Gifts for Men Who Have Everything

What's the biggest mistake you can make when you're looking for great gifts for him? That's easy: assuming that he already has everything.

Getting him something he doesn't have doesn't necessarily mean you're getting him something he wants. Most guys don't have a salmon-hue stovepipe hat, but that doesn't mean we want one.

Buying a gift for him based on what he doesn't have is going about it the wrong way. Men are resourceful creatures. If there is something out there that we really want, we probably already have it, in some form or another. But since we're resourceful, and even a little cheap, we may have settled for something a bit less than what we really wanted in the first place.

Think about it. How many second-rate dartboards are out there? How many substandard home bars and entertainment centers are sold at discount stores every year that end up falling into disrepair? Men sometimes don't think things through when we shop. We see a globe and think, "Hello, what's this? Oh great... a globe! That would look great in the office!"

It doesn't matter that it's the shoddiest, ricketiest globe in the world if the price is right. So we pay the absurdly low price for an inferior globe that looks decent for a few weeks and then, as somehow we knew it would, that globe begins its slow wobble before finally falling off its axis. It sits there, on the floor, and we tell ourselves we'll fix it. But we never do.

The fact is, we would really enjoy a decent bar globe. One that spins smoothly. One has the countries labeled accurately. One that opens up to reveal a bar and drinking glasses!

The key to finding a great gift for him is to look at what he already has. Get him that quality globe that he won't buy for himself!

He may have that bar he slapped together from some old coffee tables and remnants from the deck he built last summer, but he wants a real home bar, one with style and shelves and an even countertop. That magnetic travel chess set does the trick when he wants a game, but how great would it be if he could play chess with real carved wood or alabaster pieces? These are the type of gifts they want!

The grill on the patio still works, but some guys are just too practical (another synonym for cheap that guys like to use) to go buy a new one for themselves. So get him a new grill! It's a gift you know he'll love. If that's not in the budget, there are some quality stainless steel grill tools that would make his day.

If he likes to garden, how about a sundial or a fountain to spruce things up? Or get him a well-built hose reel that will last longer than a single season. The card shark? Give him some real casino-style poker chips.

Let someone else buy the cheap gifts. This year, get a gift for him that will keep him happy for years to come. Get him what he already has. Just get him a better one.