Gift Ideas for a Teenage Nephew

Age: 19

Place: Saskatoon, Canada

Relationship: step-nephew

From the gift-giver:

My brother’s stepson seems to be a typical 19-year-old in many ways. He likes video games, hanging out with friends and drinking with them. But the problem is that I don't really know him all that well—which is why it is so tricky for me to buy for him. I need to find him something relatively inexpensive (looking for under the $25 mark), but something that a kid his age would like.

Any gift they’ve loved?

Not really... I mean, I know that my brother and his wife once set up an entertainment center in his room (TV, speakers, video game console, etc.) as a gift for one of his birthdays. He loved that, but who wouldn't love something so extravagant?  I don't know about any inexpensive, small gift that he loved. My mom once gave him a pan of S'mores cookie bars that she made that he really liked. But, ever since then, many people have given him versions of S'mores and I think he's a little sick of it.​

We recommend: the Pickpocket ($25)

Ahh, a typical 19-year-old boy—in other words, one of the most opaque kinds of humans there is. Since you mentioned he likes to drink with friends, I thought a cool bottle opener might be cheery—every beer lover could use one on his keychain, and they can be kind of fun to play with. The Pickpocket is versatile and only costs $20—it's got cool jagged edges and could possibly be used to pull apart a melting S'more, if he wants to double up on how he puts it to work. It's also a gift that will grow with him—sturdy enough to last, subtle enough to not seem immature, fly enough to inspire envy at bonfires, or whatever it is that 19-year-olds do for fun.

Other ideas:

• tickets to a Saskatoon Blades game ($22.50 each)
• a respectable wallet ($22.99)
• Truman Set shave kit ($15)