https://store.metmuseum.org/

I've bought Christmas cards and small gifts from the Met over the last few years and the quality has been good. I love their stuff. If you scroll down a little they've created gifts under $25/$50/$100 categories.

Bit of self promo but I launched a business this year turning topographic maps of mountains into 3D wood art, and donating proceeds to conservation causes: https://48contours.com/

My collection is Pacific Northwest mountain focused right now so maybe not of interest to all readers, but great gifts for lovers of the pnw. I’ve even got ornaments!

I emailed, too, but I’ll post here to get word out.
https://www.onesimplewish.org/ Grants wish list items for kids in foster care.

The links below are for a couple extremely sweet fellas that I appreciate so much for spreading goodness at all times. They're both artists and have merch stores with items more on the unique side of the spectrum (IMO). Since I believe that Kottke readers are unique in being curious about all the things, I thought I'd throw these beautiful humans a potential bone in case it strikes someone's fancy. Stevil at All Hail the Black Market has been in the blog game for just about as long as Jason and nearly as prolific with posts so that's cool, too. Thanks to Jason for the opportunity to share the love.

Stevil:
https://allhailtheblackmarket.com/collections/all
http://www.drunkingham.com/

John:
https://innervision-art.com/

No specific brand id recommend, but those MagSafe 3-in-1 chargers for your iPhone, watch and AirPods are a game changer. I have a fold up one in my travel bag and a bigger one for my bedside table. With the newer iPhones it turns your phone into a little bedside clock / widget viewing thing.

Anker and Belkin probably make the highest quality ones but I’ve had decent luck with the various no name brands on Amazon.

My wife makes incredible pottery, specializing in vases, mugs, cups, and bowls (some quite large!). Any of the pieces would make for a unique gift. https://www.vigceramics.com/

https://www.usinger.com
As a kid, my uncle used to send each of his siblings and their families Usinger's sausage gift boxes at Christmas. We have continued the tradition into adulthood, and since my uncle passed a few years back, I've started sending a box to my parents. (In case you're wondering, The Feinschmecker #3 is the box we've always gotten. Great variety of different treats to try.)

https://libertyorchards.com/collections/originals
In response to a similar post on MetaFilter last year, someone mentioned Liberty Orchards. We tried them, and oh man, are they good. They make "fruit-and-nut confections", with aplets and cotlets being their most famous ones (apple/walnut and apricot/walnut). They are probably most similar to Turkish Delight -- a small, gelatinous square with various nut and fruit inclusions, usually dusted with powdered sugar, although they do have chocolate-covered ones as well. (LO makes their own Turkish Delight, too.) They have some nut-free varieties, as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CYB6SPI
My husband wanted a rice cooker and I got him this Hamilton Beach for his birthday earlier in the year. No, it's not a premium Zojirushi model, but that was not in the budget. Zojirushi does make a basic model for about the same price, but it's got relatively small capacity (~6 rice-cooker cups cooked vs ~14 rice-cooker cups on the HB), no steamer basket, and the HB has a few extra modes for things like grains and brown rice, instead of just an on/off switch like the basic Zojirushi. He has fallen in love and won't shut up about it. 😂

For anyone who likes jigsaw puzzles, Liberty Puzzles are absolutely fantiastic. And the laser-cut wood smells wonderful when you open the box.

Another rice cooker rec! After waaaay too many years on the fence I finally committed. We went with a Tatung (6 cup)— apparently legendary in Taiwan. Love the simplicity and funky colors and the quirkiness of the steel rattling while it steams is oddly satisfying.

Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living is full of practical advice for practically anyone and it’s a great size for gifting. It’s been my go-to birthday gift this year.

[self-promo!] I make colorful laser cut and hand-shaped charging stands for Apple things at Electric Trout. Many of the newer designs turn your phone into a swanky bedside alarm clock.

