Christmas Present Shopping & Unique Gift Ideas

Popular electronic gifts at the moment include digital cameras and multiregion dvd players - the Pentax Optio 33LF is a top quality digital camera at an affordable price - or go for the sleek silver Canon ixus 400 digital camera. The Cranium Board Game at £21.99 is popular with familys and groups of friends, while also selling like the proverbial hotcakes are multi region dvd players - with multiregion DVD Players from only £34.99 you can afford to throw in a favourite film too! Current dvd best sellers include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Shrek 2. Or for something completely different and original add a copy of the book 'Buddhism for Sheep' to your present list!

The new kitchen and home section of amazon provides even more ideas for presents to give to on that special occasion - how about a Kenwood Smoothie Maker: the first New York style Smoothie Maker to be launched in the UK and a great way to make healthy fruit smoothies, delicious cocktails and scrumptious milkshakes - perfect for parties too! The Kitchen and Home department also offers a range of personal care products, many of which would make a good present - from electric mens shavers to a Carmen Girls Night In Pack. The Philips Sonicare Sonic Toothbrush is another bestseller.

For a small additional charge you can also have your items gift wrapped.

Also recommended is the similar (and equally good) online shopping site Firebox - check out their top 10 best selling products for some great gift ideas - the list includes a Pocket DV3 Camcorder; the Sky Patrol Remote Control Helicopter and Tornado Remote Control Stunt Car (great fun!) or for something completely different give the gift of Thinking Putty - "perfect for stress and tension relief, as a desktop or office toy and as a cure for boredom", as well as being an original christmas present idea! Other popular gadget gift choices include idog, Roboraptor, iZ and chocolate fountains.

Even more great gadget gifts for guys and girls can be found at Gadget Storm - full of interesting and inspired gift ideas and gadgets from a Robosapien robot to a Namco 5 in 1 arcade games joystick. Categories include Office Gadgets; Lifestyle Gadgets; Party Stuff; Boys Toys and Girls Gadgets.

Other experiences to buy as unique gifts (or to treat yourself!) include: drive a Ferrari; wake boarding lessons; a PADI Trial dive for 2 people; gliding; a style makeover; bungee jump; skydiving; paintballing; white water rafting; wine tasting and many more. For the ultimate experience, you can even give the gift of a day on Eddie Irvine's private yacht; a flight in a current active military jet fighter at supersonic speeds; an Arctic Ice Safari inside the Arctic Circle; or flying lessons on a 45 Hour Basic Flight Course! (Hint: you may need to fork out a bit of dosh for these ones!) You don't have to be a lotto winner to shop here though - gift experiences start at just £13 (for the Wine Tasting). As well as buying these gift experiences for friends and loved ones, many of these would make good corporate gifts too (sending Jim from accounts on that weekend survival course should be character building!). If you can't decide what to get, gift vouchers are also available. Also take a look at the 'hot deals' section to find gift ideas on special offer. The current bestsellers include the Beer Mug Helium Balloon; a hands on trial flight lesson in a real 1942 Tiger Moth; Tank Driving; 'Paintball Extravaganza' (A VIP voucher giving you and 7 of your friends a fantastic paintball day anywhere in the UK); while unique presents for men or women include a Limited Edition Magnum of 'World Cup' Champagne, signed by all 10 remaining players from the winning 1966 team - and (for the less energetic), a relaxing day at a Health Spa.

Still not sure what to buy? The top 5 bestselling activity, unique and unusual gifts are:
Moon Estates: Novelty gift idea - be the proud owner of one acre of land on the moon; Name a Star (Framed): An original and symbolic gift idea. Present that someone special with a star in their name; Tickets for a ride on the London Eye - the worlds largest observation wheel; a Newspaper from your day of birth - a great 50th birthday gift idea; and a Steam Train Journey For Two - a lovely 60th birthday present or wedding anniversary gift. Buy a Gift provide unique gifts in the UK for all occasions and are one of the leading providers of activity experiences with over 400 online items to choose from.

If you live in Australia, New Zealand or Canada, you can even send a food hamper gift to a friend or relative in the UK filled with produce from your country. For example, the Australian 'Kookaburra' hamper offers Arabicas Black Mountain Ground Coffee, Lemon Myrtle Sweet Chilli Sauce, Penfolds Wine, Suncoast Gold Roasted Salted Macadamia Nuts and a Yummy Kitchen Australian Celebration Cake in a presentation box for £34.84 plus £4 for UK delivery. A great feature is that you can also create your own gift hamper by choosing products from a wide selection of food, as well as coffee, tea, port and wine. So, if you have an Aussie or New Zealand friend living in the UK, send them some Vegemite, if you know a homesick Canadian, send them some Maple Syrup - you get the picture! The only negative point is that while delivery to an address in the UK is very reasonable at around £4, delivery to other countries is expensive, particularly outside of Europe.

