I’ve received a lot of great Christmas presents through the years. When I was six I got the Ghostbusters Proton Pack and Ghost Popper. When I was eight I saw Gleaming the Cube and my life was changed. I had to get a skateboard just like Christian Slater. Santa came through with an awesome pro skateboard. Christmas morning I was out riding that thing (well, at least trying to) even though it was 20 degrees outside. When I was ten I received the Christmas present that every boy dreams about: a Red Ryder BB Gun. I shot lots of Crystal Pepsi cans and even went on a few “hunts” out in the fields behind my subdivision. I never bagged anything unless you count the centipede I bifurcated at point blank. At least I didn’t shoot my eye out.
I loved all those presents. But the one Christmas present I remember most fondly was the electric guitar I got in 8th grade. Oh man, was that an awesome present. I guess my lust for an electric guitar began in 6th grade. I discovered music and became a budding audiophile. Favorite bands? The Beatles and Oasis (yeah, Oasis.). In 7th grade my friends and I wanted to start a band. I needed a guitar.
I asked for a guitar that year, but Santa said no. It was devastating and only fed my hunger for one. I remember that for an entire year I would go to the music shop a few times a month to look at guitars. My longing for a guitar was so great that I was excited to get this lame inflatable gag guitar at a carnival because then I could practice fingering guitar chords.
Finally, after a year of waiting, Christmas morning arrived. I walked out to the living room where Santa dropped off our booty. Perched on my “present couch” (each of my siblings had a couch that Santa would drop stuff off on) was a Peavey sunburst guitar with accompanying Peavey amp. It was a glorious sight to behold.
Despite being 6:30 in the morning, I plugged in the guitar, cranked the amp “up to 11″ and strummed a window shattering power chord. I was in teenage boy heaven.
The Saddleaback Leather Company Holiday Giveaway
Saddleback Bags make the ultimate gifts. My whole family pitched in and bought my dad a Saddleback briefcase for Christmas last year, and he thought it was the best present he ever got. These bags can make even the Scroogiest McScrooge giggle like a little boy on Christmas morning. Instead of getting a bunch of useless doodads from your folks and relatives this year, get them to all go in on a bag for you. Or ask for a Saddleback gift certificate to get you at least part of the way there. Hey, borrow against next year’s gifts if needs be!
Or, you can try winning a briefcase in our giveaway.
The Prize
A medium leather briefcase in your choice of color is up for grabs. Thick, full grain boot leather. 100 year warranty. A $519 value. How do you like them fruitcakes?
How to Enter
Simply leave a comment on this post sharing the best present you’ve ever received. Deadline to enter is Wednesday, December 8 at 11PM CST. We will randomly draw one comment to be the winner and the envy of all mandom.
Good luck!
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The Millenium Falcon, when I was 4 years old.
An erector set when I was a little kid. Its why I’m where I am now: in school and still striving. I even use it on projects a few times a quarter to hash out prototypes.
My wonderful wife gave me a trip a weekend getaway to Toronto to see my favorite musician play. It was a great weekend full of good memories and good tunes!
Odd maybe; but this gift was from my parent’s nieghbor (George) when I was in my late teens. I was learning to shave at the time with may father’s double edge razor; he didn’t like that I was using his and since, “you’re shaving now, you should have my own set”. Looking back, I would have thought the same. Well, all the while I had been expressing that I wanted to learn how to shave the way my Grand Father had with his straight razor. But with my mother that was “Out of the question”, you’ll cut your ears off” (you’ll shoot your eye out). My father didn’t quite understand my disire so if I wanted to learn I’d have to buy a set myself. Well with the little money I was earning at the time covered my car insurence and the seemingly constant repairs, it would be some time before I could get the basics I would need (Honing stone, strop, brush, …). Well to keep the story short, my father passed away suddenly and it was tough on the family as none of my brothers really felt their place or how to pick up where dad left off. This is when my parent’s neighbor (George) came in. George heard about my fasination with learning to shave with a straight razor. His gift was two fold, he gave me a nice straight razor set and with it told me I was the man of the family now and I should be able to shave how I wanted. I wasn’t really prepared for that; it was a bitter sweet Christmas that year.
