What do you buy as a gift for someone’s “surprise” 50th birthday party? The obvious solution is to go with bot a gag gift, and something the person would actually like to have.
We could have gone with Metamucil, but Geritol’s a little more socially acceptable in a roomful of people, most of whom we don’t know that well. This is a relative’s birthday, but most of the invitees are his friends, not ours. Obviously, this is the gag gift.
Slightly trickier is finding something the person would actually like, but probably doesn’t already own. The invitation read “gifts are not expected,” which we interpreted to mean “they’re not unwelcome, but keep it inexpensive, so as not to embarrass any of the other attendees.”
We settled on Rubik’s Revo. How many adults actually buy themselves toys? Electronic gadgets, yes, but not toys suitable for kids. He’ll have fun with this.
Here’s a follow-up, in case anyone happens to be curious.
The party was phenomenal. I’d previously met perhaps eight others, besides the hosts, and the birthday boy and his wife. There were at least 50 people there.
The birthday boy was indeed surprised. That’s a bit difficult to do to a philosophy professor, but he was philosophical about being caught by surprise.
It took hours worth of festivities and food until the presents came out of a huge bag. Most were for real. A couple were gag gifts. Ours combined one of each, and he laughed.
It’s an in-law thing, but we all sat down on cushy sofas later, with a couple of extended family, to just relax and talk.
It worked out really well.
I usually go for magazine subscriptions to elderly publications. Or at least health mags