Anyone else have someone in their lives who is impossible to buy gifts for. I bring this up, as my father is that person for me. Every birthday and Christmas my brother and I go through the nightmare of trying to pick something out for our father. My father has been a truck driver ever since I can remember, drove oil tankers, then switch to local delivery to be closer to family. He grew up on a farm, and still maintains about 25 head of Herefords. My brother and I have found his favorite hobby is......work. During the summer when oil delivery is slow, he works for himself operating a John Deere skid steere, sweeping town roads, parking lots, and other odd jobs. Gifts tend to turn into sock drawer items. For instance the "Band of Brother's" DVD box set my brother got for him, that sat on shelf for 2 years, before my brother shamed him into watching, and then he only got to disc 2. Only thing I have gleaned off from him as a gift idea is a set of Crimson Trace grips for his S&W 686, but unfortunately a couple hundred on a set of grips is out of my price range. Closest thing I could afford in that aspect would be a set of "combat" finger groove grips in the $60-$70 range. Sorry for the rambling just had to vent a little.

I know what you mean, my Dad used to be the same way, wound up giveing him cases of oil and filters for his car. Get him some work boots and gloves perhaps?

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Stay safe people!

How about a new coat when he is taking care of them Herefords. It does get cold in Maine.

JCPenney : Carhartt® C01 Blanket Lined Duck Chore Coat

I've been told that I'm impossible to buy for. NOT!! Having the family around is good enough for me, but they don't see it that way. I've told them every year, if you must, any tool, ammo, fishing lures, even used stuff like chess sets, lanterns, etc - it's the thought that counts. Just don't think about a tie.

Apparently I'm pretty hard to buy for, too. Let me just say I appreciate the gift cards much more than the sweaters.

Actually, I've been telling people for years to take what they would spend on me and put it in the Salvation Army's bucket outside the grocery store. It makes me happy and it helps someone who truly needs it. Does your dad have any favorite charities or causes?

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You can never go wrong with fruit cake.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

If he drinks, a bottle of his favorite brand?

I'm probably one of those people. Nobody needs to give me anything to make me happy on Christmas. I don't need anything and don't want much, either.

That said, I graciously accept anything anyone gives me but in most cases I'd be happier if they spent the money on themselves or gave it to a good cause.

For years I fought with the old what to buy.
I would buy things and you can tell by the look on ones face that the gift was not appreciated.
The last few years, I have been buying gift certificates. They
are usually for food places. I have found that they are much more accepted than a normal present.

You are a Trip!

One of the new powerful LED flashlights that fits in a work coat pocket would come in handy feeding and checking the cows at night.

Or a Swiss cowbell for his favorite bovine. I put one on Daisy (my 12 year old brood cow I bottle raised), and it was neat hearing it in the dark and knowing who it was. I would call her up at night and could hear her break into a run by the bell sound.

I am hard to buy for. I hate for people to spend their money on something I don't want. If you got to get me something give me money. I can buy what I want. Gun stuff! Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

Just $64.99 will buy him a set of Shooboy Hammers, that's a whole $5 less than the grips you are thinking about. I could even get them to you before Christmas. Nothing left to worry about, and if he doesn't use them they could always get up and walk over to your workbench !!! Just an idea..... Shoo

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"Get Hammered By a Shooboy!!"

That's a good idea Shoo. I think I will combine your idea with Sips, and put together a Shooboy Hammer and fruit cake basket. That way he could use the hammer to break off the fruit cake to eat. Must have a fruit cake laying around here somewhere... and I know what you're thinking there's the one that typed this post.

Actually, shooboy's idea is a good one. Something really nice that a person might not buy for himself.

I'm one of those folks that's hard to buy for, because if I like it, I already bought it. However, many years ago, my son gave me a 1026. I liked that!

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Formerly Model520Fan

You'd better get the flame-hardened Shoo Hammers if he's going to be using it on fruit cake. Don't forget the safety goggles, either.

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Insert short witty words here

Great idea.

Anybody thats curious mine is any Jack Daniels product...

Carhartt makes other things too. Their gloves are top notch, hats last a long time.

And if he hobby ranches, get him some solar barn lights. Charge during the day and keeps things lit up several hours at night.

I have a brother who is impossible to buy for. He owns part of three different pawn shops, so most anything he might be interested in is available to him. He is a collector and a "squirreller away-er". I have been buying him the Browning Limited Edition knives with the print and presentation case each year. This year, I changed up a little and ordered him a hand-carved Lobo Threepersons holster for his Model 63. He won't use it much, but he will "squirrel it away." He is left-handed, and has a left-handed grandson who will probably wind up with the revolver and holster one day.

I would recommend custom holsters, preferably from Lobo, as gifts for those who are hard to buy for.

