tchotchkes to watch out for

December 22, 2017 10:05 AM

Looking for stocking stuffer ideas for hipster queer women. **Ignore this thread if you are a hipster queer woman who is related to me.**

The HQW in question 1) like tabletop gaming 2) video games 3) comics 4) cooking 5) dogs 6) nerd stuff.

Would prefer to shop local (of course). Location: Chicago, specifically Andersonville (of course). The Women and Children First staff is getting sick of my face.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

posted by roger ackroyd to Shopping (16 answers total)

Nice set of dice (d6-d20 like this). Always handy to have a spare set.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:08 AM on December 22, 2017 [2 favorites]

Tabletop gaming related things:
The aforementioned dice
A dice bag
A dice tower or tray (some come unassembled or foldable for travel and would fit in a stocking)

Cooking related things:
Smaller cooking tools (A small set of tongs, a small spatula, etc. I didn't think to get these at first, but having been gifted them, they help so much in certain cooking scenarios or with some of my pans, etc.)
Good spices (perhaps with their own little microplane or mini zester?)
posted by shesbookish at 10:47 AM on December 22, 2017

I like the idea of dice, but I'd say, if you can, look for something in the way of a favorite color or a novel color combination or something. Index cards also have gotten heavy usage at my tabletop games, but I'm not sure if it was just my family that always drifted back to doing office supplies in stockings. Those little glass stones that they use to fill vases or similar things that can be used for counters and markers--they can be inexpensive and pretty and small. Gel pens in cool colors, useful for many things but also that.

There are a lot of single-deck-sized card games: Fluxx variants, Gloom, that sort of thing. I put a Fluxx deck into the gift exchange at work this year and the person who got it was super pleased. Even just plain playing cards, does anybody really have enough of those? And as nerdy stuff goes, they can be used not just for card games but also tricks and/or generating random numbers.
posted by Sequence at 10:59 AM on December 22, 2017 [2 favorites]

Does she like video games featuring queer characters? There was a MF post about how 2017 has been great for that not too long ago. Maybe a steam key for one of those would be appreciated.
posted by subocoyne at 11:05 AM on December 22, 2017

It looks like there’s a kikkerland store in Chicago. They have a ton of small cute things, many of which are nerdy. Lots of cooking things also.
posted by bilabial at 11:31 AM on December 22, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't know a single tabletop gamer who would be anything other than utterly delighted to receive more dice at any time for any reason.

why do they love the dice so much
posted by poffin boffin at 12:10 PM on December 22, 2017 [2 favorites]

Hive Pocket

I can vouch for its ability to fit into a stocking as well.

If she likes cute stuff, maybe a Sonny Angel.
posted by Polychrome at 12:15 PM on December 22, 2017

Poking around Autostraddle's "holigay gift guide" might turn up some ideas.
posted by Stacey at 1:12 PM on December 22, 2017

I do not live near chicago so I can't recommend specific stores but I would be on the lookout for:

-a small flannel-scented candle (pref from a local or localish candle company)
-funko pops of their otp
-cute tea infusers like this sloth or narwhal
posted by tan_coul at 2:13 PM on December 22, 2017

Best answer: Great title. Last time I went to Chicago, admittedly rather a longish time ago, it had excellent comix shops -- no idea what the status quo is now, but if they still have them, not all good graphic novels are pricy/too thick to be rolled up to go in to a stocking I'd be really happy to find some short comix and maybe a zine or two in my stocking, with bonus points if they were very local -- does your friend live in Chicago too? I find even sort of mediocre short stuff pulls me in if it's set in familiar scenery. Hrm. The more I think about this, the more confused I am as to why I don't get that sort of thing...

...though I do sometimes get boxes of very cool cards or postcards. Not Hallmark dross, but stuff that sends me to Ikea for cheap frames and then gives my bathroom an interesting decor theme. Taschen and Penguin come to mind as good companies for postcard compilations, and definitely don't overlook the comics stores for that sort of thing. If you already know she loves the work of X, and you can find a card illustrated by X, that in a frame would be sweet.

You could also search for instructions on how to make durable magnets, and make a set out of the DTWoF characters, or something like that...
posted by kmennie at 9:14 PM on December 22, 2017 [1 favorite]

Chicago! My ol' pal Ryan Troy Ford is there and he makes these excellent patches that are definitely hipster, and probably good stocking stuffers.
posted by tmcw at 10:16 PM on December 22, 2017

Rotofugi has some nice geeky stocking stuffers; if you're downtown, I'd also try the gift store of the Chicago Design Museum (which always has good things and which has a gaming exhibition right now) and some of the pop up shops in Block 37 (Cards Against Humanity has one).
posted by carrienation at 8:06 AM on December 23, 2017

Flair in Logan Square might be worth a visit. Instagram.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 12:07 PM on December 23, 2017

kikkerland store

dog butt magnets
posted by zamboni at 4:23 PM on December 23, 2017

Autostraddle gift guides.
Kitchen stuff
Geeky stuff
posted by gingerbeer at 12:15 AM on December 24, 2017

Response by poster: Thank you, everyone, this was super helpful and has inspired a future AskMetafilter question: Fancy dice -- why do they cost so much?
posted by roger ackroyd at 7:29 AM on December 24, 2017