Birthday present ideas - please help

[DisneYE]

I'm really bad at choosing birthday giffs, even for my close family.

I want to buy a gift for an older gentleman who is a close acquaintance, almost like a friend. More like a person I like for who he is.

He's an 'older' gentleman, in his mid 70's.
A former Air Force pilot, a veteran in the Vietnam war.
He is the owner of a company I do business with and I like him a lot because he's been good to me, to us, our company.

His birthday is coming up and I haven't the faintest idea of what to buy for him.

Can you please help with ideas?
Budget: $100-$300
TIA

 

[Meglen]

You can never go wrong with a massager of some sort. Does he drink coffee or like a restaurant? maybe a gift card to somewhere he always goes

 

[usnuzuloose]

I'm really bad at choosing birthday giffs, even for my close family.

I want to buy a gift for an older gentleman who is a close acquaintance, almost like a friend. More like a person I like for who he is.

He's an 'older' gentleman, in his mid 70's.
A former Air Force pilot, a veteran in the Vietnam war.
He is the owner of a company I do business with and I like him a lot because he's been good to me, to us, our company.

His birthday is coming up and I haven't the faintest idea of what to buy for him.

Can you please help with ideas?
Budget: $100-$300
TIA

Does he like sports? Play golf? So many options if you know what he likes

 

[easyas123]

Decent bottle of his favorite bourbon (or whatever he likes to drink)-
A book (topical or coffee table or ?) related to his interests - since you mentioned it maybe something related to Air Force pilots?

You may not want to put him in the position of accepting a $100-$300 gift from a 'close acquaintance' as you describe your relationship, it may make him feel a bit uncomfortable. Or not. You need to judge that.

 

[evilmommie]

I'm really bad at choosing birthday giffs, even for my close family.

I want to buy a gift for an older gentleman who is a close acquaintance, almost like a friend. More like a person I like for who he is.

He's an 'older' gentleman, in his mid 70's.
A former Air Force pilot, a veteran in the Vietnam war.
He is the owner of a company I do business with and I like him a lot because he's been good to me, to us, our company.

His birthday is coming up and I haven't the faintest idea of what to buy for him.

Can you please help with ideas?
Budget: $100-$300
TIA

He sounds like my Dad! If he plays golf( like the suggestion above), a round at his favorite course would be fun...with lunch too. Wine tasting or bourbon tasting event. Maybe something he can take his SO with him. Or just a heartfelt thank you and birthday card. Simple is sometimes the key and open the door to learning more about him.

 

[prairie_girl]

Strip-o-gram

 

[DisneYE]

Does he like sports? Play golf? So many options if you know what he likes

I dunno.
Other than chatting with him about his experience as a pilot, being a veteran, his wife and children, I have not engaged with him in other personal conversation. It's mostly a business relationship.

 

[DisneYE]

Decent bottle of his favorite bourbon (or whatever he likes to drink)-
A book (topical or coffee table or ?) related to his interests - since you mentioned it maybe something related to Air Force pilots?

You may not want to put him in the position of accepting a $100-$300 gift from a 'close acquaintance' as you describe your relationship, it may make him feel a bit uncomfortable. Or not. You need to judge that.

A gift certificate to a restaurant was the only thing that came to mind, without knowing a lot about his personal life.
Thank you for the reply.

 

[DisneYE]

He sounds like my Dad! If he plays golf( like the suggestion above), a round at his favorite course would be fun...with lunch too. Wine tasting or bourbon tasting event. Maybe something he can take his SO with him. Or just a heartfelt thank you and birthday card. Simple is sometimes the key and open the door to learning more about him.

A round of golf w/lunch sounds nice. I will have to find out somehow if he plays golf.
I will definitely give him a birthday card. I love writing letters to people I like. (used to love having pen pals up until my 20s when the internet did away with that tradition)
Thanks for your reply.

 

[moniqueand2]

I second the book suggestion. Maybe a coffee table type book on Air Force history. Or even that George W. Bush book of his paintings of veterans.
Or if you do find out a favorite sports team, maybe a history book or coffee table book on that. Or history of your local area?

 

[CdnCarrie]

Sounds like you don't know this person very well> I would just send a generic gift basket if it's a company to company type gift.

 

[neverlandsky]

If he’s into any kind of sports you can get him an embroidered hat or jersey.

 

[easyas123]

How about a nice card and a donation to a charity that might be close to his heart, such as a veterans geared charity?

 

[chickapin parterre]

A quality outdoor vest or pair of slippers .....men tend not to purchase quality slippers or stylish outdoor vest...hiking, sitting, golf, warmth. casual attire.

 

[DisneYE]

How about a nice card and a donation to a charity that might be close to his heart, such as a veterans geared charity?

oooh.. this is a good one. A donation to a charity.
Thanks for this.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I dunno.
Other than chatting with him about his experience as a pilot, being a veteran, his wife and children, I have not engaged with him in other personal conversation. It's mostly a business relationship.

You could get a subscription for aviation magazine

 

[ronandannette]

oooh.. this is a good one. A donation to a charity.
Thanks for this.

This is actually an excellent idea, especially since your relationship isn't exactly a close personal friendship. A rather expensive gift might make him feel weird; this couldn't possibly be an offence.

 

[disneychrista]

That is quite an expensive gift for a casual acquaintance.

 

[fhtpdw20]

I don't know what is involved but look into an Honor Flight for veterans to Washington DC.