Michele writes via email: I make and sell original watercolor and ink paintings based on themes ranging from neuroscience and microbiology to climate change at my Etsy shop https://artologica.etsy.com

Kevin writes via email: If I may suggest, gifting a membership to WUMB.org to be added to your gift guide. WUMB is member supported public radio located in UMASS Boston. I first started listening to WUMB almost ten years ago, subsequently becoming a member with a tax-deductible donation. I have renewed my membership every year since.

Andrew writes via email: For your gift guide, Field Notes' "Birds and Trees of North America" Edition would be a great gift for bird lovers: https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/birds-and-trees-of-north-america It features illustrations by Rex Brasher, a nearly forgotten naturalist whose magnum opus rivals the work of Audubon. There's a great short film about it on Vimeo, too: https://vimeo.com/1017986345

Mike writes via email: My wife makes fun stickers, mugs, and t-shirts with leftist and pro-mental health messages. Maybe you and the Kottke community would like them? https://www.etsy.com/shop/annalizheart

Tucker writes via email: maybe this HOW TO FIND YOUR KEYS tote bag appeals? https://www.tuckernichols.com/shop/how-to-find-your-keys-tote

Nihal writes via email: Suggestion for the gift guide: for anyone with houseplants, www.treleaf.shop has unique and stylish wooden leaf-shaped plant supports (trellises), extendible supports (made from aromatic cedar wood), plant trays and plant coasters. A woman-owned and led business, made in USA (in the Atlanta area).

Matt writes via email: Tactile Craftworks sells gorgeous leather bound notebooks, flasks, passport covers, and clutches with a focus on maps of American cities and National Parks. Laser cut & hand bound with a ton of character. They're friends, so I'm biased, but they do really quality work. https://tactilecraftworks.com/

Jennifer writes via email: I wrote a children's book, called "Finding Feelings" a few years ago, and would love to share it with your community. Available where books are sold, but currently on sale at Amazon.

Finding Feelings is an unique search-and-find book; a "Where's Waldo" for feelings. Children read body language and situational clues to locate both good and difficult feelings in the characters. It gently exposes children to uncomfortable feelings, and teaches emotional vocabulary, but most importantly, it's fun.

@frankus.bsky.social: Utilitarian, but canary-usa.com has these neat cutters that combine the effectiveness of a boxcutter with the safety of a butter knife.

@rafiamahli.com: I think these belong on the list: temporary tattoo markers. I’ve played around with them and they’re so much fun. And they work great. https://inkbox.com/freehand-tattoo-marker

@danprovost: Fancy pens and notebooks from Studio Neat! https://www.studioneat.com

If you like maps and rust belt cities (and who doesn't), Belt Publishing has a whole slew of cartographic books - including mine, Buffalo in 50 Maps - with Pittsburgh and the Great Lakes editions coming out in 2025 too!

Weston writes via email: For the art lovers in your life we have two great prints available now
https://store.obeygiant.com/products/op-art-offset-lithograph

https://store.obeygiant.com/products/the-woman-who-defeated-pain-frida-kahlo-offset

And of course our theory11 playing cards!

https://store.obeygiant.com/products/obey-playing-cards

Jeremy writes via email: My wife resells a curated selection of vintage purses and women's evening wear. It tends to be very popular around the holidays for that special person people don't know what in the world to buy. Her Etsy store is "Bonjour Vintage".

Also, Molasses is a local Chicago store with shipping options on some really cool items. Check out the candles in the shape of sunny side up eggs, garlic, bell peppers and a corn cob. https://www.shopmolasses.com/homeware

I've got a buddy who just opened a cafe/restaurant and I'm giving people gift cards to help generate a little foot traffic for them.

High quality dried beans! I never got on the Rancho Gordo bandwagon (unclear why) but the folks at Primary Beans have won me over. These little energy pebbles are ridiculously tasty and I never knew it before! They have a holiday set right now with fresh olive oil that looks awesome:
https://primarybeans.com/products/timeless-table-set

I never thought I liked walnuts (too bitter) until I bought them from Nuts.com. Their podcast ad days seem to be over, but the product is still amazing. Noticeably better-tasting nuts than anything I can get at the fancy grocery store.

