What $20 gift is good for a 15-year-old boy (not a book)?

July 14, 2006 10:39 AM

What gift can I get for my godson who is turning 15 years old? He will not read a book. I'm thinking $15-$20.

He likes to play guitar, but I don't know his CD or MP3 collection intimately - besides, he just downloads what he wants.

posted by feelinggood to shopping (17 comments total)

A subscription to Yahoo Unlimited (or one of the competing download services) is about 36.00 for a year's time, but it gives him streaming customizable radio, download ability for tracks and copy ability to DRM compatible devices, and a rating system that starts to make the "My Station" have weird ESP about your music tastes after a while.

15-20 at Best Buy (or the like) in gift certificate form would also go a long way, I'm betting.
posted by thanotopsis at 10:43 AM on July 14, 2006

a comic book?
I don't mean random dreck, but something like The Dark Knight Returns or maybe even Transmetropolitan.
posted by heeeraldo at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2006

ContrarianFilter: get him the first Harry Potter book anyway. :-)
posted by baylink at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2006

God son the album?

But seriously though, when I was that age cash was the best present I could ever get.
posted by milarepa at 11:03 AM on July 14, 2006

At 15 years old I am sure that he may be into sports, baseball football or have favorite team. I have found that you can relatively inexpensive sports logoed items at local team stores or an internet search. Amazon has many things now dvd's,music etc. You can look at a gift certificate to Itunes for his Ipod at Itunes. But I can honestly say even though I grew up a jock I had one prevailing interest that was girls! So some type of cologne or fragrance may work. the best place I have bought items for my wife is at The Fragrance Discounter . They were reliable. all in all I hope this helps!
posted by goin4brk at 11:15 AM on July 14, 2006

Whatever download service he uses (if it's a for-pay service) - a gift certificate to that.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:15 AM on July 14, 2006

How about a DVD of The Godfather?

also, I had the same thought as heeraldo: graphic novel. Maybe The Watchmen; it's a well-regarded classic that for years has been rumored to be in the works to be a movie. It could make you seem cool and ahead of the curve.
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 12:03 PM on July 14, 2006

Money.
posted by k8t at 12:36 PM on July 14, 2006

A kick in the pants for not reading.

Ok, serious answer...music lessons. He'll appreciate that.
posted by Kickstart70 at 12:37 PM on July 14, 2006

A guitar tabs book, perhaps?
posted by notnamed at 1:06 PM on July 14, 2006

If you're concerned about his lack of enthusiasm for reading, then a graphic novel. Neil Gaiman writes some pretty cool stuff, and if he likes it, he might seek out some of his novels.

If he does any tabletop gaming (Dungeons & Dragons, RIFT, etc.) then those gamebook guides are good for stealth literacy training. (If he plays D&D or the like he probably already has a lot of paraphrenalia, so ask his parents what he doesn't have or give a gift cert for a gaming store.)

What about sheet music for the guitar of some of his favourite bands?
posted by joannemerriam at 1:13 PM on July 14, 2006

Just give him twenty bucks. Seriously. If you don't know him well, cash is the best answer to this question. My younger brother is almost 15, plays guitar and doesn't read and he'd take cash over any of the (good) suggestions in this thread.
posted by MadamM at 1:40 PM on July 14, 2006

Well, Yeah, Cash is King, but I'd still give him a really kick ass comic, like those mentioned above. Maybe think about Preacher. Guns, Hot chicks, Profanity, Blasphemy, and a king hell 400 year old irish vampire named Cassidy. It's pretty much got everything a 15 year old boy might want.
posted by Freen at 3:15 PM on July 14, 2006

Cash is the answer. When I was a kid my well meaning aunt would always give us presents -- that we never were that crazy about.

Just give the kid cash or some free itunes. He'll be very happy.
posted by bim at 3:51 PM on July 14, 2006

Thank you all for your wonderful, generous answers. This is an unbelievable community! I think I'm going to go with a graphic novel (comic book to me).
posted by feelinggood at 4:42 PM on July 14, 2006

It is about time the kid started reding. Find him a 'cool' book that he can relate to. i.e. a novel that was made into a movie that he has seen. Planet of the Apes (The original short story by Boulle), Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Jaws, etc. Look at the Based ona Book list at www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/movie.cfm
posted by Gungho at 7:00 PM on July 14, 2006

reAding, Damn!
posted by Gungho at 7:00 PM on July 14, 2006