Undercover Kringle
December 2, 2010 8:53 AM Subscribe
I hate giving people normal gifts, like soap or cheeses...
This year, I'm taking part in a Secret Santa at work. The possible receivers of this gift 96% most likely going to be male (I'm female), mostly geeks, a fair number of book readers, many gamers, very open to humor (they'll all randomly yell "red light behavior!" and start humping their also male victim, who pretends to either swoon or flail helplessly). Basically, very very nerdy weird people.
I really dislike giving people normal gifts for these kinds of things.
I will be looking on ThinkGeek.com to see if I can find something, but would like other online stores or ideas for gifts.
I have about a $15 cap, but am willing to spend about $20 if the gift is really good.
It should really be something either super randomly awesome and/or white elephant hilarious.
This year, I'm taking part in a Secret Santa at work. The possible receivers of this gift 96% most likely going to be male (I'm female), mostly geeks, a fair number of book readers, many gamers, very open to humor (they'll all randomly yell "red light behavior!" and start humping their also male victim, who pretends to either swoon or flail helplessly). Basically, very very nerdy weird people.
I really dislike giving people normal gifts for these kinds of things.
I will be looking on ThinkGeek.com to see if I can find something, but would like other online stores or ideas for gifts.
I have about a $15 cap, but am willing to spend about $20 if the gift is really good.
It should really be something either super randomly awesome and/or white elephant hilarious.
I love Archie McPhee for this kind of thing. Though YMMV. I got my sister an action figure from there one year and she got completely offended. However my sister gets offended when people breathe. So you'd probably be fine with normal folk.
posted by routergirl at 8:59 AM on December 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by routergirl at 8:59 AM on December 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
A flashing red light to use as a prop.
Look in the geekery section of Etsy...some of it's lame but there's a lot of great video game humor. And robots. And science.
posted by iconomy at 9:01 AM on December 2, 2010
Look in the geekery section of Etsy...some of it's lame but there's a lot of great video game humor. And robots. And science.
posted by iconomy at 9:01 AM on December 2, 2010
Inexpensive but fun and not overly-complex games? Like Fluxx or Guillotine or any of the seven million other ones?
posted by kataclysm at 9:02 AM on December 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by kataclysm at 9:02 AM on December 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
Geek (or kid) toys from American Science & Surplus.
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:05 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:05 AM on December 2, 2010
I am also nerdy and weird (albeit female), and if someone bought me Ctrl + Alt + Del cups I would be super impressed.
posted by specialagentwebb at 9:11 AM on December 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by specialagentwebb at 9:11 AM on December 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
Don't laugh, but the Mustard Museum could give you some good ideas. In addition to tasty and fun products, including many non-mustard and non-edible goodies, the Curator has, shall we say, a creative sense of humor. (I think you'd have to if you wanted to make something out of this business, and boy has he ever.)
I've ordered several custom gift boxes from them, mainly because they're great with shipping products from my home state, and people have enjoyed them quite a bit.
posted by Madamina at 9:31 AM on December 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
I've ordered several custom gift boxes from them, mainly because they're great with shipping products from my home state, and people have enjoyed them quite a bit.
posted by Madamina at 9:31 AM on December 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
OH! Also, maybe you should check out Regretsy (and then poke around those posts if the item in question is unavailable or out of your range).
posted by Madamina at 9:33 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by Madamina at 9:33 AM on December 2, 2010
Crime scene scarf?
Plush microbe?
Soap Lady soap?
Conjoined gingerbread men cookie cutter?
posted by MsMolly at 9:34 AM on December 2, 2010
Plush microbe?
Soap Lady soap?
Conjoined gingerbread men cookie cutter?
posted by MsMolly at 9:34 AM on December 2, 2010
Well, the screaming flying monkey can't be dismissed. It's only a few bucks, but maybe in conjunction with something else?
posted by Night_owl at 9:35 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by Night_owl at 9:35 AM on December 2, 2010
How can you go wrong with a pound of silly putty? (various sources available, depends if you want name brand or cool colors)
posted by whatzit at 9:37 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by whatzit at 9:37 AM on December 2, 2010
Fireworks. Everybody likes fireworks. Except dogs. Don't give them to dogs.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 9:43 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by A Terrible Llama at 9:43 AM on December 2, 2010
Giant Microbes
Specifically, the STDs (everyone loves "The Clap!" And Syphillis is a good one too)
Of course, it's not 100% unique because I did it this year already, but it went over really really well!
