Already again its time to stuff that Christmas stocking for a teenage boy. But hey, why wait for Christmas when you can buy him a present for his birthday, Bar Mitzvah, or simply because he volunteered to clean the car despite looming deadlines on school projects. Do it now and it will surely plant a huge smile on his face!
How do you buy a present for a teenage boy?
Observe what he likes and eavesdrop when the opportunity presents itself - hobbies, sports, reading, videos, music, clothes, sneakers, cars? The list goes on but this is really important to know so you can make an informed decision before making a purchase. Think out of the box as well - concert tickets, premiere movie tickets, baseball or football season tickets, and even a round of evening mini-golf are wonderful gift ideas.
Determine the reason and the occasion for gift-giving. You might not be aware but gifts are given for a range of reasons - birthdays, Bar Mitvahs, good grades, winning an award, getting a scholarship - these reasons merit thorough and thoughtful thinking, not to mention a re-adjustment of your budget depending on the import and impact of the occasion.
Take his personality into account when choosing a gift for a teenager. If he changes his mind about many things, you have a fickle teenager who won't linger much over a gift that carries no long-term interest or excitement. On the other hand, if he is the type to collect stuff like vintage t-shirts or guitars, in other words a Collector, then by all means go find something that will add to his existing collection but make sure it's not a repeat of what he already has.
When in doubt, consider buying him a gift certificate. Yes, this will basically rob you of stamping your name on the tag or of the prestige of being that person harked over and over about the "Giver of an awesome gift!" but consider that this actually gives him the absolute and unbridled freedom of buying what he wants without worrying about the cost.
Ask his friends or girlfriend for gift suggestions. If you're not the parent, ask his parents. Their inputs will be very helpful to you when its time to go out and buy him a present.
Ask him to list down his "Top 10 BESTEST BEST CHOICES" but don't tell him why. This will get him all worked up and will set the stage for anticipation and excitement.
Make a list of the items that he would possibly fall head-over-heels on and compare prices by checking out Amazon, e-Bay, and other online stores.
Finally, the list of best gifts for 2010 is already available online at squidoo.com - an amazing array of the latest Wii, Xbox, PS3, video games, audio and musical instruments, sports gear, and computer accessories are up for grabs to satisfy even the most picky and gift-discriminating teenager.
There you have it, eight swoon-worthy ways to get you onboard Teenage Gift-Giving 101. You should be able to keep your cool factor with teenagers as long as you refrain from picking the lame-oh Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster.
