Gift Guide continued...
For the guy who has had the same wallet for years: Wallet
Your guy has that one wallet he loves, but it falls apart a little more every time he pulls it out of his pocket. This gift may actually turn into an investment (we’ll get into that later), so I’d recommend something timeless and leather. This wallet from Wilsons Leather is great in both quality and value. If you want to splurge, try this one from Ralph Lauren. This one is Vachetta leather (which is untreated Italian leather) and is sure to be a hit. I. am. obsessed. with Vachetta. This type of leather ages differently for everyone based on use, so his wallet will eventually age into something unique that no one else has. I’ve learned over the years that a lot of guys hold on to wallets for one of two reasons:
For the guy you’ve dedicated your life to:
Now, if you read the paragraph above, you’re probably thinking I’m going to say the same thing here. Not necessarily. For the most part, most guys won’t have a clue if you picked a gift from a gift guide. Most will, however, let you know in some way if you got it wrong. If he’s like my husband, he’ll be pretty honest and let you know. But, it could manifest itself in other ways (he’ll tell you it’s great, but then Christmas day is the last day you will ever see it or he’ll maybe inquire about a receipt). We don’t get much grace here, but that’s okay. My biggest advice here is to get it right (easier said than done, I know). Go with something you know he will love or he will surely use (something to make his life easier). Listen and watch for little clues throughout the day. The best gift I ever gave my husband (in his own words), was a guitar. He had been talking one day (months before Christmas was even on our minds) about how he’d always wanted a guitar growing up but never received one. The guitar is currently a playland for dust, but I’ll never forget how he lit up like a little kid that one year.
1. It’s a sentimental piece and was passed down/given to him from a special person; or
2. The particular style he loves has been discontinued and cannot be replaced. If the particular style has been discontinued, you can try to search for something similar or even search for the exact one on eBay. Most companies replace discontinued items with something incredibly
similar, however, so I’d recommend starting there. If it’s a sentimental piece, you can try to convince your guy to preserve what’s left of the wallet by not carrying it around anymore. Either way, gifting your guy a wallet may turn into an investment as he may not be willing to forego what he is currently using, but there will inevitably come the day where his wallet finally falls apart, and he’ll have that one you gave him ready to go.