[RAM75]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

BAM! Star Wars themed cuff links that won't break the bank, but not nearly as cool as the other ones in this thread (you get what you pay for)

17.95 on ETSY

 

[Bradjhomes]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

BAM! Star Wars themed cuff links that won't break the bank, but not nearly as cool as the other ones in this thread (you get what you pay for)

17.95 on ETSY

View attachment 1298727

These are awesome! Even better than the ridiculously expensive ones.

 

[docvail]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

So I made my Christmas/Birthday wish list, gave it to my wife, and already received one of the items on the list. In no particular order, here are the things I decided to ask for:

1. Dukes of Hazard Box DVD Set - Season One.

2. Pocket Squares in Assorted Colors & Prints

3. DE Shaving Kit - ALREADY RECEIVED!!! This is the one I got for my birthday, which just passed:

4. New Pajama Pants (my own suggestion, but I'm graciously recusing myself from my own giveaway), my old ones are shot to hell.

5. Amazon Store Credit for my Kindle, or Amazon Gift Cards

6. Old Navy Gift Card (again, my own suggestion)

7. Custom Watch strap from Patrick of Clover Straps

8. A Sea-Gull "Make your own $h1tty Watch!!!" kit, made famous by Capucho, shortly after he went all "drunken Ninja" and damn near killed an unsuspecting Swiss person. Read the full story here - https://www.watchuseek.com/f71/rics-day-944534.html.

Ric doesn't get a prize, because he didn't enter. I saw the kit below in his thread and immediately begged him to tell me how to get one, but without having to damn near kill an unsuspecting Swiss person first. Since I don't live in Switzerland, I have no idea where I'd find one.

So the Winners (?) of this giveaway are:

Marvin the Watcher (Amazon Gift Cards)

Twiceaday (Silk Cravats - Pocket Squares)

Ckot (DE Shaving Kit)

Mark/aka Earl of Cleveland/aka Chief Wahoo (Dukes of Hazard DVD Set)

Guys - once again, here are your choices of fabulous prizes:

1. $25 store credit on Lew & Huey Watches
2. Lew & Huey Official Kickstarter Backer T-Shirt, Men's Size L or XL (US only - only one XL left, first come first serve!).
3. Docvail-made cigar-box watch box. Holds 4 watches and some straps. (US only).
4. $50 donation to the charity of your choice, as long as it's not going to something stupid like teaching monkeys braille or putting bionics in turnips.

For everyone else - thanks for playing along, and for your thoughtful suggestions. Take solace in the knowledge that even though I didn't add your suggestion to my list, just about anything suggested in this thread beats the $h1t out of most of the gifts I've gotten recently, and I'd no doubt like your gift idea better than what I would have gotten this year, were it not for everyone's help.

 

[Bradjhomes]

Congrats to the winners. Fun thread.

 

[twiceaday]

Wow, I never win anything, and this is twice in just a couple weeks.

To keep this karma train a-rollin', I'll take the donation. Find a soup kitchen there in Philly and donate that half a yard in the name of f71. Tell them not to spend it on Rolexes, either; affordables only!

Thanks to docvail for this generous gesture, and to the forum in general for this charming tradition.

 

[T1ck]

Elizabeth Arden Prevage cream - multiple items in the range (hand, face, etc) with mind blowing effects. It is a firm favourite of my wife. It has a noticeable effects days. Sounds about right for price range as well.

 

[T1ck]

Damn... Missed it...

 

[The Watcher]

doc,

i chose donation as well...lord knows i have more than enough these days to be thankful for!
until the next challenge...have a great day f71!

 

[Jme.]

Congrats guys.

Nicely done Doc.


"I'm just a witness."

 

[ckot]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

Cool, I don't enter many of the giveaways here, but this seemed fun. I actually have that razor stand, but then a hodge-podge of gear on it (old Gillette open comb razor, Semoque "boar" brush). Lots of other cool gift ideas in the thread too.

I'll take that cigar box holder if no one else has claimed it. I'd prefer the Lew & Huey discount, but I'm afraid the budget doest stretch to the rest of the watch price right now (hopefully in the new year, though).

 

[theScanian]

So, what are you saying, doc? I didn't win?

Cool enough. It was a really fun thread and I got to learn a lot about stuff I didn't knew
I needed. Congrats to all the winners and thank you Chris for another amusing thread.

 

[docvail]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

I was thinking about this thread as I recovered from another Christmas, and figured I'd give everyone an update, as well as justification for why I never look forward to the holidays, and always keep my expectations low.