Best present so far: the tuxedo my grandfather bought for my dad for his senior prom in 1960; fits me perfectly, is in great condition and looks like it’s from Mad Men
Best gift I ever received was a plane ticket to go backpacking in the highlands of Scotland.
There’s more to those adventures that I could ever describe here…
Definitely the best present i ever received was an Ansel Adams book, given to me by an ex-girlfriend on my birthday. i ended up marrying her.
The best gift I ever received was a week long trip to St. John with my family when I was a Freshman in college. Two other families and us stayed in a hill-side house overlooking the Gulf. It was an amazing trip.
The most meaningful Christmas present I ever got, was given to me by my father when I was in fourth or fifth grade. At the time, my dad had hit hard times, and could not give the typical present wrapped up in christmas paper. He had just gone deer hunting with his buddies and as much as I wanted to go with him, I couldn’t afford to miss school. When my dad returned, he gave me the whittled deer antler of his catch. I saw the sadness in his eyes as he handed it to me. We both knew that this was not the gift my father wanted to give me, but the fact that my dad tried his best to see the smile on my little face was worth more to me than anything else.
The best present I ever received was from my father – who would be the recipient of this gift if I got it. He used to be a bullfighter and he had these pretty cuff links that where part of the costume he would wear before every fight. When I was in 8th grade I had a public speaking class that terrified me and on the day of my first speech, he woke up early and gave me a tiny wrapped box. Inside were the cuff links. He told me that before every fight he would get really nervous but he would squeeze the little charms in his hands and for some reason that made the nerves go away. For the rest of the semester I would hold the piece in my hand during my speeches and it always made me feel better. If he could fight the nerves to step into the ring and fight a bull then I should definitely be able to give a speech!!
The best present ever was a cutting board, and wooden spoons my Dad made for me from exotic woods. Easily.
The best gift I’ve ever received was Rosetta Stone for Arabic. This bag would be great for a trip to Cairo!
the best present i received for Christmas was an electric guitar from a priest friend of mine.
The best Christmas gift I ever received was my first DeWalt cordless drill–first powertool ever. Also, the unwavering love of my family and friends.
Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was 4.
When I was about 13 my mom and I got my Dad a very nice Garcia 5001c baitcasting reel. In the day, they were quite expensive and we knew it would be a total surprise. I was great to see his face when he finally opened it. When I got to the ‘Open me last’ package, low and behold I had my own black shiny Garcia 5001c. I was totally blown away. It was a great gift plus the total shock of receiving it made it my best gift ever.
The best christmas present I have every received, a Daiwa spinning reel and rod combo when I was 6. 38 years later my 9 yo daughter still enjoys it as much as I did.
Thanks Dad!
The best Christmas present I ever got was an Abilene Guitar from my dad. It was sunburst red and horribly out of tune. I stayed up all night trying to jam out on it, and tuned it just right so that it sounded ok in open position, which to my parents was a miracle. It was glorious!
Whenever I was eight years old, I wished that my mother would stop smoking for Christmas. She hasn’t smoked since, and she had smoked for over forty years prior to that. Thanks, Mom.
My best gift every was a 10 speed bike when I was 10.
When I was about 10 or 11 I had been playing around with an old Pentium II machine that my dad gave me to play around with. Wasn’t much, but I was constantly breaking it and having to fix things on it. I was very eager to learn and it showed apparently. That Christmas my dad gave me what I had assumed was a big old ugly computer case. It had 6 CD-Rom bays, heavy, and a ugly beige color. One look at me and it was apparent I didn’t care much. After opening all the other gifts, my dad pointed out that I never opened the case. Quizzically I opened it, only to discover that it had an AMD Athlon 900Mhz processor along with several other accouterments.
