ThinkGeek.com Young Star Wars fans will enjoy a Darth Vader-shaped lunch box ($15); it comes, of course, with a sound box to mimic the heavy breathing. A problem solver will be thankful he or she can sip coffee out of the Rubik's Cube mug ($13). Or purchase someone a Doctor Who screwdriver toothbrush ($15), so they can maintain their pearly whites while showing allegiance to the British time traveler. Think Geek is fully stocked with these kinds of items, which turn a person's shameful favorites into awesome gifts.
[Read: 5 Non-Traditional Hot Spots for Holiday Bargains]
UncommonGoods.com. You can find unique gifts for the entire family on this website. Its products include creative items such as a set of four love letter napkins ($48), a fortune keeper bracelet ($49)—for people who don't want to part with their favorite cookie prophecies—and bookends made from recycled records ($40). There's even a DJ cat scratching pad ($35) that will hopefully keep the receiver's feline from tearing up the couch.
FredFlare.com. This site features an array of cool items designed to surprise gift recipients. Travelers can show off with the Where I've Been Scratch Map Travel Edition ($22), a metallic-glazed diagram of the world that works like a lottery ticket: The recipient just scratches away where they've been. Let them lick on some bacon- or pickle-flavored candy canes ($6.50 each) until their taste buds are content. Or make cleaning off the table easier with the help of a battery-operated mini robot vacuum ($18), which sweeps up crumbs as it's moved over the surface.
[See: 16 Things You Should Never Buy New]
MarblesTheBrainStore.com. This site serves as both an information resource on how the brain works and a retailer of products designed to improve one's memory, critical thinking, coordination, visual perception, and word skills. Its collection of fun, expert-tested products includes Splickety Lit ($25); as the site explains, "Each question has words or phrases that have their beginning fonsonants clipped (consonants flipped … you pet the gicture)." Another best-seller designed to improve hand-eye coordination is the Ogosport Mini Disks ($30)—two 12-inch, portable mini trampolines that bounce balls up to 150 feet. (They're also waterproof, in case the person wants to impress others at the beach.)
Reader Comments (