To review, my wish list was fairly short, and very specific. Here's a recap of what I asked for, with the results noted:

• Pocket Squares, possibly the easiest to acquire gift on my list - nope.
• Amazon Credit or gift cards, also pretty easy - nope.
• Old Navy gift card (easy to get, right?) - nope.
• DE Shaving Kit - received for my birthday earlier in the month.
• Pajama pants - yes, two pair. A flannel pair accompanied by a matching t-shirt, which I pan to keep. The other pair are fleece, and are going back to the store.
• Custom watch strap from Clover Straps/Patrick - nope. My wife told me it was too much hassle.
• "Make your own sh!tty watch" Kit from Jun Liao - again, my wife told me it was too much hassle (emailing Jun Liao and sending money via PayPal being overly complicated, I guess). She sent me the email she received in response to her inquiry with Jun Liao, and I ended up ordering it myself, so yes, I got one.
• Dukes of Hazard Season One Box DVD set - I actually emailed this list to my wife, and INCLUDED A LINK to this set. Did I get it? Not quite. What I got was the ENTIRE series, seasons 2 through 7, all EXCEPT for season one, but then in addition I got the box DVD set for season one of the Duke's version of "Star Trek, The Next Generation" - apparently they made some half-a$$ed, crappy remake of the series with an entirely new, dip$h1t cast a few years ago, so I got the DVD set for that one (which I know for certain I'll NEVER watch). Of course, my mother-in-law purchased all of this used, so it can't be returned in favor of just getting the one season I asked for and would actually like to watch - the first season, which included my favorite character, deputy Enos, before he was written off the show.

My wife of course thinks I'm an a$$hole for not liking the gift.

What I did get included a joke book I won't read, shoes I won't wear, and a couple of sweatshirts, which were oddly similar, especially considering they both came by way of the same person/people.

This is quite literally EXACTLY how every Christmas has gone for me since the day I was born. When I was 18 I asked for a Sony component system. They got me a Sanyo (crappiest system ever). I asked for a black leather jacket, fingertip length, like the one Gary Oldman wore as Jackie Flannery in "State of Grace". They got me a stupid, brown bomber jacket like the one MacGuyver wore.

Next year I'm going back to asking for cash.

Merry Christmas everyone. If anyone needs me I'll be at the kitchen table assembling a sh!tty watch.

 

[RBrylawski]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

I was thinking about this thread as I recovered from another Christmas, and figured I'd give everyone an update, as well as justification for why I never look forward to the holidays, and always keep my expectations low.

To review, my wish list was fairly short, and very specific. Here's a recap of what I asked for, with the results noted:

• Pocket Squares, possibly the easiest to acquire gift on my list - nope.
• Amazon Credit or gift cards, also pretty easy - nope.
• Old Navy gift card (easy to get, right?) - nope.
• DE Shaving Kit - received for my birthday earlier in the month.
• Pajama pants - yes, two pair. A flannel pair accompanied by a matching t-shirt, which I pan to keep. The other pair are fleece, and are going back to the store.
• Custom watch strap from Clover Straps/Patrick - nope. My wife told me it was too much hassle.
• "Make your own sh!tty watch" Kit from Jun Liao - again, my wife told me it was too much hassle (emailing Jun Liao and sending money via PayPal being overly complicated, I guess). She sent me the email she received in response to her inquiry with Jun Liao, and I ended up ordering it myself, so yes, I got one.
• Dukes of Hazard Season One Box DVD set - I actually emailed this list to my wife, and INCLUDED A LINK to this set. Did I get it? Not quite. What I got was the ENTIRE series, seasons 2 through 7, all EXCEPT for season one, but then in addition I got the box DVD set for season one of the Duke's version of "Star Trek, The Next Generation" - apparently they made some half-a$$ed, crappy remake of the series with an entirely new, dip$h1t cast a few years ago, so I got the DVD set for that one (which I know for certain I'll NEVER watch). Of course, my mother-in-law purchased all of this used, so it can't be returned in favor of just getting the one season I asked for and would actually like to watch - the first season, which included my favorite character, deputy Enos, before he was written off the show.

My wife of course thinks I'm an a$$hole for not liking the gift.

View attachment 1328927

What I did get included a joke book I won't read, shoes I won't wear, and a couple of sweatshirts, which were oddly similar, especially considering they both came by way of the same person/people.