I still have that case and processor as they have honestly shaped most of my youth and eventual choice to go to college to study Computer Science.
Best Christmas present I ever got was a .22 Chipmunk rifle when I was 9. That afternoon, my dad started teaching me basic rifle marksmanship. I’m passing that rifle on to my son this year.
Thank you Brett for the opportunity to look back at the many great Christmas gifts I have been fortunate enough to receive, life (my family and friends) has been good to me and I am ever filled with gratitude. In the context of the AOM I think the Filson Timber Cruiser I was given in my early twenties wins for today. That coat has brought me great pleasure over the years and has had as pivotal an effect on both my personal style as well as my life/lifestyle as any piece of clothing ever could.
Close seconds would be the freestyle BMX bike I got when I was 10, and the Marlin .22 when I was 9. Though the Divine might question my honesty if I didn’t include certain censorable services rendered by Ladies I have been blessed to have had in my life.
Doesn’t take much to make me happy. My dad (about 8 years ago) made me a shoeshine box/kit, just like the ones the kids used years ago. He asked my wife if I would like it, since he didn’t have any money to buy me anything. He eyeballed it, using no plans or measurements. He used old scraps of wood, some hinges, screws, a knob, & some leftover varnish. My wife said that I wouldn’t like it, but that I would love it! Once Christmas came around, he gave it to me, unwrapped as most dads do, & I asked when he bought it. He said “nowhere”, because he made it in his workshop. I was speechless. The man who taught me to clean & shine shoes gave me this token. I still have it to this day, & I’ll never get rid of it. Thanks Dad, & Merry Christmas.
When I was living in Paris I asked for my family to come visit for my Christmas present. I picked them up on Christmas Eve and took them to my favorite restaurant, and then we enjoyed snowy Paris and northern France all the way to the new year.
The Omega Seamaster when I graduated from BUD/S.
Best gift I received was from my then boyfreind (now husband) on his first visit with my family. That Christmas- our first- he gave me a copy of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, with a romantic inscription. I’ll never forget that book. Mad brownie points! :)
I was 7 or 8 and I got a BB gun and the latest Guiness Book of World Records. I still have the BB gun.
My first car. A 1990 Corolla. Sure it was a 12 year old clunker I repeatedly had to throw money at. But I had some good memories in that car, know what I’m sayin?
Super Mario 64 when I was 11 years old. It’s still one of my favorite video games. Usually I get clothes that don’t fit for Christmas, so the most exciting things for me where usually video games.
Best gift was back in high school. I had my portable CD player stolen and my friends saw how devastated I was and went in together and bought me a new one. I am still pretty moved when I think about it.
The time my parents and my sister spent with me every Christmas morning.
The most memorable and most fun Christmas gift I ever received was from my beautiful voluptuous wife. We had been married 11 years and the gift that I opened Christmas morning was a card that simply said “A Trip To Frederick’s.”
A ‘trip to Frederick’s’ was exactly what I received. The weekend after Christmas we went to the nearest Fredericks of Hollywood and once there she told me she would try on and model any outfit that I liked. Skeptical, since she is really not an extrovert, I picked out a few things that I thought she might be willing to wear and into the dressing room she went with the pile of sexy outfits. A few minutes later the dressing room door is flung open and here she comes right out into the store announcing “Do you like this one?”
I am sure my mouth was hanging open as she twirled around and then back into the dressing room she went. Again the door opens and out she comes in yet another outfit that accentuates her curves. By this time we had started to attract attention and between her appearances I was picking out more outfits for her to try. By the time it was over there was a store full of guys waiting for her next appearance and she had a pile of outfits that I picked out for her – corsets, things with feathers and lace, fishnet hose, you name it! I still smile when I think about how much fun it was and she still wears any outfit I ‘pick out’ for her to wear so it was definitely a gift that kept on giving and that was one shopping trip that I truly enjoyed.
My first turntable. It wasn’t anything special, but I finally had the chance to play my inherited record collection.
