Gift buying can be an adventure when the recipient is a geek or nerd. These friends and family members are notoriously difficult to understand and have strange taste in just about everything. The following are ten categories of ideas from which to gain ideas for that hard to please geek.
Books
Picking out a book can be a trip to the unusual and bizarre. It is hard to go wrong with a book from the “Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things” series by Cy Tymony. For geeks who enjoy strange humor there is “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks or the LOLcat collection “I Can Has Cheezeburger?” from Gotham publishing.
T-Shirts
T-shirts have become a popular way to express opinions, identities and even humor. Geeky statements such as “No I won’t fix your computer” to “Come to the dark side, we have cookies” are popular favorites. So are chemical diagrams of caffeine or chocolate. For shirts without words, look for characters such as Domo, the Cheshire Totoro or penguins.
Puzzles
Few nerds can resist the challenge of a puzzle. Iconic classics such as the Rubic's Cube may already be in their collection. Other options include books of logic or sudoku puzzles or a Pentago or Quadrago game board. To provide an extra thrill to the challenge place a gift in a puzzle box that requires the recipient to solve the puzzle to open the box and receive the gift.
Electronics
Many geeks already own the electronics they want or have made their desire for a new one known. Another option would be to help them accessorize with a retro handset for their cell phone or a solar charging station with a variety of connectors for their favorite handheld electronics.
Gadgets
Geeks and nerds enjoy being entertained by gadgets, from small lights and lasers to sporks. Useful choices include a Swiss Army knife with a USB or a USB digital microscope. Gadgets that will provide hours of entertainment would include night vision goggles, scrolling LED message signs or a mini USB lava lamp.
Toys
Toys for geeks have similarities to childhood, but with a twist. An Albert Einstein action figure, a mini model of Stonehenge, a plush microbe, a new set of gaming dice or a grow-your-own crystal kit are easy pleasers. For a more electronics oriented geek, consider an RFID experimentation kit or any of a variety of R/C toys.
For the Home or Office
Though others may not get the joke a nerd would enjoy the endless humor of serving pie from a plate with the value of PI around the edge, setting a table with a table cloth that says “truth” or owning a towel with the number 42 on it. Other favorites for home or work include a binary clock, USB mug warmer, a despair calendar or any of a growing variety of items termed “cubicle warfare.”
Jewelry
Jewelry options are limited to the imagination. Circuit board necklaces and puzzle rings are still common. For a more unusual gift, consider a bottle opener ring, an LED scrolling belt buckle or perhaps a set of steel gauntlets.
Food
Even food can be a holiday gift for a nerd. Forego the traditional cookies and punch for ones made from the Star Wars Cookbook. Astronaut ice cream and unusually flavored lollipops both make great stocking stuffers.
Caffeine
Though caffeine can be considered a food item, not all caffeinated products are edible. Caffeinated soap, caffeinated lip balm or a hand-held espresso machine is a clever gift for a caffeine lover. For more traditional choices consider any of a variety of candies or drinks from Javapops to Penguin Mints or Jolt to Bawls.
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