Gifts for Smokers. The Bad.

[Perique]

I can see how this could be a problem as it regards pipe smoking, as it's not a common thing where the average person knows a little about it. I'm very lucky in this regard as my wife and family have chosen remarkable gifts, including two of my favorite pipes. One idea is to start a "wish list" on-line with one of our sponsor vendors. I did this on P&C and there's an option to emaill the list out. Put the tobaccos you want to try on there and you'll be surprised with something from your list.

 

[yazamitaz]

It is VERY simple my friend. If you have a joint credit card go by yourself what YOU want in advance of your day (birtday, Christmas, etc) and then wrap it and thank them for the gift. Don't open it, but keep thanking them a few days or so in advance and tell her you are going to love it. Many things happen here:
1. You KNOW you are going to like it

2. You saved her the trouble of shopping for you.

3. She gets to pay that portion of the bill.
I started doing this about 10 yrs ago and I have always loved my gifts. No, they are not romantic or adorable. THAT, I am sure your wife is amazing with. My wife will buy champagne and a nice cake or something and also a small gift from her, AND I get to open the gift I got for me. It does take some of the allure out of it but let's be honest, does anyone REALLY like shopping for other people. Just my .02

 

[edgreen]

Go with the internet "wish list". My last birthday I received a gorgeous Tsuge Camillia and for Christmas a wonderful Randy Wiley Patina,99 grade. After 34 years she can still surprise me.

 

[brudnod]

Of course most of the folks that can buy you presents of the pipe variety don't really know what they have bought you (quality, style, etc). I had my wife buy me a pipe that was a true dog. I switched it out for a very nice Brebbia that I had my eyes on and a few weeks later told my wife how much I liked the pipe she got me; and, of course, I was still going to smoke out of doors. She was reasonably pleased! That's not to say that she was not on to me the whole time and was just happy that I had what I wanted...

Spencer

 

[weezell]

I always look at the wife or kiddo and say,"Just get me a tub of Carter Hall". I like it, I'll smoke it, and it will keep in the tub forever...

 

[winton]

I told my wife I wanted a specific set of drill bits, that I could use for pipemaking. It was located at a store fairly close to our house. She said I should pick it up on the way home from work and then she would wrap it. I bought her, per instructions, a cutting board for her quilting. She returned it before Christmas, since it was for a left handed person instead of a right handed person. The correct cutting board was more expensive.
Life in the Winton household is so easy. Everyone is happy.

 

[taerin]

Sam and Winton, your gift giving makes me wince heavily. I am blessed to have a family and gf that are very good at gift giving, without giving them any instructions. They pick out such nice clothes I never have to shop for any myself, know just my style (mostly stylish dress shirts). The old pillow takes the cake, I bet you'd pay good money to know what went through her head that particular moment My father bought one of my favorite pipes, a nice natural one from P&C, I loved it so much I tried to get more, and they all came defective, so his is my only one, defect-free, not even a single sandpit that I can find (I don't really consider sandpits defective, but that was cool). My gf bought me some full sized CAO Cigars, a couple of every flavor, ended up falling in love with Moontrance, and have been buying the small cigar version for years. She's a nurse, so my gf is really at odds with my hobby. I never tell people what I want, I feel it takes the point of gift giving away, I guess I've been very lucky to not NEED to after reading some of your posts, holy cow!

 

[buster]

So far I have no one who buys pipes or tobacco or me. My other hobby is fishing. My wife will buy me a liscence every year. I like that a lot. My mom on the other hand has bought me so many ugly T-shirts with fish on them over the years I have lost count. She means well, and in her defense always gives me some cash so I can get what I really want. Two awesome ladies in my book.