
In all the Black Friday/Cyber Monday hysteria, you may have gotten a good deal on a flat-screen TV. But what about those gifts that elicit a truly delighted wow? Here, dozens of surprising, kooky, beautiful, and useful gifts, priced over $200 (we ran our under $50 and under $200 guides earlier this week). Don’t miss all of the Strategist’s holiday gift coverage right here, too.
No sunlight needed: This cactus (bracelet) is made of 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds.
This German-designed seat is made of hardened polyurethane foam.
Gift-trend forecasters say the series will be back big this year. Forgo the electric wands and floating Snitches for this classy complete set hand-bound in tear-resistant jackets.
David Mallett’s new NYC salon is among the few in the country to offer a Tokio Inkarami hair facial, which conditions layer by layer.
Via a new start-up that lets non-millionaires invest small amounts in millionaire-priced art.
A Dr. Martens boot from the rerelease of Marc Jacobs’s spring 1993 “Grunge” collection.
In pebbled leather, with a hidden business-card pocket.
For the garage craft-beer brewer who’s ready to level up.
For the 20-year-old or 90-year-old on your list.
If you’re going to wear fur, it might as well be vintage.
Straight from her Instagram to your backyard.
This Köln Travel Kit is stocked with TSA-sized status toiletries.
An archival pigment print on paper with hand-frayed edges, inspired by Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market.”
There are only some 70 sake sommeliers in the world; book one for a dinner-party power move.
Handmade brooms continue to edge out ceramics as the next must-have objet.
They’re made by one guy, Roland Lannier, in central France.
It’s bugproof, has reflective UV-blackout layers, and sleeps six Burners.
A snore-detecting inflatable pillow insert that turns you over so your partner doesn’t have to.
Made by a former Glossier employee, naturally.
Invest in the reopening of Brooklyn’s most esteemed (and long-lost) restaurant, Gage & Tollner.
A styling tool that uses airflow to attract hair and curl it without extreme heat.
Don’t be fooled by its humble toaster-oven looks — this Breville countertop contraption reaches temperatures up to a scorching 750 degrees to make perfect wood-fired oven pies without the wood, or the oven, in less than two minutes.
The first known meat slicer, designed in 1898, creates deli-thin prosciutto, pancetta, and more.
It has a built-in “chrono regatta” device for recording race times with perfect accuracy.
With rose-gold details and an alligator band.
It neighs, trots, and eats carrots — just like the real thing.
For your friend with some land.
A bamboo screen by the East Village–based Green River Project made with hand-spun Indian fabric selected by designer Emily Bode and painted on by artist Kurt Beers.
Fancy brass heads paired with not-so-serious acrylic handles.
A poster created in 1983 for the “Food for the Soup Kitchens” benefit (which included Keith Haring, Kiki Smith, and David Wojnarowicz).
Chefs like Carla Perez-Gallardo of Lil’ Deb’s Oasis whip up tasty stews; all donations go to causes like the Audre Lorde Project.
Do you still call it a collar when it’s made of solid stainless steel with 14-karat-gold plating?
This service not only plans your whole trip but chooses the destination.
Because the volume on the TV is either too loud or not loud enough.
Artist Guy Overfelt has reimagined one of Picasso’s 1950s ceramic pieces as a fully functioning pipe.
Carved from one solid piece of a stone said to soothe stress and nervousness. Like most baths.
Now on at Sotheby’s: the second-ever legal offering of moon rocks.
By Raquel Albarran via Land Gallery, a Dumbo-based studio that represents adult artists with developmental disabilities.
A robotic dog, loaded with sensors and cameras, that will learn tricks and (fake) pee on your rug.
A Patagonia fleece upgrade by Japanese designer Yuki Matsuda.
A reissue of the rapper’s beloved shades.
*This article appears in the November 26, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.