A 70th birthday is a milestone.
When shopping for a man's 70th birthday gift, look for something that has meaning to him. A meaningful gift should contain a sentimental element, trigger nostalgic feelings or fulfill a life-long desire. That being said, keep in mind who you are buying for. If he has a good sense of humor he may find a gag gift amusing, and the right gag gift could be a topic of conversation for years to come!
Sentimental Gifts
Sentimental gifts are those that have special meaning to the person receiving them. One idea is to take photographs from a significant time in the guest-of-honor's life, such as his wedding or a day when he achieved a life-long goal, and have them printed on a blanket, pillow, serving tray, etc. The pictures can also be made into a collage then printed and blown-up on a canvas, made into a slide show or scrapbook, or put into a photo album. If you have video clips from the guest-of-honor's life and/or of his children, wife or family, you could have them made into a video scrapbook. If you only have a few clips, pictures can be added in to bulk it up. Other ideas include having a piece of jewelry or household item engraved, having a war metal mounted, repairing a cherished piece of jewelry -- such as a family heirloom pocket watch or a parent's engagement ring or wedding band -- or making a donation to a charity that the guest-of-honor feels strongly about.
Nostalgic Gifts
There are a number of companies that sell nostalgic items from a specific period. For example, nostalgiccandy.com sells retro candies from past decades and overthehillgifts.com sells a 70th-birthday gift basket with coins, a DVD of significant events, songs, candies and other memorabilia from the 1940s. Of course, you could always make your own gift basket full of items that will remind him of his childhood, such as prints of old newspapers from significant times in his life, a CD of his favorite teenage songs and other items that will remind him of his youth.
Gag Gifts
If the guest-of-honor has a sense of humor then consider buying a funny gift that pokes fun at his age. Simply type the phrase "70th birthday gag gifts" into any search engine and you will receive hundreds if not thousands of results. Examples include hats that say "Vintage," mugs or bumper stickers that say "over the hill," liquor bottle labels that say "old geezer" or a magazine cover that says "American Association of Old People" with a space to insert the guest-of-honor's picture. Other gag gifts not so insensitive to age include a walking stick flask, custom-made bobble head or word-search toilet paper.
Life Experiences
Is there anything that the guest-of-honor has always wanted to do but never got a chance to? For example, has he always wanted to go on a cruise, visit a specific destination, have box seats at a sports game or take a ride in a hot-air balloon? Has he dreamed about being an audience member on a game show, taking a ride in a submarine or making his own wine? If so, then consider making this dream a reality by purchasing or making a gift certificate for the experience.
Tags: 70th birthday, made into, always wanted, from significant, gift basket