posted by cathoo at 9:45 AM on December 2, 2010
Specifically, the STDs (everyone loves "The Clap!" And Syphillis is a good one too)
Of course, it's not 100% unique because I did it this year already, but it went over really really well!
posted by cathoo at 9:45 AM on December 2, 2010
The creators of the plush microbes, Infectious Awareables, have other great stuff. (I LOVE my dad's syphilis tie *giggle*). Non-boxers might be a little out of your price range, but the sale page has some stuff in the $20-$25 range.
posted by Madamina at 10:15 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by Madamina at 10:15 AM on December 2, 2010
This gift showed up in this thread and frankly it looks really cool.
posted by bearwife at 11:13 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by bearwife at 11:13 AM on December 2, 2010
Specifically, the STDs (everyone loves "The Clap!" And Syphillis is a good one too)
Is it weird to give this to family members?
posted by mewmewmew at 11:23 AM on December 2, 2010
Is it weird to give this to family members?
posted by mewmewmew at 11:23 AM on December 2, 2010
ant farm
posted by juliapangolin at 11:27 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by juliapangolin at 11:27 AM on December 2, 2010
Creationary is a fun nerdy game to play, but unfortunately is more like $30. However, while trying to find that game the weekend before Thanksgiving, we were told of the Catan Goodies. I know at least we immediately had a couple friends in mind as possible recipients.
posted by mysterpigg at 11:55 AM on December 2, 2010
posted by mysterpigg at 11:55 AM on December 2, 2010
Urban Outfitters has all sorts of unusual toys and gizmos for $20 and under.
posted by geeky at 12:14 PM on December 2, 2010
posted by geeky at 12:14 PM on December 2, 2010
The Mütter Museum Calendar is always a favourite gift of mine... though they have a glorious selection of gifts. And, I love the Skull a Day blog's "Skulls" book.
posted by peagood at 2:57 PM on December 2, 2010
posted by peagood at 2:57 PM on December 2, 2010
a really good marshmallow shooter and a bag of ammo.
Lego minifigs
several screaming monkeys
LED holidays lights for cube decoration.
make candied bacon, or get some very high quality bacon to give. and maybe some bacon bandaids. MeFi mail me if you want my candied bacon notes. It's insanely delicious.
White elephant hilarious works if you have some really weird thing at home, or find something awesome. Buying truly random stuff is kind of a waste of energy.
posted by theora55 at 3:08 PM on December 2, 2010
Lego minifigs
several screaming monkeys
LED holidays lights for cube decoration.
make candied bacon, or get some very high quality bacon to give. and maybe some bacon bandaids. MeFi mail me if you want my candied bacon notes. It's insanely delicious.
White elephant hilarious works if you have some really weird thing at home, or find something awesome. Buying truly random stuff is kind of a waste of energy.
posted by theora55 at 3:08 PM on December 2, 2010
Specifically, the STDs (everyone loves "The Clap!" And Syphillis is a good one too)
Is it weird to give this to family members?
It's probably weird to give it to family members, but my little sister gave me The Clap! for Xmas last year, and I thought it was awesome. (Now my kitten is obsessed with the clap. She carries it around and alternates between grooming it and ferociously attacking it, which is adorable in a deeply disturbing way.)
posted by kataclysm at 7:04 AM on December 3, 2010
Is it weird to give this to family members?
It's probably weird to give it to family members, but my little sister gave me The Clap! for Xmas last year, and I thought it was awesome. (Now my kitten is obsessed with the clap. She carries it around and alternates between grooming it and ferociously attacking it, which is adorable in a deeply disturbing way.)
posted by kataclysm at 7:04 AM on December 3, 2010
I just bought a bunch of math-nerdy (non-transitive and Sicherman) dice at Optical Illusions as stocking stuffers for my newly minted math teacher husband (probability is his favorite unit to teach). There's also Unemployed Philosophers Guild (though maybe it's just me but it's gone downhill it seems like), whose stuff you often see in in-store quirky boutiques. You know, philosopher finger puppets, watches, ties, t-shirts, clocks.
posted by ifjuly at 7:47 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by ifjuly at 7:47 AM on December 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griphus at 8:58 AM on December 2, 2010 [5 favorites]