The 2015 Atlas Obscura Gift Guide
It’s holiday shopping season, which means that gift guides abound, all of them falling over each other to lead you towards the best present for the crossword-lover, the sports nut, the wine enthusiast, the yoga devotee. But what if the people you’re trying to buy presents for are just a little…off? What if your friends are the kind of people who like to read about fursuits, telharmoniums, and articulated whale skeletons instead of embracing more typical pursuits? Well, don’t worry: Atlas Obscura has you covered, with presents for every weirdo on your list.
The Big Dreamer
The world has never been wide enough for this person. She’s not interested in the mundane–she wants to live in outer space, or a fantasy world, or a fictional utopia. We’ve collected eight gifts that will scratch her itch for the great unknown.
The Exterior Decorator
This person wants to bring the natural world indoors, but hopefully without too much dirt and bugs. (Well, live bugs.) From fish to spiders to dinosaurs, we’ve got gifts for the person who likes nature best when it isn’t surrounded by all that nature.
The Conspiracy Theorist
If she can’t get through dinner without complaining that the Reptilians are in cahoots with the Bilderberg Group, we’ve got eight ideas for presents that will show her you’re one of the good guys. (You can make the tinfoil hat on your own.)
The Dinner Party Prankster
Regular cooking gadgets aren’t good enough for this friend–he wants food to be fun, and maybe a little bizarre. These seven gifts will help your favorite culinary jokester cook up all-new kitchen pranks.
The Passport Stamp Collector
She’s already been all over the world. Now, take her beyond the standard guidebook, with nine off-the-beaten-path gift ideas for world travelers.
The Americana Buff
What do you get for your friend who can’t get enough of American history and culture? No, he already has the Hamilton soundtrack. Believe me, he does. Here are eight other ideas.
The Gadgeteer
What do you get for the friend who already has a smartphone, smartwatch, smartshoes, smartcup, and smart unmentionables? How about these other seven really smart ideas.
Build a Wunderkammer in One Week Using Amazon
Done with holiday shopping? Here’s a real challenge: put together a Renaissance-style Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, using things you can find on Amazon. It’s a lot easier than you’d think.
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