Finding the perfect gifts for the nerdy people in your life can be a challenge. Perhaps you’re not really much of a nerd yourself, and don’t know where to start, or maybe you are nerdy, but you’ve exhausted all your go-to gifts over the years for your compatriots in geekdom.
Leslie Knope once said, “Giving Christmas gifts is like a sport to me, finding or making that perfect something. It’s also like a sport to me because I always win.” This has been a sort of personal philosophy of mine for some time, and I pride myself on finding the most unique, joy-sparking gifts I can for my loved ones, many of whom are nerds (and I say that with affection) — this is what I’ve learned.
For gaming nerds
One of the best outlets I’ve found for my video game-loving friends in the past few years are board game versions of beloved video games. For example, does your friend love cozy games? There’s a Stardew Valley board game (which is currently sold out on the official website, but still in stock on Amazon) that’s quite good, and it’s a great creative alternative to just getting them something with the game’s logo or a character on it. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, too — so many games have been adapted to board game form, from The Witcher to Civilization to Dorfromantik.
While I’m on the tabletop topic, for friends perhaps more interested in games like Dungeons & Dragons, there are many potential gifting routes. One of my personal favorite avenues is specialized dice rolling towers, like this one stylized like castle steps. Other sites like Misty Mountain Gaming offer a plethora of unique dice, themed after almost anything you can imagine (like Tarot cards, terrariums, dragons, or corgis) in a myriad of styles like glass and liquid filled, as well as many other accessories.
For dinosaur nerds
For the subsection of nerds that love all things dinosaur, why not gift them an ultimate blast from the past in the form of a real fossil? There are reputable sites like Fossilera that offer a wide range of them, from small pieces under $50, to more elaborate and expensive pieces. They’ve got lots of cool rocks too, for any geode-loving buddies. Not looking to buy your friend bones for Christmas? You could also go the Lego route, like this T. rex skull that would make the perfect addition to any living room.
For history nerds
There are many potential routes to pursue when it comes to shopping for history nerds, depending upon the eras and areas of the past they’re most interested in. However, it’s hard to go wrong with a cool vintage map — personally, I’m a big fan of old maps with regions totally different from what we have today, like this one that features the mythical Irish island of Brazil. An atlas is also a great choice, especially one that ties into an interesting part of history like The Red Atlas, which documents how the USSR secretly mapped the world.
Also consider a subscription service for your history buff friends, like this one from CrateJoy that sends curated books each month, or History by Mail, which offers high-quality reproductions of famous documents. The latter site also offers a lot of interesting one-time historical purchases, like this collection of old cartoons.
For figurine nerds
For the friend who has a whole shelf (or shelves) dedicated to their favorite collectibles, first look into the kind of collector they are. If they paint their own, consider something like this airbrush from Harbor Freight, or an organizer for their supplies. For those that just like to build, try a site like NewType or Galactic Toys, which feature kits of everything from Gundam to Pokémon. These sites also offer figurines, for those who prefer to simply collect and display. Do some digging about their favorite IPs and go from there!
For fashion-conscious nerds
Being nerdy has become such a part of the zeitgeist that it’s long been cool to be a nerd, and fashion has come around to reflect that. Gone are the days of Triforce T-shirts — there are so many genuinely fashionable options for almost any interest. Puma, for example, has done an entire collaboration with Pokémon that has some incredibly cool sneakers (which though sold out on the Pokémon center website are still available on third-party sites like Flight Club — the Charizards are my personal favorite).
The site Anime Ape has served me well in the past, with a wide range of actually-cool designs spanning many different interests. Although anime is in the name — and there is definitely a lot of anime merchandise on the site — the store can be sorted by interest, and it spans everything from Marvel to Gundam. One of my personal favorite sections, for friends who also enjoy sports, is the jersey section. It features different sport-styled jerseys for different fandoms, like this one for Avatar: The Last Airbender, and many can also be customized with a name on the back.
For a friend who’s more into books, I’ve never gone wrong shopping at Litographs, which sells shirts and other merchandise with the text of books hidden within designs. Why not get your friend their favorite novel on a shirt? Outside of fashion, they also sell an array of home goods — I personally have a blanket with the entirety of “The Raven” on it that I’ve treasured for years.
For space nerds
For those who enjoy looking to the heavens, consider making it easier for them to do so. NightsonEarth offers a custom calendar-making service tailored to a location, meaning you can plug in your friend’s address to create a log of events (like meteor showers and super moons) for them to be on the look out for throughout the year. Another great place to look for space lovers is museum gift shops, particularly natural history museums. The Smithsonian, for example, sells earrings with real meteorite in them, while the official Kennedy Space Center store has a great selection of models and rocket building kits.