Hands down, the best present I ever received was a one of a kind, hand made pocket watch my wife got me for my 30th birthday. It was made to be in the style of Sherlock Holmes with a magnifying lens and visible inner workings. The attention to detail is fantastic and the amount of thought she put into it was simply incredible.
Last year, for the first time ever on Christmas morning, I woke up to a woman that I was in love with. That was the best of presents for which I could ever ask.
Sneaking in just in time!
The best present I ever received was my Grandfather’s flight bracelet.
My grandfather flew for the US in WWII and, much like Dog Tags, each member of his unit wore a silver ID bracelet with various identification information engraved on it. As superstitions are wont to develop in situations like that, it became bad luck for anyone to get it actually engraved (it may have just been him, I’ve never gotten the whole story – as I’ll explain). When I was 16, my grandmother had it engraved with my initials ‘G.R.M.J’ and gave it to me with a long explanation of what it was.
This is the part of the story the author tears up.
At 16, I was fairly unappreciative of the gift (to the degree I should’ve been). It had since been lost in the pile of junk that was my mom’s place. However, as time went on, I became more and more aware of the sentimentality and the importance of both the gift and the act of receiving it from my grandmother.
I’m 25 now and 3 years has gone by since my grandmother passed away (whom I was very close with). At home, for Christmas last year (my family lives in Boston and I in Los Angeles), my mother found the bracelet and repacked it, to be given to me on Christmas Day. This time, I realized exactly what my gram’s intentions were when she gave it to me and, for that, I will forever be grateful.
At this point, the author begins to PROPERLY tear up.
Though, the art of becoming a man is largely reliant on our own developments and motivations, it’s important to remember that we are who we are because of the people that came before us.
Happy holidays to my grandfather, who I never had the pleasure of meeting (though, I’m told we would’ve gotten on like a house on fire), to my grandmother, wherever they both may be, and to all of you guys. Thanks for helping us all be better than yesterday.
Very sincerely (and more heartfelt than I intended on being),
-Gareth
The best gift I ever received was a crossman BB gun when I was 9. I don’t know if I ever spent so much time with a single present, used to spend hours in the basement shooting the target trap, and anything I could put in front of it for the next two years. 18 years later I still feel nostalgic when I see the same brand of Copperhead BBs and Pellets.
Best present ever would have to have been my GameBoy. I was all excited because I’d been dropping hints for weeks, leaving copies of Nintendo Power lying around with the Tetris pages open, etc. My birthday came around and I opened all my presents, leaving the GameBoy-shaped one until the end.
Finally, after opening the usual socks and cards from family, and all that, I picked up the lone rectangular package that remained and slowly tore of the covering…and what did I see? I can’t remember, but it was a book of some sort. I was crushed….all my hard work, all my hinting and none of it paid off…oh well, at least there was Christmas just around the corner (I’m a December baby).
I was just starting to say my thank yous and put on a brave face for my mom, who was asking the usual, “did you have a nice birthday?”, and naturally I nodded, looking no doubt absolutely crestfallen….until she pulled out the GameBoy from behind her back! I’ve never been so excited about a gift in all my life :)
PS: I just heard that my nephew dug the old boy out a couple weeks ago and is happily playing Tetris…some 20-odd years later!
everything from my wife
A penny from my angels.
Life- I was born on Dec. 25th.
Best present was my little sister. Born on December 28th. (Santa was a few days late.)
As a kid, my father always told that when I turned 13 I could start asking for my own rifle for Christmas. Not a Red Ryder or a Daisy, but a real Remington or Winchester. BB guns were toys and toy guns were verboten at our house. Despite my hippy mother’s protestations, my grandfather frequently had me in the backyard ventilating beer cans with all manner of artillery since I was 6 or 7. Apparently, mall Santas weren’t used to long haired, angel faced little ones asking for Mauser recoil pads for Christmas….
