Unique gift for Poppa
January 23, 2008 9:14 AM Subscribe
Giftfilter: please help me blow my sister's gift out of the water!
My dad's birthday is coming up next month, and I actually have a little bit of cash available to get him something this year. My sister takes great pride in the relatively unique gifts that she gets him, so an overwhelming sense of sibling rivalry has driven me to just smoke her this year.
He's a copywriter and graphic designer (I'm a designer as well), and a major history buff, with a minor in WW2. So, on the web I found this authentic German tax certificate (for the record, we are not anti-semitic or Nazi apologists, just history and history of design buffs), but the price was a little too high; $100. I'd like to spend no more than $50 including shipping. Any ideas? He's also a fan of Ancient Rome, Ireland (history and culture), America's Industrial Revolution railroad history, and homefront/post-war Los Angeles, if that helps. Thank you!
My dad's birthday is coming up next month, and I actually have a little bit of cash available to get him something this year. My sister takes great pride in the relatively unique gifts that she gets him, so an overwhelming sense of sibling rivalry has driven me to just smoke her this year.
He's a copywriter and graphic designer (I'm a designer as well), and a major history buff, with a minor in WW2. So, on the web I found this authentic German tax certificate (for the record, we are not anti-semitic or Nazi apologists, just history and history of design buffs), but the price was a little too high; $100. I'd like to spend no more than $50 including shipping. Any ideas? He's also a fan of Ancient Rome, Ireland (history and culture), America's Industrial Revolution railroad history, and homefront/post-war Los Angeles, if that helps. Thank you!
If he's into railroad history, you can find him some reasonably-priced railroad antiques here:
http://www.railserve.com/Antiques/
You could maybe get him something smallish like an old railroad lock and have it put in a nice display case for him.
posted by katillathehun at 9:26 AM on January 23, 2008
http://www.railserve.com/Antiques/
You could maybe get him something smallish like an old railroad lock and have it put in a nice display case for him.
posted by katillathehun at 9:26 AM on January 23, 2008
How about a pre-war Weimar Republic banknote designed by Bauhaus legend Herbert Bayer?
posted by ScottUltra at 9:54 AM on January 23, 2008
posted by ScottUltra at 9:54 AM on January 23, 2008
Hee! I thought for a brief second that this was written by my little brother, since I also pride myself on getting really unique gifts. The best-loved things I've gotten for my Dad were postcards of the small town in Wyoming where he grew up. I searched ebay for the name of the town and found a couple of postcards from the right era that showed the high school and main street. I put them in frames and gave them to him for Christmas. He was stunned.
posted by MsMolly at 11:01 AM on January 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by MsMolly at 11:01 AM on January 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
These maps might be more modern than what you're looking for, but I love the design. Not sure if your dad has ties to any of the cities available, though.
posted by emd3737 at 12:11 PM on January 23, 2008
posted by emd3737 at 12:11 PM on January 23, 2008
Best answer: I'm interested in graphic design and history, and I'd love to receive one of these posters. The War of 1812 chart would probably be good.
Tufte also has some art prints, but they're out of your (and my!) price range.
posted by kidbritish at 12:59 PM on January 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
Tufte also has some art prints, but they're out of your (and my!) price range.
posted by kidbritish at 12:59 PM on January 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: All great and difficult to choose from answers (I have choices for many years to come), but kidbritish pulled ahead with a great value. Thanks guys!
posted by Brocktoon at 6:19 PM on January 23, 2008
posted by Brocktoon at 6:19 PM on January 23, 2008
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Get him this! Its an antique printing thing. High in unique-ness factor.
Hurry though, only 7 hours left.
posted by ian1977 at 9:22 AM on January 23, 2008