Holiday shopping list for teens
December 6th, 2006Dear Straight Talk: Last year you asked the teen panel what they wanted for Christmas. Could you run that question by the teen panel again? I have no kids of my own but I have seven nieces and nephews ranging from age 12 to 25. What do they want?—Uncle Glenn
Dear Uncle Glenn: The teens are glad you asked. Since many teens prefer gift cards, to make your giving personal, I recommend buying an additional gift that can be opened along with it—but make sure that gift is practical. For someone on their own or ready to leave the nest, some household items I have heard mentioned include a lamp, new towels, a Fuzzy-Logic rice cooker, a salad spinner, and a night stand. For high school students—and college students, too—desk accessories such as a stapler, scissors, tape dispenser, three-hole punch, or an electric pencil sharpener are the little things that make school easier.
Here are their wish lists. If it’s electronics you’re looking for, Geoff is the expert by any standards.
From Geoff, 21: The number one gift is the “Wii” by Nintendo. This is the game where you stand up and play virtual tennis, bowling, golf, etc. It’s sold out, but Nintendo restocks all stores weekly, so check back with retailers. It runs at $250 compared to all other console game stations that run $400 to $600.
Also by Nintendo is their portable game station called the “Nintendo DS” (short for dual screen). It’s small with great battery life and VERY fun games. Price is around $130, with games running $15 to $35 each.
Other than that, I can’t recommend any of the other gaming systems. “PlayStation 3” lacks fun factor, is over $600 without games and is sold out till after Christmas. “Xbox360” is decent, but the price is still up there around $400.
I also can’t recommend anything iPod (though it’s still the chic player for young teens). The best is Toshiba’s “gigabeat,” the highest rated MP3 player of all time. It’s the easiest to use, doesn’t require extra software, and has better battery life. It’s a bit more expensive than an iPod but it has 15 times the storage capacity.
From Katie, 13: For girls my age, the best gift cards for clothing are from American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Wet Seal, Styles for Less, Rave, and Crossroads Trading Post. For practical things, a lot of girls like Bath & Body Works. But if you’re a boy buying for a girlfriend, forget gift cards. Get her jewelry.
From Marie, 16: You can’t go wrong with a CD player or a gift certificate for CDs.
From Lennon, 20: At my age it’s about what I need not what I want. What I need are socks and underwear, and after that, pants and shirts. I hate shopping, so forget the gift cards and just call me for my sizes. What I want: A computer that doesn’t take ten minutes to start up and my own island in Greece.
From Peter, 19: A digital camera or camcorder, even a cheap one, is a great gift. For gift cards, it’s Amazon.com hands down, followed by Fry’s and Best Buy. Lots of people have iTunes—not just iPod owners—and iTunes gift cards are fantastic at a buck a song.
For clothes, I’d settle for Target or Mervyn’s but it’s always nice to receive a higher end certificate from, say, Banana Republic.
I’d also love a month’s payment for car, rent or insurance—or a complementary trip to IKEA with $100 to spend. If you want to get personal, think homemade food (in my case, think homemade pie). If someone is coming home for Christmas, a scrapbook or photo collage is just the thing to make them homesick when they leave again.
