Buying gifts for guys is a tough task with just a few options available. Manasi Mathkar tries to find out how one can tackle the crisis

It’s your fiancé’s birthday and you are absolutely tired wondering what can you possibly gift him beyond the clichéd watches and T-shirts. It is a problem, finding gifts for guys, and it just seems to get worse with every passing birthday and other festive occasions. Perfumes, wallets, belts, books, sunglasses and some sci-fi video games — the list doesn’t go beyond a typical few. Agrees Sharmistha Talwar, an engineer, “Forget my boyfriend, I myself get bored of seeing the same stuff he gets on his birthday every single year. Imagine, he got four wallets literally of the same kind this year! I almost felt sorry for him.” Be it your dad, brother, boyfriend or husband, scouting gifts for the menfolk in your life is a task in itself.

To add to the woes, not all guys are expressive. So instead of wondering what gift he might like, keep a discrete watch on his likings and wishes which can probably help you zero down on a gift. Says Aisha Khan, a beauty therapist, “My brother is a music freak and had long wished for a guitar. So one year, I surprised him with an electric guitar and he was thrilled to the core.” On that note, you can also pay for his guitar classes or any other instrument that he is keen on learning. Gadgets and gizmos are also something any guy will fall for and the latest one to please him seems to be the Android. Men are attracted to fancy gadgets giving them access to a multitude of information. So laptops, palmtops, cell phones, all can be considered. Then of course, there are the music players such as iPods and MP3s and anything else that offers music and data download.

As the age-old saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So another idea is to prepare a yummy sumptuous dinner for the two of you (make sure you include his favourite dishes in the menu!). You could also bring a smile on his face by gifting him tickets to his favourite concert. Says Trupti Rao, a writer, “Book a tour for him, of some adventure safari. If possible, tag along with him, or just let him enjoy the trip with his friends. For instance, gift him a fully paid for paragliding weekend and see how he glows!”

Guys are known to be automobile-savvy, and if the man in your life is a car freak, you can gift him a model of a vintage car or even a BMW. While these models don’t come cheap, it is definitely something that the boys treasure. 

But the real fun lies in how you present your gift and that could simply transform everything. Says Maithilee Pujari, a translator, “My gift was a book of poems. But then I wrote a few lines myself and added those on the book cover. It was kind of a personalised gift. My husband still treasures it,” she smiles. Adds Suvarna Kulkarni, a teacher, “I put up balloons and streamers all over the house on my husband’s birthday and gave this whole feel of a kiddie bash. He was laughing uncontrollably and said it made him feel young all over again. It didn’t matter whether I just gave him a heartfelt card and a box of chocolates later on.”

So if you feel the gift isn’t impressive enough, make sure the way you gift it is special. The trick lies in conveying the real feelings. After all, it’s the thought that counts.