This is quite literally EXACTLY how every Christmas has gone for me since the day I was born. When I was 18 I asked for a Sony component system. They got me a Sanyo (crappiest system ever). I asked for a black leather jacket, fingertip length, like the one Gary Oldman wore as Jackie Flannery in "State of Grace". They got me a stupid, brown bomber jacket like the one MacGuyver wore.

View attachment 1328928

Next year I'm going back to asking for cash.

Merry Christmas everyone. If anyone needs me I'll be at the kitchen table assembling a sh!tty watch.

Chris, I feel for ya. This is why we no longer go shopping, even with a list. Here's what we do. Go to the store where whatever we want is located. Point out exactly what we want, walk away and know what we want is being purchased. I know. There's little surprise here, but the advantage is what we want is under the tree and we can't open anything until Christmas. This year, I wanted new toys for my new camera (Nikon D7100). I got the flash I wanted. I got the lens I wanted. I got the camera bag I wanted. I got the Lenspen I wanted, and oh yes, I got the Apple 64GB iPad Air I wanted.

Next year try that. But more importantly, know that what you did get, was bought by people who love you and they likely thought they were doing great for you. Be happy you have a loving family, albeit one who clearly isn't great at gift giving, but one who loves you none-the-less. Being loved is way better than getting stuff. But being loved and getting what you want is even better!

To next year's holiday and may it yield better dividends for you, my friend.

 

[twiceaday]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

Just buy yourself the stuff you want, but wrap it and put your old lady's name on it. When she tears it open on Christmas morning and sees something like a shaving mug or a naked girls on cars calendar just smile real big and say "Do you like it?" When she says no, look hurt, snatch it out of her hands and tell her you lost the receipt.

 

[NightOwl]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

[*]"Make your own sh!tty watch" Kit from Jun Liao - again, my wife told me it was too much hassle (emailing Jun Liao and sending money via PayPal being overly complicated, I guess). She sent me the email she received in response to her inquiry with Jun Liao, and I ended up ordering it myself

Wait. I thought you were through with paypal.

 

[docvail]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

Wait. I thought you were through with paypal.

Sometimes it's unavoidable, but I've avoided it as much as possible, and I have not bought anything off of ebay. I won't accept PayPal for payment, and I only use it to send payments when absolutely necessary or dictated by the other party.

With people in the US, I've been using Amazon payments. It works exactly the same as PayPal, but with no fee. They just don't do many/any interntational transactions, yet.

I was looking into Bitcoin the other night. According to one sourece, Raketa's website accepts them, and I even noted the Bitcoin logo there, but then when it came to the payment options page, Bitcoin was not listed or mentioned. Go figure. I may still look into accepting them.

 

[GlenRoiland]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

I was thinking about this thread as I recovered from another Christmas, and figured I'd give everyone an update, as well as justification for why I never look forward to the holidays, and always keep my expectations low.

To review, my wish list was fairly short, and very specific. Here's a recap of what I asked for, with the results noted:

• Pocket Squares, possibly the easiest to acquire gift on my list - nope.
• Amazon Credit or gift cards, also pretty easy - nope.
• Old Navy gift card (easy to get, right?) - nope.
• DE Shaving Kit - received for my birthday earlier in the month.
• Pajama pants - yes, two pair. A flannel pair accompanied by a matching t-shirt, which I pan to keep. The other pair are fleece, and are going back to the store.
• Custom watch strap from Clover Straps/Patrick - nope. My wife told me it was too much hassle.
• "Make your own sh!tty watch" Kit from Jun Liao - again, my wife told me it was too much hassle (emailing Jun Liao and sending money via PayPal being overly complicated, I guess). She sent me the email she received in response to her inquiry with Jun Liao, and I ended up ordering it myself, so yes, I got one.
• Dukes of Hazard Season One Box DVD set - I actually emailed this list to my wife, and INCLUDED A LINK to this set. Did I get it? Not quite. What I got was the ENTIRE series, seasons 2 through 7, all EXCEPT for season one, but then in addition I got the box DVD set for season one of the Duke's version of "Star Trek, The Next Generation" - apparently they made some half-a$$ed, crappy remake of the series with an entirely new, dip$h1t cast a few years ago, so I got the DVD set for that one (which I know for certain I'll NEVER watch). Of course, my mother-in-law purchased all of this used, so it can't be returned in favor of just getting the one season I asked for and would actually like to watch - the first season, which included my favorite character, deputy Enos, before he was written off the show.

My wife of course thinks I'm an a$$hole for not liking the gift.