The Christmas I turned twelve, I was sulking over the weak haul I brought in that year when my father points out a cardboard box under the couch. In the speed reserved only for Olympic athletes and greedy tweens, I dove across the room and hauled it out. There wasn’t any wrapping paper on the box, which meant my father had bought something which hadn’t gone thru the maternal packing and wrapping process. I was thinking fishing rod or snow-shoes, both equally expensive and probably failing my mother’s practicality filter.
It didn’t even occur to me that no fishing rod ever built was that heavy. Cutting the tape with my pocketknife, this was the early 80′s when boys could still carry knives on them, I flipped open the box. There she was. .22 calibers of unadulterated, semiautomatic adolescence. My father had jumped the gun and bought me a used Springfield rifle. My mother stormed out of the room and as he got up to follow her he just smiled conspiratorially at me and said…
“Don’t blow it for both of us.”
Best Christmas gift ever.
My best gift ever is a toss up between two. It is either the trip to Legoland California, I think I was in seventh grade at the time. Or when I got the last parts that I needed to assemble my first computer in either my sophomore or junior year in high school. Both of these were wonderful experiences.
This one’s easy, a New England Firearms 20 gauge, single shot shotgun when I was 15. 17 years later I still have it and plan to give it to my son. I’ve shot many a dove with that gun.
Hard to say. When was about six, my parents surprised the heck out of my brother and I with an Atari 2600. Pretty awesome for 1981. This year, my wife is expecting our first child just before christmas, so that may just beat all.
My dad wasn’t around much when I was growing up. He worked a lot to provide for our family, so I hardly saw the man. I was really starting to get into sports at the time, especially hockey. My dad never cared much for sports, but when I was 10 years old in 1984 my dad surprised me by picking me up after school the week before Christmas break. We went to Burger King to grab a couple burgers and he took me to see my first Penguins game. Now I am in my late 30′s; many Christmas’ have come and gone, and I’ve gotten a lot of great gifts, but none as memorable as that night with my dad.
A shiny Snare drum that was once my father’s
The best present that I’ve ever received was a pellet gun that I got when I was about 11 years old. My mom flipped about it but I used that thing like crazy until it simply wouldn’t pump anymore.
My wife found the four tiny paintings of Snoopy some dealer was dumping on ebay. I know she fought tooth and nail to win.
Best present I ever got was collector Seinfeld fridge with all of the seasons and the coffee table book.
The most significant present I ever received was when I was about 12 years old. My eyesight was becoming a problem, but my mom didn’t have the money to get me glasses. Around Christmas time, an anonymous person donated to get me my eye inspection and first pair of glasses.
When I was a broke college student, my future wife gave me an RF modulator. I could actually watch DVDs on my old TV!
As a kid, the best present I received was an HO scale slot car race set. That Christmas I woke up sick with the flu. The race set was the last present for me to open. I felt a lot better after that. Adrenaline is definitely an amazing thing.
Always love getting concert tickets as gifts.
I loved my puppy.
Several years ago my father passed away and my Mother asked what i wanted of his. The first thing that i said was his old WW2 army medals. Two weeks later my wife gave them to me framed and with his picture in it for Christmas. That was very cool to honor a true american hero. One of many!
The best present I ever got was a piano from my parents to start my music career
The best present I have recieved is the hand of my wife in marriage…..followed by the births of my 3 boys!!!
Karoke Machine at the age of ten.
Legos were the best gift ever!
Best? A french press… use it all the time. :)
Surf lessons in LA!
Can I still enter? I might as well try…
This only happened last year (2009). My best gifts from my family were essentials. My folks asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told them all I needed was family -since they are getting old- and socks and drawers (underwear). I saw a certain amount of appreciation from my mother and father, it was satisfying to me for them to see how much I have matured through my collegiate education and becoming the burgeoning scholar that I am. Though in a way cheesy, it’s quite important.
If in terms of pop stuff… Then I would have to say Nintendo 64 back in 4th grade. My first system ever, and I still plan to include it into my future bachelor pad. Along with Mustang 5.0 (duty-car) and an Audi S5 (booty-car).