More good quality gift hampers can be found at Waitrose, who offer a range of hamper gifts from £22 - as well as wine, champagne and chocolate.

A great feature is the useful 'Gift Wizard' which helps you choose a gift - you input the persons age, their relation to you (father, mother, sister, brother, boyfriend, girlfriend etc) and you will be presented with a range of suitable gift ideas - fantastic! Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the gift wizard in action!

Gifts are also sorted into categories, including gifts for her; gifts for him; gifts for kids; living; dining; kitchen; bedroom; bathroom; garden & outdoor; 'fun things'; gadgets & gizmos; adventure days; collectables; office gifts and wedding gifts. Other features include a wish list and a useful birthday reminder service. Best of all - whatever you order, delivery is totally free and you also get a free £5 Discount Voucher just by registering with the site.

If you are looking for present ideas for Christmas, top selling gifts include the Zap Cap bottle opener (a great stocking filler idea); a Chocolate Fondue Set; a Remote Control Hovercraft; the Procrastinator; the John Jacques Corinthian Football Table and the Bushnell Deep Reflector Telescope. Need more suggestions? The Tantrix discovery puzzle would make an inexpensive and unusual christmas present and is apparently "an enjoyable way to develop strategic thinking, spatial ability, problem solving and memory skills." Alternatively, the Tantrix Game Pack won the 'Good Toy Award' and makes a unique present for adults and teenagers too. If you need to brighten up someones life why not give them a solar powered Rainbow Maker? If you still need inspiration for an unusual gift idea, how about a Vintage aircraft flight, the Fisher Bullet Space Pen is a popular choice, or a fun ironing board cover, which claims to put the fun into ironing! For an original 18th Birthday Gift, how about filling a cool Chilli Egg Mini Fridge or retro mini cooler with a couple of bottles of wine or beer to celebrate reaching the legal drinking age. Pamper Mum with a day at Henlow Grange Health Spa in Bedforshire or liven up those summer garden parties with a Garden Jenga Giant Tumble Tower. For more present suggestions give the Gift Wizard a whirl...

Comets top 10 Xmas gift list inlcudes the iPod video player, Roboraptor, Sony T7 camera, Navman SatNav, Tassimo and the new iPod nano.

Another unusual and unique chocolate gift is available from Groovy Chocolate who offer personalised chocolate bars - choose or design a chocolate bar, add your own personal message or greeting and they will deliver it gift wrapped to the person of your choice.

More chocolate for chocoholics - also highly recommended is Zchocolat.com who sell quality French chocolates; chocolate covered almonds and delicious natural vanilla-flavoured hot chocolate - perfect for those winter nights. Yum! Yum!

If you want to stick with a well known high street name, Thorntons Chocolates are a good choice and offer easy online shopping.

More ideas for presents, Christmas gift ideas and offers:

# Go for the classic combination for a gift that everybody will love - Champagne and Chocolates with a 75cl bottle of Saint-Maurice NV Champagne and a 95g box of milk, dark and white chocolates with traditional Belgian centres from John Lewis. Another great prezzie for the woman or women in your life, whether sister, mother, daughter or girlfriend, is the Molton Brown Gift Set - "containing 6 relaxing and rejuvenating bath and shower products, all in 100ml bottles. Boxed and dressed with ribbon tied in a bow, making it a present ready to go".

# Apple iPods are selling like hotcakes. Order an Apple i Pod direct from the Apple™ store and get free laser engraving to personalise your gift.

# Silly Jokes - from Birthday party balloons to fancy dress costumes, this joke and party supplies shop offers something different for that special occasion! For Stag and Hen night novelties, party poppers and invitations or that unusual practical joke gift, this is the place to stock up!

# Looking for helium balloon suppliers ? Bunches offer Party balloons for every occasion from only £9.99 including delivery. Gift boxed helium balloons come with your own personal message and delivered by First Class Royal Mail to any address in the UK. Another helium balloon supplier is Bizzy Balloons, who offer guaranteed UK delivery on the morning of your choice. Prices start from £14 including delivery, a free box of chocolates , gift box, decorative weight and ribbon and a hand written greeting card with your personal message. Lots of unusual shapes and novelty designs for every occasion - from Birthdays; Get Well Messages; a New Baby; Good Luck Balloons; a Balloon to say Sorry or Thanks; to an Engagement; Anniversary or Wedding.

