. Anything targeted to hobbies/interests (for anyone) starts to get much more expensive.

For BIL #1, if he likes to cook, does he like spicy things? You can get some really interesting gourmet hot sauces that range. You can also get some nice, infused olive oils at that price - chili pepper, blood orange, garlic, rosemary, etc...

BIL #2, I have no clue, as I'm not a gamer. But games and equipment aren't cheap. He into anything else?


Some things I've received that were in that general price range, that I actually really appreciated:

If either are drinkers, whiskey stones are always cool gift.

So are rocks glasses (some interesting ones on the big river site). Even just nice glass ones with their initials engraved on them.

Craft beer drinkers always enjoy a nice bottle of something. For $20 you can get some really interesting, specialty beers, either in 4 or 6 packs, or single 22oz bottles. Or just put together a mixed 6-er.

A BIL of mine once showed up to Christmas with a roll of Kennedy 1/2 dollars, and handed them out to all the men in the room. Wasn't anything special, or even part of an 'exchange', but it was just kind of a cool thing to do.

Credit-card/pocket/keychain tools are always fun and cheap. I gave out Swisstools to all the groomsmen at my wedding. My inlaws gave me a cheapie metal one two years ago, which rides in my wallet, and always insures I have a bottle opener on me (beer drinker).

And they may not be knife-guys, but a Vic Classic with their name on it is also an option.

Just some ideas that might work for ya.
 
Leatherman has some cool pocket tools, and is having a sale on many of them. About 6 years ago I gave my cousin a Leatherman shark for his high school graduation, and he still loves it. Has seen him through four years of college here in Chicago, two years in Colorado, and now DC. He visited me in the hospital last year right as he was moving to DC, and he still had it and told me it was one of the most useful gifts he has ever received.

Unfortunately, they discontinued it, but they have some very similar pocket tools under $20. My cousin is a non knife guy.
 
BMCGear said:
So this year the family is doing the gift exchange a little different. The brother n laws are exchanging gifts and the limit is $20 each.

Brother N Law 1 - likes to hunt and cook. He doesn't seem like a knife guy at all to me but he hunts all the time and likes to enter cooking competitions.
Click to expand...

Is ammunition or a cleaning kit a possible option for a good gift?

Brother N Law 2 - He's more of a homebody. Likes video games and history.

Any ideas for gifts around 20 or under?
Click to expand...

What sort of history does he like? Also, how good are you at metalwork? If he the sort who would appreciate a reproduction of the WW1 French Nail trench knife?

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Although gift certificates tor restaurants, Amazon, Walmart, etc. are welcome by some (like me), here's a combo that I had for years while working in the hospital and can be found for under $20 combined:

Gerber Curve (can be found for around $10-$14) plus a LifeGear LED Mini Aluminum Keychain Flashlight (around $3). I like the Lifegear version better than the $10 Streamlight, because its battery compartment is more secure.

gerber-essentials-curve-multitool-blue-31-000116.jpg

aluminium-key-chain_1.png


Personally, I also like to carry a small folding nail clipper if my MT doesn't have scissors (Munkees folding nail clippers; around $10):

717G905WeyL._SX425_.jpg
 
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I gave Photon Microlights one year to my siblings. You can't hardly tell they're on your keyring.
That was a few years ago and they're still thanking me.
 
I will send you two autographed pictures of myself for $40.

#1
A good pair of Mechanix work/hunting gloves? Always handy to have. Plenty around $17-20.
If you want a folder. Kabar Dozier Folder is right at $ 19.95 . SAK?
You could always do a fixed blade Mora. Useful in the field for dressing game or in the kitchen. Several choices under $20.
A flashlight of some kind (key chain, head lamp, pocket) is always handy. You can find some decent stuff at $20.

#2
Not up to date on video game stuff.
Is he a fan of actual books? You could always try to find an old book on the bay or craigslist on a subject he likes. I have a few math and science books from the bay and craigslist.
Or maybe a $20 amazon gift card for book downloads?
 
BMCGear said:
So this year the family is doing the gift exchange a little different. The brother n laws are exchanging gifts and the limit is $20 each.

Brother N Law 1 - likes to hunt and cook. He doesn't seem like a knife guy at all to me but he hunts all the time and likes to enter cooking competitions.

Brother N Law 2 - He's more of a homebody. Likes video games and history.

Any ideas for gifts around 20 or under?
Click to expand...

Even guys who aren't knife guys like flashlights. Plenty to be had for under $20. AA or AAA lights would be my recommendation.
 
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In the EU, any musical recording published before 1964 is in the public domain. Reissue labels republish these old recordings, some of them long out of print. Higher tier reissue labels try to obtain the best possible sources: original mix and broadcast tapes, unplayed collector vinyl, etc. They provide booklets with detailed playlists and scholarly notes, and occasionally they even pay royalties to living artists. Lower tier reissue labels simply copy the work of others and sell it cheaper, typically without the booklets, detailed playlists, scholarly notes, etc. which are copyright protected.

House of Jazz is (or was) a Dutch shovelware reissue publisher of 10 CD boxes. A bunch of these are available for $14.90 each at Berkshire Record Outlet, the No. 1 internet dealer in cutout CDs and musical DVDs of mostly classical music. Go to their search menu and run a label search on House of Jazz. Any jazz fan with a small collection would be happy to get the Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Billie Holiday 10 CD boxes.

Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Smith, Horace Silver, Lester Young, Hank Mobley, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Clifford Brown, Ben Webster, and Gerry Mulligan are probably safe enough — I would be happy to get any of them — but if you know very little about jazz or the recipient's taste, pick one of the four in the second paragraph.
 
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After reading some of these, a nice growler would be cool, hit up a local brewery and get one of there's filled, have to do it at the exchange for it to be fresh.
A nice flask for 15 and by yourself a good bottle of whiskey and fill thiers and keep the rest for yourself.
 
Surplus Pancho liners.
Not gonna get a new one, but wash a surplus one and all the slick shiny brake in period is over.
 
For the cook:

Old Hickory knife by Ontario..great for hunters and cooks!
More - great cheap knife
Opinel - Another cheaper knife that is awesome

For the Gamer:
Giftcard to whatever console he has..whether its a playstation giftcard or xbox, they can buy in game loot with it.
 
I actually think small dollar limits for gifts are great. Requires much more thought and consideration when shopping for each person.


Bro in-law #1. Enamalware camp cup at $3-$20 and/or an Olite I3e EOS flashlight at $10.

Bro in-law #2: the book,His Excellency: George Washington. Hardcover is ~$17

Alternatively if either is a coffee or hot tea drinker, an RTIC 12oz stainless steel double walled tumbler can be had for less than $15. Every bit as good as Yeti but less expensive.

I have all of the above, so can recommend them with confidence.

knarfeng said:
Even guys who aren't knife guys like flashlights. Plenty to be had for under $20. AA or AAA lights would be my recommendation.
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^^^This. Unless you know a guy already carries a pocket flashlight, rarely is a inexpensive but quality pocket flashlight not a hit.
 
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$20.00 in scratch tickets. Maybe not "thoughtful" but always fun and hey, he could win some money if he's lucky.
 
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