Etsy's Handmade Blog
Gift Ideas: To Grandpa with Love
Story by TeenAngster
Published on December 16, 2008 in Spotlight 		Photo by

PorchlightVintage

Oh, dear grandpas! What would we do without your wisdom, candy filled pockets and subtle aroma of pipe smoke and Brut? (My grandpa, at least!) This holiday season, give Grandpa a finely crafted gift that suits his hobbies and interests. He'll be sure to reciprocate with plenty of butterscotch candies and piggyback rides!

To see gifts for Grandma, check out this post! Leave gift ideas for your grandpa in the comments!


More Grandpa Related Posts | More Holiday Shopping Posts | Dad Gift Guide

Tags A Dude's Perspective, Gift Ideas, grandfather, grandpa, grandparents, him, holidays, man, men, shopping
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67 comments     Login to add your own!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. christinececelia

These are great!!!!
Now lets see som ideas for grandma!!
:)

Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:06 p.m. TeenAngster

Right here....

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight...

Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. loulouandoscar

Wish I still had a Grandad to buy some of those lovely things for!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. sweetshorn

The grandpa in me wants that hat.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. HomemadeZen

nice list!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:03 p.m. ThePeachTree

Well now that my father is a grandfather, I can TOTALLY see him going for each and every one of these :)

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. weirdwolf

Great walking stick!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. voleurdebijoux

Very cool for Big G! :)

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:17 p.m. morgansilk

The grandpas I know like heavy metal!! Very cool walking stick.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. JuneMoonBeads

Love the duck and the blue mug!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. Iheartmoustaches

I want a ship in the bottle just like my grandpa's.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. KarmaRox

Most modern day grandparents are much more hip than that first pic shows! hahahaaaaaaa----what a stereotype!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. JetWhitePonytail

Nice man kit

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:55 p.m. woodendoll

My grandpa had a red plaid hat! Cool.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:56 p.m. sillylittlelady

How cute! I love that little mug :)

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. MadArtjewelry

Really very dated ideas of what grandparents look like!!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. LaVogue

Baby boomers have always been hip.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. MelissasMelange

This is definitely a very stereotyped idea of a grandpa, but nostalgic nonetheless.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. artofthefirebird

At least this one isn't quite as horkable as the grandmas' gift ideas list, but it's still perpetrating the Etsy ageist attitude. Thanks, Etsy...NOT!!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 8:46 p.m. AnthologiE

My grandpa still has a blue "Worlds Greatest Grandpa" statue from the 1970s sitting on the nightstand.
Grandpas love anything from the heart, and clearly all these picks are!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 9 p.m. elisasherejewelry

I love the "I Love You Grandpa" dish, that's so sweet! I just married into a lovely grandpa, and it's nice to finally have one to buy things for. Thanks for this article.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 9:01 p.m. divesin

I wrote an issue of my zine all about my grandpas. It is for sale in my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

Dec. 16, 2008 at 10:12 p.m. froydis

very nice! I love this list! great guy stuff all around.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 10:23 p.m. TheCottageCheese

Great picks! The "man gift" from Maine is so cool.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. VioletsNewVintage

the knife is cool

Dec. 16, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. fenrislorsrai

Really, 3 fishing items and 2 smoking items? This is best we could do?

Dec. 16, 2008 at 11 p.m. tiffanyrenfrow

Ahhh.... Grandpa! I miss my Grandpa! He would have totally adored that Modern Style pipe holder and THOSE trout fishin' flies. He was a king of fishing!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. f2images

Great ideas for any man!

Dec. 16, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. forthebettys

ohh the man of the house would love the
Hand Engraved Sunfish Pocket Knife


Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:26 a.m. archaicdesign

yea! a matching stereotype of a grandpa!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:35 a.m. ebbandflo

oh geez! i have to agree with the comment above mine. son's grandpas are currently either globe trotting or plotting the movement of the roman army across scotland (or similar). neither smokes cos it's bad for the health and know better than to tempt young taste buds with candy.
i'm sorry to all those at etsy who didn't realise that grandparenting has moved on in the last two decades

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:48 a.m. JoyandWhimsy

Great ideas-fishing's big in my family..another great idea is Rare ANTIQUE BOOKS. Many love history, religion, medical, sci, travel--Check out these on aviator Lindbergh, Tolkien, and 1880s Japan + MORE on my site:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

Dec. 17, 2008 at 1:39 a.m. sungazer

I think I've figured out what bothers me about this and the grandmother article. The copy's written as if the grandparents themselves are for sale - look! you can have an authentic granddad and granny for your very own! - rather than real, complex individuals who might appreciate a nice present from a loved one who shops on Etsy.

Sell the goods; stop trying to sell the nostalgic stereotypes.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 3:11 a.m. LegendaryTigerHero

You mean to tell me that my Grandpa probably won't like the chia pet I got him? Oops! -J/K!!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 3:26 a.m. foxaz

I'd like to see these articles expressing some real feelings of love and respect for our elders. I agree with sungazer - I'm not interested in *buying your sterotyped grandparents.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 3:31 a.m. NicoAndMooMoo

Likely my grandpa will have a look at this page... he is 90 years old, but he loves internet and I've introduced him to etsy too! :-)

Dec. 17, 2008 at 4:15 a.m. BabbidgePatch

great Grandpa or Dad items!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 4:18 a.m. Sinta

The walking stick rocks :)

Dec. 17, 2008 at 4:52 a.m. britishcreamtea

I love the dish...I just wish my Grandpa was still about to buy for!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 5:13 a.m. Timeless

Wow, stereotyping much? Lovely.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. swellvintage

Those knives are unbelievably beautiful! SO going to get one for my dad for his birthday! x

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. elainebiss

Very sweet!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. fourtailslampwork

Oh, good heavens. Could we get any more stereotypical and ageist?