# Save £10 on a Playstation 2 or Xbox games console.

# Free £10 discount voucher to spend on lingerie, plus free delivery and gift wrapping on orders over £50 at Emporio Lingerie.

# GoBaz.com sells a good range of gifts and gadgets for guys and girls, ranging from giant jenga to garden hammocks. The 10 top sellers are as follows: Hammocks; Mini Fridge; Flashing wine glass; Cowboy hamster; Drinks dispenser; Water Gun; Round lighter; Bug Massager; Electric scooters and mobile phone chargers.

# Find me a Gift - bestsellers include the 'Relax Kit' and Rocket Egg Cups. If you are feeling flush, how about one of the 4 Person Portable Hot Tubs or an amazing Hoverfly Indoor Helicopter! Looking for an idea for a 21st birthday present? What about a Freefall Tandem Skydive with Video or a Ferrari Driving experience!

# Looking for present ideas for a girlfriend, sister, mother or wife? Jewellery Gifts are always a popular choice - DiamondsAre offer the UK's largest range of gold (9, 14 & 18 carat) and silver jewellery as well as a range of body jewelery in steel and titanium. They cater for all tastes and budgets with nearly 5000 products covering anklets, bangles, bracelets, brooches, chains, cufflinks, earrings, lockets, navel bars, necklaces, pendants and rings. Competitively priced, with savings on RRP of up to 70% on jewellery. Something for every budget too - prices start at £1.30 and go all the way up to nearly £5000, should you be feeling flush!

# What's hot at Prezzy Box - popular gifts this month are: oggz - egg shaped rechargeable lights; Oidz magnetoids; the bottle key opener; Tea for 2 at Park Lane; and a Spa Discovery Day at Hoar Cross Hall or a luxurious Spa Day at Henlow Grange health farm - perfect for recovery in the New Year!

# Catalogue City offers a one-stop-shop for products in a variety of categories including gifts; clothes for men, women and children; music; books; videos; cds; electronics; toys and much, much more. With access to 1,000s of quality products from hundreds of mail order specialists, you are likely to find something here that will make a suitable gift!

# Bliss has a great selection of unusual and unique gift ideas from your own row of vines to a tree delivery, scuba diving to spa days, car valeting to rally driving, and naming a star to becoming one at your own pop star party! Or use their GiftWizard to find ideas for presents by recipient, by occasion, by price or by gift type.

# Discovery Store UK features some unusual and unique gift ideas for adults and children. Good ideas for Xmas stocking fillers include the Hangover Pack for a mere 2 quid, while the cute Tiger Chair makes a great gift for kids! Get a 20% discount on your first order by using voucher code CHRIS1 at the checkout.

# The Cotswold Company is offering a 10% discount off your first order - their new Winter collection is online now with some stylish gift ideas, as well as over 1,000 original and unique ideas for your home. For example, suggestions for gifts include the elegant set of 4 wine bottle stoppers; a contemporary set of 4 Lava Spheres made from natural Javanese lava stone (place a nightlight candle in each one to create a glorious display); the cute little oval shaped Wobble Clocks which would make a good stocking filler; let someone put their feet up and relax with Leather Footstools or pick up some handmade Christmas Stockings for the children.

# Top 10 Gifts provides a lot more than ten gifts to choose from, but the most popular pressies include a childs electric scooter for £60; Historic Newspapers - a copy of The Times from any date during the last 150 years (ideal as a unique Birthday Present) and Motorised CD Towers - simply press the button to rotate and view your CD collection! They also have a selection of personalised presents from a teddy bear to a pop art picture.

# Guitar Mania is a range of collectible miniature guitars. Each guitar is approximately 7" (18cm) tall and comes with a stand and a really funky guitar case.

# Framed Share offers the chance to give something a bit more unusual as a present - a framed share certificate. For example, give a football fan a share in their favourite football club or for someone fashion conscious give the gift of a Gucci share. Other best sellers include Walt Disney; Harley Davidson; Manchester United and Rolls Royce. These are real shares, so the recipient will get dividends if the company pays them and may also be entitled to any shareholder perks. The gift may also grow in value if the company share price rises.

# Newspapers Remembered supply genuine original archive Newspapers (not copies) from the date of your choice, from archives that go back over a hundred years. These original Newspapers make the perfect gift to commemorate someone’s Birthday, Wedding Anniversary, Christening, Retirement or other special occasion. All Newspapers come in presentation Gift packaging and with a personalised Certificate of Authenticity. A Times newspaper from somebodys Date of Birth makes a unique and thoughtful gift.

# Know somebody who would enjoy a night out at a London Theatre? How about a London Theatre Gift Voucher - available in denominations of £10 and £25 - they can be redeemed for theatre tickets, dinner packages, River Thames cruises and London attractions, in fact anything available for sale on the London Theatre Direct website.

