In September, we asked actress, comedian, and writer Amy Sedaris to be our first-ever gifting columnist. Forty readers wrote in for help with their toughest giftees — the 13-year-old daughter who only wants Taylor Swift concert tickets, the millennial daughter-in-law who doesn’t like clutter, the aunt who’s a borderline hoarder. We sent all the requests along to Amy, who handpicked a handful to answer. Below, her third batch of suggestions for the husband who prefers experiences to “things,” the brother who likes fine art, and the younger sister who lives in Los Angeles.
Dear Amy,
My husband is not a “stuff” person. He’s more of an events/tickets type person. Now here’s the problem: Events get really pricey, especially when we have to pay a babysitter for the night. Also, I get a lot of satisfaction in buying people the perfect thing, seeing them open it, watching their eyes light up, etc. He is very into music, especially of the early-aughts emo variety; sports of the baseball and soccer variety (watching, not playing); and politics of the far-left-leaning variety. —Puzzled on Presents
Dear Puzzled on Presents,
I think a massage is a good experience gift. Or buy him two tickets to a ghost tour and let him take a friend while you stay home with the children. Or hire a senior citizen to babysit — they’re lonely, desperate for company, and used to minimum wage being 75 cents an hour. Good luck!
Dear Amy,
Please help with two difficult people to shop for:
1. Seventy-four-year-old brother not into fashion or much else besides his dog. However, his apartment has fine art and furniture and he watches PBS.
2. My know-everything younger sister turning 65 who lives in Los Angeles. —Two for One
Dear Two for One,
You can’t go wrong buying for people’s pets. For your dog-owning brother, how about a really nice new leash or a portable dog dish? Or a Diptyque candle to cover up the disgusting dog odor. People in L.A. are always in their cars. For your sister, I recommend a bag of Santa Maria Novella potpourri. She can poke holes in the bag with an ice pick and leave it in her car to make it smell nice. Or you could give her a horse blanket to keep in her trunk for those cold L.A. nights.
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