Something Special from 1943
June 24, 2013 12:59 PM Subscribe
My Dad is turning 70 in a few weeks and I would really like to buy him something special that was made in 1943. I have looked around and there are a few ridiculously expensive vintage wines and some very kitschy coin collections but I have not been able to find anything that really fits.
Alcohol comes to mind as he loves to pull out some good booze when they have guests but he's totally opposed to pretentious collectibles. I have looked around for something like an old Scotch or Brandy but I can't find anything under $500 (shipping to Virginia).
He also loves fishing, leftist politics, modernist art and boats. I am feeling a bit hopeless and would be grateful for any creative tips.
Alcohol comes to mind as he loves to pull out some good booze when they have guests but he's totally opposed to pretentious collectibles. I have looked around for something like an old Scotch or Brandy but I can't find anything under $500 (shipping to Virginia).
He also loves fishing, leftist politics, modernist art and boats. I am feeling a bit hopeless and would be grateful for any creative tips.
If you search Vintage 1943 on eBay, a bunch of things come up! I like the sheet music and the Life magazines.
posted by thinkpiece at 1:22 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by thinkpiece at 1:22 PM on June 24, 2013
Vintage poster (not a repro)
Or a stock certificate or a share in a company founded in 1943?
posted by Ideefixe at 1:23 PM on June 24, 2013
Or a stock certificate or a share in a company founded in 1943?
posted by Ideefixe at 1:23 PM on June 24, 2013
If he loves modern art, there was a lot of amazing classic modern art happening in 1943. You could get a high quality framed print of a painting or etching or something that was created in 1943. Escher's reptiles is a cool picture if he would like that.
posted by steinwald at 1:32 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by steinwald at 1:32 PM on June 24, 2013
1943 was the last year of the WPA, and the related modernist poster art (which might be considered leftist as well).
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 1:36 PM on June 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 1:36 PM on June 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
I love the 1943 WPA poster idea. Allposters.com has them and it's great! Also, super afordable.
Also a fun thing to do is find 70 little things, and wrap them up separately, each with a little couplet describing you love or the utility of the item.
For example, wrap up a pack of gum.
For those times you feel a coot,
Here's a pack of Juicy Fruit
(Berma Shave?)
That is always fun and it's a complete gas to watch someone unwrap all that cool stuff.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:46 PM on June 24, 2013
Also a fun thing to do is find 70 little things, and wrap them up separately, each with a little couplet describing you love or the utility of the item.
For example, wrap up a pack of gum.
For those times you feel a coot,
Here's a pack of Juicy Fruit
(Berma Shave?)
That is always fun and it's a complete gas to watch someone unwrap all that cool stuff.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:46 PM on June 24, 2013
How about a newspaper for the day you were born? I see it sometimes and think it's kind of cheesy but for this, it might be pretty cool.
You could probably track down his hometown paper if you poked around Ebay a bit.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 1:53 PM on June 24, 2013
You could probably track down his hometown paper if you poked around Ebay a bit.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 1:53 PM on June 24, 2013
Perhaps as the basis for some sort of creative gift, you might know that 1943 was the year that U.S. pennies were made from steel due to the WWII shortage of copper.
Wikipedia pages that might be handy: 1943, 1943 in the United States, 1943 in art, List of ship commissionings in 1943, List of ship launches in 1943
According to Wikipedia Air Wick air fresheners, the Aqua Lung/La Spirotechnique - the "first open-circuit, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (or SCUBA) to reach worldwide popularity and commercial success", Pizzeria Uno Chicago-style "deep-dish" pizza, Uncle Ben's Rice, the Chutes and Ladders board game, and the "Jubilee" cultivar of tomato from Burpee Seeds were first introduced in 1943.
posted by XMLicious at 2:04 PM on June 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia pages that might be handy: 1943, 1943 in the United States, 1943 in art, List of ship commissionings in 1943, List of ship launches in 1943
According to Wikipedia Air Wick air fresheners, the Aqua Lung/La Spirotechnique - the "first open-circuit, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (or SCUBA) to reach worldwide popularity and commercial success", Pizzeria Uno Chicago-style "deep-dish" pizza, Uncle Ben's Rice, the Chutes and Ladders board game, and the "Jubilee" cultivar of tomato from Burpee Seeds were first introduced in 1943.
posted by XMLicious at 2:04 PM on June 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
If he likes sweet(ish) dessert wines, a 1943 Rivesaltes isn't too expensive, but might be very hard to find in the US.
posted by cromagnon at 2:25 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by cromagnon at 2:25 PM on June 24, 2013
A newspaper from the day AFTER he was born will have the news from his birthday.
posted by brujita at 3:20 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by brujita at 3:20 PM on June 24, 2013
First edition of a book published in 1943? There were lots of good ones...
posted by kmennie at 6:32 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by kmennie at 6:32 PM on June 24, 2013
Just to say .... I'm turning 70 this year, and although all the suggestions are creative, they all involve things from before I notice/remember anything, and if I got any of them, they would just scream OLD.
How about celebrating his 70th by something that puts the emphasis on the present and/or the future. I'd love to get something trendy or stylin' or otherwise of the moment.
Or if you have to get him something from the past, how about something from 1843?
posted by kestralwing at 11:29 PM on June 24, 2013
How about celebrating his 70th by something that puts the emphasis on the present and/or the future. I'd love to get something trendy or stylin' or otherwise of the moment.
Or if you have to get him something from the past, how about something from 1843?
posted by kestralwing at 11:29 PM on June 24, 2013
At 70, there is a fighting chance that you dad has most of what he needs. If you spend more, or go to lots of effort to get a commemorative something I'm sure it will be well received, but there will be a marginal gain for him.
Rather, for many 70 year olds, as they slow down a little and their world shrinks a bit what really makes a difference is experiences they can enjoy that give them great memories: a great restaurant meal at a place they'd never know about; a planned day or things they'd find fun with people they love.
It sounds a bit patronising and certainly would be if you explicitly position it as I have. But my experience is that putting the time and effort into unique experiences pays dividends. My folks still talk about stuff we've done over the past couple of years. Fun stuff gives them social capital by giving them fun things to talk about with their friends. It also keeps them in the game. I took my folks out for lunch a year ago and they still talk about it partly because they enjoyed it and partly because it was so exciting and new and different for them that it stuck out from their every day lives.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:01 AM on June 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
Rather, for many 70 year olds, as they slow down a little and their world shrinks a bit what really makes a difference is experiences they can enjoy that give them great memories: a great restaurant meal at a place they'd never know about; a planned day or things they'd find fun with people they love.
It sounds a bit patronising and certainly would be if you explicitly position it as I have. But my experience is that putting the time and effort into unique experiences pays dividends. My folks still talk about stuff we've done over the past couple of years. Fun stuff gives them social capital by giving them fun things to talk about with their friends. It also keeps them in the game. I took my folks out for lunch a year ago and they still talk about it partly because they enjoyed it and partly because it was so exciting and new and different for them that it stuck out from their every day lives.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:01 AM on June 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm only 55 and I'm already feeling like I have enough *stuff* in my life. Maybe you could make up a slide show of images from 1943 - all kinds of things from ebay auctions to newspaper headlines. Something digital that he could view at his leisure and then also do the experience thing.
posted by jvilter at 4:42 AM on June 25, 2013
posted by jvilter at 4:42 AM on June 25, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I don't know if a vintage boat ad is too far into the kitsch territory, but here's one. Similarly, I love these old spotting models, but perhaps it's a bit much.
Actual vintage alcohol will be expensive, but maybe a distillery or brewery was started in that year?
posted by jetlagaddict at 1:07 PM on June 24, 2013