Attention Dads in their 60s with no real hobbies! Gift ideas? (retired, house)

[vabeachgirlNYC]

Originally Posted by Tracysherm

Thanks for all your ideas, people. But my Dad doesn't like going out to things, like shows, concerts, events, sports. Hates traveling.

I told you, he's reeeeally hard to buy for.

I asked my dad. He said don't get him "things", get him something he can eat or drink. I would say maybe something he thinks of as a treat or something he wouldn't want to spend the money on just for himself?

[silibran]

A really nice quality sweatshirt. They have soft and plush ones that are a pleasure to wear.

Try Duluth Trading for ideas.

[SnazzyB]

Your dad is about the same age as my husband and I, so I will offer suggestions based on that. LOL


1. My husband LOVES beef jerky, and loves a variety of such
2. WE love all kinds of coffee. Nearly everyone likes coffee, so maybe you could get a nice variety of different brands or flavors
3. There's more in life than beer. Maybe get him a bottle of Bailey's, or Rumchatta
4. You said he likes rock n roll. Get him a vintage tshirt. A good site for that is www.redbubble.com I bet if you got him a Pink Floyd tshirt, he'd like that. LOL

[NewUser]

As a fellow car guy, here are some things that I would appreciate

You already said that you got him subscriptions to Car and Driver and Motor Trend magazines. There is also a Motor Trend streaming channel. It is only a couple of dollars a month. Add it to his Roku TV or computer

I enjoy going to car museums. There is probably one near you and you could take him for a day trip. I was at one in Myrtle Beach just last weekend and I saw an early 20's grandson there with his grandfather. They had barely made it to the first car and the grandfather was telling grandson about memories that the car brought back

Does he enjoy motorsports? Perhaps take him to a NASCAR race, or the local drag strip, of if there is a nearby race track. Or buy him some time at a local race track to do some laps in his car.

If you are in a large city, perhaps you have a Mecum or Barrett Jackson car auction that comes to town once a year.

One of the things on my bucket list is to go to Monterey Car Week in California.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by vabeachgirlNYC

I asked my dad. He said don't get him "things", get him something he can eat or drink. I would say maybe something he thinks of as a treat or something he wouldn't want to spend the money on just for himself?

McCallan 21 is always nice.



If he does not like it, send it to me and i will adopt you.

[kygman]

You might try what my wife and I did for my parents, in their 80s. We just bought them a gift card and explained that we had no idea what to get a couple who have everything they need or want and thought this way they could get what they wanted. I believe they went out to eat with it.

I'll have to tell a tale on my dad I put in another thread once. For Christmas when my parents were 80, my brother bought them a computer and got them hooked up online (this was when everything was still dial up). A few months later he was having trouble putting a toner cartridge in the printer so he called the toll free number for tech support. When the tech asked "what seems to be the problem" my dad told him "The main problem is I'm 80 years old and don't know why the hell I have a computer in my house!" lol

Hey, I had to check on something and add to my suggestion. You said he watches DVD movies. Netflix still has DVD movies by mail. Maybe a gift card that he could use to rent movies through the mail.

[thinkingandwondering]

I'm sure it's been suggested by now, but give him an experience - dinner and a play, vacation to Hawaii, skydiving, car show tickets, Philly sports team tickets, etc.

[kygman]

I just saw where he said to get him something to eat. Try a gift card you can buy at Walmart and a few other places that is good at several different restaurants. That way, he can choose where to eat instead of just one place.
My parents had a funny experience with a $65 restaurant gift card they received on their 65th anniversary. It was for a steak and seafood restaurant about 3 blocks from their house. My dad called in their order, then, when he went to pick it up, he turned to talk to somebody while they were bringing his order up when a friend sneaked over to the side and paid for his order without him knowing about it. The next week he went back and this time, another friend just walked up and said they would pay for it. He told them about the card but they didn't care. My dad said he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get to use that card. lol

[Sonny3]

Food and alcohol.
Just saw how old this thread is but my answer is still the same.

[Roselvr]

I didn't realize this thread was old. I see Tracy was coming here until spring of this year. Hope she's ok.

I was going to suggest she consider doing her parent's DNA but I see from one of her recent threads that she has done DNA. I'm not sure if she's ever done her parents which is more important than doing your own if you're going to get into genealogy. Can make family trees for relatives as gifts, have them professionally printed

Originally Posted by nuala

Ohhhhh I know about the affliction for American Pickers, Hardcore Pawn and the like ! My hubby is a bit younger, and though we have elementary school kids, I guess the interests are the same in these old buggers.

I think a lot what touches men born in the 1940s, is nostalgia. I absolutely know that my hubby would looove to lay his hands on all those trinkets from good old times, like thing in the American Pickers. So I would suggest to pull his nostalgic string and get him something he remembers from his childhood/adolescence. A toy truck or police car circa 1950-1957. An Air pump from an old gas station - it's smaller than an actual gas pump ,though who knows, if you could lug the actual 1960s gas pump, might as well! Coca-Cola or 7Up cold boxes... manual cash registers.... But I think a toy from his childhood will make him teary the most.