# We love the toasty warm and cozy fleece socks /booties from Cotswold Outdoors which would make an excellent pressie for almost anyone - perfect for granny or for yourself! Other good Xmas Gift Ideas on their site include Adult Size Space Hoppers; a Waterproof Mobile Phone Case and if it's a white Christmas Micro Sledges (for big kids of all ages) are bound to be popular - buy 3 and get a fourth one for free.

# A good bottle of single malt whisky always goes down well as a classy Xmas gift - take advantage of Oddbins deal of £10 off when you buy two bottles - single malts in this offer include the peaty Laphroaig; the ever popular Glenmorangie and my two personal favourites - the island malts Highland Park and Talisker.

# Cucina Direct has a pair of champagne flutes for only £7.95 - just add a bottle of champagne for the perfect romantic gift idea!

# Gifts that make you feel good - for something different to give this Christmas, take a look at www.great-gifts.org (from World Vision) http://www.oxfam.org.uk and www.goodgifts.org - from as little as £5 you can send two apples to a family in Ethiopia or buy an acre of rainforest in Equador on behalf of your gift recipient, who will also receive a card (which can be personalised) with a description of the gift. The card can be sent directly to them by post or it can be sent to you to give to them. There is something for every occasion from Christmas, Birthdays and Anniversaries, to a Housewarming, a new baby or a retirement present.

# More online gift shops and present ideas can be found on our gifts page.

Still looking for ideas for someone special? Register free on eBay UK and you can browse, bid on and buy anything from thousands of items for sale. This is also a good place to look for those elusive toys that are already sold out at high street shops - big sellers that can be found on eBay UK this year include Beyblades, Micro Pets, Sylvanian Family toys and Barbie Rapunzel. eBayUK is also a great place to find something unique, unusual or rare - in fact anything that is no longer widely available or sold out in shops. The top twelve toys searched for are Star Wars; Harry Potter; Corgi; Disney; Warhammer; Scalextric; Beanie; Vintage Toys; Action Man; Sylvanian Families; Sindy Dolls and Transformers. And if you don't get quite what you wanted for your Birthday or Christmas, you can always sell your unwanted presents for cash too!

How to throw a great party. Whether it's a birthday, New Year, a 50th or a wedding, make it go with a bang. Loads of tips and hints you haven't thought of so it's easy on you and great for your guests.

Finding Nemo LeapPad Interactive Book - This fun and interactive underwater adventure features Nemo and friends as they learn about science and ocean facts. Both fun and educational, this is an inexpensive gift idea for children which is likely to be a very popular present this Christmas.

Finally, don't forget to stock up on the Xmas booze!
You can get your wine or beer delivered to your door when you order online from Virgin Wines who offer £20 off your first order; co-opdrinks2u.com who have free delivery on Christmas drinks when you spend over £39; the Oddbins web site (who have a nice selection of Malt Whisky too) or Majestic Wines, who even offer free delivery so you don't have to carry heavy cases of wines or beers home from the off licence or supermarket.

For some good gourmet food to go with your wine, Cucina Direct have a whole Alderton Ham; a Speciality Cheese Larder and a Free Range Goose amongst their Christmas Food selection. More ideas for festive food and drink to buy online can be found on our food shopping page.

• Free £25 wine voucher - Laithwaites Wines are offering first time customers a £25 off voucher, which can be used in part payment for a 12 bottle case of wine. Only one voucher per customer. Minimum spend £40 - i.e. voucher can only be used on cases costing at least £65. This voucher may not be used in conjunction with any other offers (including introductory offers and quarterly wine plans), exchanged for cash or refunded if lost. Please enter 'CHARDONNAY' in the voucher request box to obtain your £25 discount at Laithwaite Wines and take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on wine for friends and family (and yourself!) during the festive season!

Try the Gift Wizard!

	any girlfriend boyfriend mother father wife husband myself (male) myself (female) sister brother daughter son nan grandad other male other female couple
	any completely different creative excitement fun and games gadgets global travel green fingers health & pampering home comforts kitchen kapers likes to learn music outdoor active partying
	any arty big softy chilled out city slicker competitive cool dude eccentric energetic free spirit fun loving gadget lover intellectual joker party animal
	any To £20 £20-40 £40-60 £60-100 £100+

Note: All trademarks, product names and company names or logos featured on this site are the property of their respective owners. Any prices shown were correct when checked but may have changed. When ordering online please allow sufficient time for vendors to deliver your presents.
© TheGoodShopGuide.com Christmas Present Shopping Guide 2005.