Best present ever? Either the keyboard I got on my birthday that kicked off 14 years of classical piano playing, or the gamecube that my parents spent all year adamantly insisting that they would never, ever buy us or allow us to buy.
The best Christmas present I ever got was a new bike from my parents when I was about 10. I had asked for one all year and was really looking forward to graduating to a more “grown up bike”. As the Christmas morning rolled on gifts were open but no bike was present. My dad could tell that I was getting a little worried and asked me to open the blinds to our living room to let some light in. It was then that I discovered a brand new bike waiting to be unveiled behind the blinds. Needless to say it took me all of two seconds to run out into our yard to hop on and ride it. Lots of people get new bikes but the way that my dad made me use some patience and then surprised me made the present even more special.
Best present I ever received was when I moved in with my Brother in law and sister when I was having a difficult time at home and school. They made a big deal of the party and spent several hundred dollars on buying me a sound system for my car (which they gave me)
When I was a teenager and rock star wannabe, I was drooling over this gigantic North drum kit in the local music shop window. Christmas morning I went to visit my dad (my parents had divorced years earlier) and there, in the living room, was the drum set with a big red bow on it.
These days I’m playing a bunch of different instruments, but music is still a big part of my life, thanks in part to the encouragement of my parents.
Mine was by far the Lego Technics 8880 Super Car I got for my 10th Christmas. It was a thing of beauty!
The best Christmas present ever would have to be my Jet Pilot bicycle, 1966. Thanks, Grandad.
The best gift I ever received was the American Girl doll I got when I was 8.
A bike when I was younger seemed pretty great.
That’s the easiest for me. It was 1959, I was given the best gift anyone could’ve given me, life on this planet.
Because of that wonderful gift, I have been able to find other gifts every day on my own. From the beautiful amber color of the sun rising over the open Atlantic ocean welcoming a new day to bear. The gray skies of a ‘nor’easter bearing down on my community.
I experienced the friendship of a cute puppy, satisfied purring of a cat, remarkable songs of brave men, beautiful women, curagous and selfless acts.
Gone to college and learned that dispite my self inflated view of my wisdom my knowledge is but spittle in a great river flowing from the dawn of time to its ultimate end. I’ve seen ordinary men achieve remarkable things because of many reasons, the most telling of all being “You can’t do that.”
I’ve seen the computer created. Seen the fundamental force of the atom applied to great things, some good, some bad. Seen man discover new life miles beneath the surface of the ocean that has changed the course of science.
I’ve traveled near and far, literally to the other side of the planet, met thousands of people, some I can call friends, some not.
I’ve seen the horrors that a man can inflict on his fellow man in the name of hollow promises and empty dreams.
I’ve heard the stories and felt the awe of selfless men (and of course women) giving the ultimate gift for their fellow man.
I’ve lived the stories of great laughter, tragic sadness, empty promises. Buried a brother at a too-young age. Saw my parents go with unrealized dreams. Felt the awsome power of the wind carring a ship through the ocean under a bright sunny sky. Stood face to face with and felt then witnessed the fury of mother nature as that same wind destroyed everything in its path.
Seen the nauseating results of man’s hubris and the glorious power of people’s hope and love for someone they don’t know.
That gift has given me the love of a woman I can’t believe I deserve, pride at the end of the day of having done a good job and given it my all. The ability to provide for my family and be proud of what I have achieved. The confidence and strength to try my hand at anything I want. To not be afraid of failure and the pleasure of learning from it. The feeling of grit in my teeth, sawdust in my hair, and other discomforts that have been more valuable to me than gold.
This gift has given me the power to decide my own fate and be the lucky recipient of other gifts. What more of a gift could anyone hope for?
(Oh, except for one of those spiffy briefcases to carry around my diary.) ;)
A pen knife from my grandfather.
Best Ever: M1898 Krag Carbine – as carried by the 1st USV in the Cuba campaign of the Spanish American war – AWESOME!
Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition, at age 8.
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