Getting Personal

                More random than racing grannies
            
                Imagine you have the most difficult person in the world to buy an unusual gift for. Imagine that this person is very picky, not easily satisfied, and is perhaps in a position to make you very shame faced if you get the selection wrong. Imagine this person is your boss, your mother-in-law, your sister for instance. As a matter of fact, it could be any one of those people on your gift list. Get it wrong and you could be setting yourself up for some troubled times ahead. You need to think and plan carefully in order to find the right present. That is the reason why unusual gifts cannot fail to please and satisfy the recipient when they open up their wrapping to find something weird and wonderful, perhaps something that makes them chuckle or gets their blood pumping faster in anticipation. 

So let us establish what kind of person you are buying unusual gifts for. They may have been around for quite a few years and in their lifetime seen several truly awful gifts. On the other hand they could just as equally have seen some fabulous presents that they cherish to this day. Maybe they would love something nostalgic, something that will take them back to their '70s disco days, with flared loon pants, heavily lacquered hairdos, and bad taste music. The 1970s scrapbook will satisfy their retro appetite with lots of facts and photos relating to all that was the 1970s era. If you want to head even further back in time there is so much to choose from, according to the price range and decade. For the child of the 60s you cannot go wrong with a Childhood Memorabilia Pack crammed full of Beatle pop concert replica tickets, fabulous Cindy doll leaflets, Action Man memorabilia and even a chewy Fruit Salad sweet which you could buy in those days for the grand old price of 4 for one old penny. Oh yes, the good old days. Granny and Gramps will love some 1940s memorabilia as an unusual gift, to jog the mind and set them into action with their long ramblings about the war years. An RAF Memorabilia Pack or Blitz Memorabilia Pack will get them going for hours. For people of all ages, in fact everyone who ever takes a bath, the Miss Behavin II is a truly unusual and inspirational gift. This is a retro bath time boat produced in metal and is powered by candles, and makes an interesting alternative to the traditional yellow duck. It may even help to keep the water from going cold.

You cannot get more personal than the unusual gift of a personalised photo present. This will brighten the hearts of even the sourest of people. All you have to do is choose the photo you wish to have featured on your selected gift. Unusual photo gifts to choose from range from the practical to the downright ostentatious. Have a wash bag or make up bag personalised and no one will every mistake it for theirs. Or for those kitchen gods and goddesses, why not treat them to an apron and oven gloves with their face emblazoned for all to see. In fact the range of items that are available for the personalised photo treatment are extensive; glasses cases, shopping or handbags, even cushion covers and deck chairs for the exhibitionists among us. Or you could simply opt for a personalised poster featuring a huge range of subjects such as sports, gardening or food themes, or some fabulous underwater or landscape scenes. If you are searching for an unusual present for you pet, and there's no use denying it, it's something most of us do at some time, then there's a really adorable hamster print that can be personalised for you.

If you think that having a photo staring out at the receiver of unusual gifts is not what they will want, a different way of showing your appreciation for them is with a message gift. A paper weight or picture frame perhaps, with a variety of messages and for a host of different occasions ranging from births and christenings right through to 90th birthday celebrations and beyond. There are also a variety of engraved gifts that you could choose from, with more than enough alternatives to suit everyone's taste and pocket. It is amazing just what items you can buy engraved with your personalised message. Money boxes for those practically minded folks who are sensible enough to save for a rainy day, fluted champagne glasses for those with a reason to celebrate, a cutlery set with teddy design for those littlies who are learning to feed themselves at last, the pink hip flask for the woman who loves those invigorating winter country walks but needs something to revive her after hunting for Heathcliff all day on the moors; there really is something for everybody. The best gifts are unusual gifts and it is so simple to find a present that definitely is more random than a racing granny.

Related article: Unusual gifts that'll tickle your funny bones (Unusual Gifts)