Excellent advice. Not knowing how much the OP wants to spend, can either buy something from Ricks pawn shop or book a trip to actually go there, also visit the restorer guy Rick uses, I can't recall his name, and local pros they bring in such as the toy guy. I'd love to go to his shop.

The "stars" Rick, his son and Chumley, do not regularly work there any more. I started watching the show again when nothing is on. I noticed that after they do their last talk to the camera that they turn and walk towards the back room. I also noticed there was a sign behind where Rick stands that says something to fans but I don't recall exactly what. It made me go to google to see if they actually still worked there. They're millionaires now. Even Chumley seems to be a walking encyclopedia. They ask the seller if they know anything about the item, even if they say yes, the "stars" will still tell "them" about their item history.

Originally Posted by Tracysherm

Welllllll, I posted this over a year ago, before LAST Christmas, and it somehow got resurrected. But I like most of the ideas.

But anyway, no, he does not "expect" a gift. He always says "I don't need anything" or "don't spend your money on me." But I feel like I must get him something, every year for Christmas, Father's Day, and his Birthday. We're not the kind of family to "share feelings" so giving presents, I guess, is our way of saying "I love you."
The rest of my immediate family is big into gift-giving, sometimes to financial excess. There's also this silent competition among my sister, my Mom, and me, to get something for Dad that he'll really like, since he seems to want or need nothing. It's not about him at all--he's not setting up this competition--it's just among us. My sister always "wins" because she has kids, so she can always get him something involving the grandchildren--the digital picture frames full of their pictures, mugs and calendars with their pictures all over, etc.
My big "win" was last Christmas when I got him a big hand-held spotlight. He proudly uses it to scare away raccoons and skunks when he puts the dogs out to pee at night, and he made a point to tell me how useful it was for that.

Sounds like you got him a great gift! I would have appreciated it too. I have a flashlight in almost every area of the house, no kidding. Scissors are another thing that I keep multiple places. I'm regularly always using both.

I didn't look to see when your original post was, I did notice at one point they were recent.

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

Leather apron
Corn huskers lotion
Dremel
Magnetic mat for removed screws while you are fixing something
Those safety glasses with a magnifier built in
Military model rc plane
Nice work gloves
If you live where the weather is icy/snowy those ice cleats and/or gaiters for shoveling

We have a Mac Tools magnetic tray that's about 10 inches wide by 6 inches and a few inches deep. We use it all of the time. It sits on the side of the fridge so it's handy where ever we need to use it.

Originally Posted by chekkmate

I have a very similar problem. My dad, in his 60s has no hobbies. He was an auto mechanic FOREVER and has every tool imaginable. The worst part about it, and unlike the others mentioned on this list, is that he EXPECTS gifts, and they have to be of a certain caliber (read expensive). We've done ipads, laptops, televisions, a couch... One year we bought him clothing and shoes and he didn't speak to us for a month.

We did gift of the month, he complained.

We ask him what he wants and all he says is "I have to think about it."

He has absolutely no interests. Will watch the occasional football game but more to complain about the team than anything else. He will go nowhere. We got him a stock car racing experience, didn't go. We got him a train driving experience, didn't go.

Won't go out to eat.

He is becoming disabled (head, neck and back injuries) so going to a museum or something is out. Won't appreciate food gifts.

Will say he wants a family picture (we've already done this) and then asks "ok, what else?"

He has a motorcycle he doesn't ride. A bose surround sound system he hardly uses. He plays the guitar and has many of them, including ones he made himself, but he rarely plays. He used to be into Z scale trains, he's not anymore.

He has a dog that he doesn't walk (my mom does).

He used to garden, he doesn't anymore.

He used to fish, that also is an extinct hobby.

He doesn't wear jewelry.

He's a very big man.... hats do not fit him... watches/wrist bands do not fit over his hands.

I am frustrated. Please help!

Before I forget, my dad was a mechanic too, one of the first licensed in the state of NJ back in the 70's. My dad passed away almost 16 years ago due to chemicals we used at the gas and service station. He had AML Leukemia. I'm a little younger than your dad, I've already tested positive for Benzene exposure, I will be surprised if your dad also does not test positive. He needs to speak to his doctor to be tested for exposure. You need to learn about AML Leukemia in case he starts having issues where he is run down.

My dad's health got bad which is shocking because he was always so healthy. Next thing we knew, he went from run down to not being able to walk far because he was out of breath.

I'm sorry his back is bad, so was my dad's and mine too. I know what it's like to give everything up due to being in pain.

Do you think your dad would try some of the legal "pot" that's available now? You can buy it a bunch of different ways, edibles, a vape pen, CBD oil. There's one people really like called Delta 8. There's a thread in the health section for the Delta 8. I did a pretty long reply about some of the sites I looked at. See if someone is posting that has chronic pain, they can suggest what to buy and a reputable place. Also something to help him sleep which would be a different product. This is all if he is not in pain management, it may void his narcotic contract.

Your dad sounds hard to buy for, especially because he expects expensive things, then doesn't seem impressed by them. Has he always been this way? My mother was like that. Nothing was ever good enough for her.