Dec. 17, 2008 at 8:01 a.m. morriganTOO

You do realize that many grandpas alive right now did things like protest the Vietnam War or see Led Zepplin in concert right?

They didn't exactly smell of Brut either.....

Dec. 17, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. solidio

I like the picks - perhaps they are nostalgic, but I still like them. and bought ONE of those items for my boyfriend, who is 32! shhhhh....

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. TeenAngster

This is but one idea of what a grandfather would like. In my case, I went with what I knew - as my grandpa would've loved anything on this list! He was a pipe smoking, fishing, Wheel of Fortune loving, candy carrying, Brut wearing kind of guy. I realize not all grandfathers are! This was simply intended to give some ideas. Leave your ideas in the comments!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. MouseTrapVintage

Uh oh! I like all these things for me. I guess I am just a grandpa at heart. :)

Dec. 17, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. TeenAngster

Me too, MouseTrap! I am a total grandpa.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. BluCille

Cute hat! And the man gift looks neat as well.
FREE SHIPPING in my shop with purchase of any two or more items until December 21st. Expedited available!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. PearsonMaron

Dude, I was grandpa before any of you.
My grandpa would have loved all of these things. I think my dad would love them too.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:03 p.m. ShaneLilyRain

Love This List !!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. morgansilk

TeenA, it probably would have been interesting to read about YOUR grandpa; less stereotypical.
"All generalizations are false, including this one." --Dwight W. Eisenhower

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. sleepingcatbeads

erm...why is there a pendant in with this? LOL

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. EJPcreations

what is it with grandpa's and the wooden duck things?

Dec. 17, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. EJPcreations

good point sleepingcatbeads.... tee hee!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. sungazer

As I said, if the focus had been on the _products_ rather than the stereotypical generalized older person they're supposed to be gifts for, I'd have fewer complaints. I think the items profiled are themselves quite nice.

I actually think it would be more fun and "hip" to _challenge_ the stereotype - maybe some "grandpas" would love a rock-star tee, or a studded belt, or a sleek modern piece of art, instead of the same sporting/ fishing/ golfing/ smoking stuff that every other store on the planet aims at older men.

That's the real problem with stereotypes, aside from the likelihood of offending someone. They are lazy, and they are boring. This was a perfect opportunity to show that Etsy's a special place that isn't like everywhere else, and you blew it.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. limamike

My Grandfather (when he was around) had a serious sweet tooth. Bring out the food!

He also liked to garden -- bring out the seeds! And the pots!

(And I like food, pots, and seeds, too, btw).

Dec. 17, 2008 at 6:54 p.m. necessityisthemother

I found this article charming, even if the ideas here don't perfectly reflect the personalities of my grandpas. I love the spirit of the article, anyway! If you have a pipe smoking man in your life (of whatever age), this shop has AMAZING pipes, one of which I recently bought for my man!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:19 p.m. kibbles

Please be respectful to other members of the Etsy community.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:22 p.m. dangerousmezzo

Yes, sungazer -- this kind of article is just lazy and boring. It's lazy, boring sentimentality, and about as likely to appeal to boomers with money as ... well, Brut.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. dangerousmezzo

Kibs, that only applies if you're under 40, didn't you know?

Dec. 17, 2008 at 7:24 p.m. kibbles

Kibs is 50, runs 5 times a week, and is physically hotter than most admin.

*sigh* Guess I'm old.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. jbirkemeierphoto

love the pocket knife!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 11:10 p.m. tiffanyrenfrow

Oh my! To reply to this post last night & to come check on it today.

Hmmm... possibly Etsy should feature the Ba-Humbugs! Seriously!
The article was in good nature & for the holidays.
I think I was a TOTAL Grandpa & Grandma today... listening to my VINTAGE, Christmas LPs while making cookies!
The season is about CHEER- lovely peoples!
Happy Holidays!
P.S.... If you're taking it so seriously... maybe PUT some Whiskey in your eggnog-OR- LEAVE it out!
Cheers!

Dec. 17, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. soule

Very Nice!

Dec. 18, 2008 at 5:54 a.m. PaisleyChainsaw

aww this is sweet :-) Very nostalgic, my grandad is in his 90s and this makes me think of him :-)

Dec. 18, 2008 at 7:46 p.m. FunkyQuail

Well, Funky is in no danger of becoming a Grandpa, but if I were. . . .YIKES! How about showing items for Grandpas with a variety of interests and not just one Grandpa?

Ideas for grandspas I know? Well, for one, ART. There are wonderful artists on this site. Kitchen items for baking and cooking. Accessories for his Harley. A knapsack to carry his carp while hiking in the wilderness. Bicycle shorts for riding across the state. Some are sports fans. And some play professional sports.

Does that help?

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