View attachment 1328927

What I did get included a joke book I won't read, shoes I won't wear, and a couple of sweatshirts, which were oddly similar, especially considering they both came by way of the same person/people.

This is quite literally EXACTLY how every Christmas has gone for me since the day I was born. When I was 18 I asked for a Sony component system. They got me a Sanyo (crappiest system ever). I asked for a black leather jacket, fingertip length, like the one Gary Oldman wore as Jackie Flannery in "State of Grace". They got me a stupid, brown bomber jacket like the one MacGuyver wore.

View attachment 1328928

Next year I'm going back to asking for cash.

Merry Christmas everyone. If anyone needs me I'll be at the kitchen table assembling a sh!tty watch.

I don't want to hear complaining. Top this if you can....

rewind 2 months ago..........my wife says, "honey, DO NOT get me a gift this Christmas, because we are gifting to the homeless is the spirit of giving." I reply, "are you sure?" And she replies, "yes. I'm getting myself pajamas, and I'm getting you pajamas. That's it, we'll both have something to unwrap. No gifts"

Fast forward to December 25th. Wife, in the corner crying at 11 am. "What's wrong honey?" "Not one single gift for me to unwrap that I myself didn't have to wrap!" "But honey, you said no gift, period. To me, that's straight forward."
"No! Didn't you see that my stocking was empty? I gave you ear buds, a sweater, and pajamas. I am so hurt". Then of course everything I have ever done wrong over the last 21 years together comes up. But I reiterate, " you were clear. No gifts. If you say the same thing next year, I will get you no gift. Yes means yes, no means no. There's no interpreting what you said."

Fast forward to December 31st. Wife, crying to mom, "he didn't even get me ONE gift. He's an ____________"

I can't win. I have an upset wife, and at least two gifts I won't use......

 

[Bradjhomes]

 

[docvail]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

I don't want to hear complaining. Top this if you can....

rewind 2 months ago..........my wife says, "honey, DO NOT get me a gift this Christmas, because we are gifting to the homeless is the spirit of giving." I reply, "are you sure?" And she replies, "yes. I'm getting myself pajamas, and I'm getting you pajamas. That's it, we'll both have something to unwrap. No gifts"

Fast forward to December 25th. Wife, in the corner crying at 11 am. "What's wrong honey?" "Not one single gift for me to unwrap that I myself didn't have to wrap!" "But honey, you said no gift, period. To me, that's straight forward."
"No! Didn't you see that my stocking was empty? I gave you ear buds, a sweater, and pajamas. I am so hurt". Then of course everything I have ever done wrong over the last 21 years together comes up. But I reiterate, " you were clear. No gifts. If you say the same thing next year, I will get you no gift. Yes means yes, no means no. There's no interpreting what you said."

Fast forward to December 31st. Wife, crying to mom, "he didn't even get me ONE gift. He's an ____________"

I can't win. I have an upset wife, and at least two gifts I won't use......

We're in the doghouse together, mate. I stepped on a matrimonial landmine last night, and it exploded with all the things I did wrong around Christmas, including a lot of imagined stuff.

At least we're not Capucho. I hear his mother is visiting, and he's been regressed to an adolescent. It's all stammering and sheepish glances from him.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

 

[RBrylawski]

Re: Every Christmas it's the same thing - the help me avoid another crappy gift CHALLENGE!!!!! Givea

I don't want to hear complaining. Top this if you can....

rewind 2 months ago..........my wife says, "honey, DO NOT get me a gift this Christmas, because we are gifting to the homeless is the spirit of giving." I reply, "are you sure?" And she replies, "yes. I'm getting myself pajamas, and I'm getting you pajamas. That's it, we'll both have something to unwrap. No gifts"

Fast forward to December 25th. Wife, in the corner crying at 11 am. "What's wrong honey?" "Not one single gift for me to unwrap that I myself didn't have to wrap!" "But honey, you said no gift, period. To me, that's straight forward."
"No! Didn't you see that my stocking was empty? I gave you ear buds, a sweater, and pajamas. I am so hurt". Then of course everything I have ever done wrong over the last 21 years together comes up. But I reiterate, " you were clear. No gifts. If you say the same thing next year, I will get you no gift. Yes means yes, no means no. There's no interpreting what you said."

Fast forward to December 31st. Wife, crying to mom, "he didn't even get me ONE gift. He's an ____________"

I can't win. I have an upset wife, and at least two gifts I won't use......

DING DING DING........Ladies and Gentleman, we have THE winner of you lose no matter which way you turned this Christmas.........