New rich: Now what?

pick something that relates to his interests. A cool gardening gadget, nice bottle of wine or bourbon or vodka, good chocolate, a good cigar, book on cigars. Interesting cheese (I say this because my husband is on a search for 7 year-old cheddar. Cheese is in his future for Christmas.) Or better yet, tell him how much your relationship means to you. Do you have a picture of the two of you together from when you were younger? If so, have it enlarged and framed. People who spend time with you is always a better gift than stuff.

The photo idea is awesome! Lurve to you Alfreda!

Alfreda beat me to the punch a bit…

I had previously seen on your profile where you are a photographer…

Why not a photobook of rarely seen family photos….done in a sepia tone? If not a book then maybe one iconic photo, in sepia or black and white, enlarged?

I don’t know if your relative would appreciate this idea…(I know I would)....but what about offering to do a great photo/potrait of his family?

What they don’t have and can’t buy is something that you made with care. If he likes to eat, make him something in the kitchen, like bread or cookies or something – those always taste better than storebought, and it shows that you’re willing to spend something on him that can’t be bought: time.

You might try thinking of something to do with him, like an afternoon at a garden show, or just a picnic somewhere you both have enjoyed in the past. A gift of your time is something no money could buy. Doing something he may not like to do alone, or somewhere he may not think of going could be a real treat, and “memory maker” kind of gift.

Get him a cool refillable lighter, a large heavy glass ashtray, or a bonsai tree.

How about that new Zippo lighter that runs on butane? Perfect for cigars and you could get it engraved!

I go for the “something you made” type of gifts, too. Lurve to laureth. Try a basket of things you put together yourself. Our next door neighbor once gave us a basket of homemade cookies, homemade hot cocoa with Mexican spices, homemade packets of spices for mulling wine, banana bread, etc. They buy supplies and put them together over the span of a week before they deliver them leaving the cooking until somewhere near the end so those things will be fresher. We enjoyed them for quite some time -especially the mulling spices. :^>

You can put together baskets of things around any theme and they can be as detailed and thoughtful as you’d like.

Also, there may be something he’d love someone to help him do that would be weird to ask of a friend. If he’s really into gardening maybe offering to help him plant a tree in the right season. Help him make a snow sculpture for Christmas.

Maybe offer to commemorate an event with your photography. It doesn’t even have to be a party-type of event. I like to take “before” and “after” shots of my gardening or workshop or finished shots of my needlework or glasswork. If I had a friend who was much better at photography than I am, I’d like it if they offered to help me take some great shots of my finished work.

Is there some project he wants to do in his garden or some other hobby that you could help him with, putting in some muscle and some time without a cash outlay? Or is there something he likes to do and his wife and kids are not really into at all, some sport or spectator event or activity? Your company and your enthusiastic participation in something of interest to him might be a much more meaningful gift than some article you purchase from a store.

This isn’t going to help, but i remember an old gag that goes;
Q. What do you give a person who has everything?
A. MORE!