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Georgia On My Mind

My Dad is next to impossible. The past few years we've been buying him books, World War 2 and Bill O'Reilly go over well. Problem is he reads them in about two days and then either buries them somewhere or gives them to me. Buying him a meaningful gift is pointless. I once got him a nice lighter. He just looked at it and said "but I like Bics". Impossible.

I think you all have good intentions, for me the greatest gift from my kids is their time. Taking the time to talk and without the TV or cell or the worst, those computer games, or phones to interrupt is was I relish the most.

Both my wife and I fall into this category according to our kids, our siblings and our friends, but they overlook the simple fact, that they are, in and of themselves, the best and most appreciated gifts we could ever wish for, or receive. A visit or phone call, letter or card is most appreciated and more than enough.

The gifts my wife and I exchange are usually simple and most often inexpensive.
One year she gave me handwritten "Gift Certificates" redeemable for back rubs, foot massages and loading magazines while I shoot, type things.
One year I gave her a bag of small stones that had been worn smooth in a river that flowed near where she had played as a child.
(She paints pictures of animals on small stones and good candidates for this form of art are difficult to find in the limestone covered area we live.)
Sometimes it is just a simple note saying "I Love You"


Merry Christmas to All,
John & Marcia

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Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

I'm an old fart with three grown up daughters. While I like gift cards I aways end up losing them. If your dad is a work-aholic like me then buy him what he needs. Nice warm leather gloves, expensive warm socks (my feet are always cold, but one daughter bought me socks that I would never spend that much money on and I love them). Carhart Coat. Long johns. Maybe some new tools.

Get the idea? People that love works love things that make work doable. Don't have time to watch TV (find it boring).

Even if he doesn't show it I'm sure he appreciates whatever you buy.

Boy, that's even better than warm socks. Don't buy him a gift card to some resturant; TAKE HIM TO DINNER. Take him shooting. One of the best times I remember with my father was to taking him to toy train layout. He couldn't walk and was too proud to go in a wheelchair. As a kid I loved toy trains it was one of the few things we did together. Towards the end my mother suggested I take him to a local toy layout. My father, a stern German, almost cried he enjoyed it so much.

The point I'm trying to make is Fathers (and Mothers) love your company more than your gifts.

+ a Googolplex on that.

Marcia and I have both outlived our parents and won't see them again in this life, but to those whose parent(s) are still living among us, set aside any differences that may exist and just give them a hug, we never know which hug will be the last.

John

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Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

A sidebar on giving Gift Certificates as gifts.

Make sure the establishment issuing the Gift Certificate will be in business long enough for it to be redeemed.

Among other things, the hospital I worked at gave me a Bennigan's Gift Certificate when I retired. There wasn't anything wrong with Bennigan's, but we usually eat at the Mom & Pop restaurants in the area rather than big chains and franchises, and it would have taken several visits for just the two of us to use up the value of the certificate, so we decided to wait until family or friends visited to use it.

You guessed it. The restaurant chain went out of business, before we had any out of town visitors.

To tie this sidebar back into the thread. I really appreciated the gift, even though it turned out to be useless.

John

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Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

Everybody likes a nice pocketknife...

You can spend a lot of money, but there are still some nice knives made in USA that are not expensive.

Utica cutlery is making a line of nice knives in the USA--you can get a bone handled stockman for about 35 bucks. Great gifts.

Consumables. My father was a pain to buy for. If he wanted something, he bought it. But he was a golfer. Golfers always need balls. A dozen Top-Flites cost, back then, around 20 bucks. That was a decent present, and he always needed golf balls.

Does he shoot? Ammo. Does he prefer to load his own? Bullets or primers. I got stuck, one year, for my brother, and at the last minute wrapped up a brick of CCI LR primers. He was tickled pink.

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I always take precautions

im 25 years old, and everyone calls me the old man of the family, i just want to be left alone or a simple telephone call will do. most of my family doesnt have much and my wife and I are pretty fortunate to have a decent income so we just make sure all the little ones have a lot of presents to open. Then the family gets mad when we dont want anything, or it makes them feel bad or something, I dont know i dont get it but I accept everything with a smile and a hug. I guess people just cant understand when you really dont want something you just dont want it?

It sounds like your dad is a dedicated outdoor kinda guy, probably only wears the big bulky Carhart coveralls in the winter. You might consider some of the newer style of "long johns" by Under Armor or something similar. They are not cheap but they work well without all of the bulk.

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Mike in SouthCentral Kentucky

My dad was a tall man. I had a GF that ran a big & tall mans store for many years. She would always send him fine cloths for christmas and brithdays. Finaly I had to go home when he had alzhimers in his late 80s and put him in a convelsant home. In cleaning up the old house I found every thing she had sent him for about 12 years was still in the wrappers and unopened! Yet he wore his old stuff untill it disintergrated on him!
It aint romantic, but I just send money to the grandkids. Why send them something they arent going to use, or exchange for something else, PLUS pay about 50% extra of what it is worth just to get it there?