On a self-promotional note, I spent two years photographing bonsai trees and published this book - http://bonsaibook.net
Photos have been featured in National Geographic, CNN and others and I'm immensely proud of the final product. It's also available on Amazon.

If you have someone in your life who loves taking notes by hand, I recommend getting them a Leuchtturm1917 notebook and a Sakura Pigma Micron 0.1 pen.

I’ve been using a notebook + fineliner setup for over 10 years, and these two items make me happy every day.

https://www.leuchtturm1917.com/notebooks/all-formats/medium-a5/

https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/pigma-micron/

Somewhat self promo as I co-founded the project, but: postcardsfromtimbuktu.com - you can order a hand written postcard with a custom message that is stamped and postmarked in Timbuktu (yes, that Timbuktu). If you order now, it will not arrive in time for the holidays. But it could be a great way to send an encouraging note for the start of 2025! Proceeds benefit out of work tourist guides who have been struggling since the collapse of Mali's tourism sector more than a decade ago.

My new favorite yarn is from Junction Fiber Mill! https://junctionfibermill.com/ Cranking out a ton of hats with their variegated DK. So so beautiful & fun to watch.

Terral writes via email: A great kitchen thermometer makes great meals. Our Thermapen ONE is what I would recommend if you want to win the holidays. It is a favorite of America's Test Kitchen since 1997. It is also the go to for Alton Brown, Kenji Lopez-Alt, Andrew Rea, and many more. https://www.thermoworks.com/thermapen-one/

(I have one of these and I use it all the time. -jason)

Laura writes via email: I was informed today by my coworker that the Chicago Manual of Style has a merch store. It kinda rules. Obviously the best piece of merch is the brat skateboard deck, but I'm enamored with this beach towel and this duffel bag, and for the littlest copy editors, this shirt featuring pilcrows and the "add period here" proofreader's mark is great.

Also I can't stop thinking about what I would do if I walked into someone's bedroom and this was their bedspread. Run? Die laughing? Both?

In the self-promotions department, any publication by my micropress Birchwood Palace Industries could make a nice gift for a total weirdo in your life. Some good publications to begin with might be Paratroopers for Jesus: 4,936 Band Name Suggestions from the '90s Internet or Videoland: A Visual Catalog of American Video Store Logos, 1980-1995.

I humbly recommend the kids' book Chris Piascik and I made, Salty Avocado, which is one of the best kids' books out there because it was written with the idea of parents having to read the same book over and over again for 14 months. The pictures are snazzy and the story is nice.

I wrote and published an award winning book! The Man in the Banana Trees is a collection of short stories that Debutiful called one of the best debuts of the year. There's science fiction, fantasy, and weird fiction in stories about art, technology, family, and teaching. You can get it from bookshop.org or your favorite indie!

We sell our non-alcoholic beer on the internet! https://heckbrewing.com

Sorry, we only ship to Oregon, California, and Washington right now. But if you live in one of those states and you're curious about non-alcoholic beer, you should support a small business and check it out!

I make and sell sobriety coins over at https://theachievemint.com. Color ones that are premade for the different soberversaries as well as customizable ones!

I have been very happy with my gifted Mossy Earth membership (https://www.mossy.earth/). Mossy Earth runs rewilding projects all over the world where they restore natural habitats that were devastated by human activity. They are rewilding mangrove forests in South America, floodplains in eastern Europe, oyster reefs in Scotland and so on and so on. They provide monthly updates about what happens to your money and have a great YouTube channel where you can follow their progress (https://m.youtube.com/MossyEarth).

Vaughn writes via email: i made a tool/game for learning how to be more comfortable with being uncomfortable — as a way of becoming better at being in uncertainty. the tool is called idk: https://productivediscomfort.org/

the decks ship out to most countries from the US and germany. i'd love it if idk were to show up in your gift guide.

i also wrote more about how idk works here: https://uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/re-learning-productive-discomfort

Suzanne writes in via email: Trashie sells the Take Back Bag for clothing recycling and the very new Tech Take Back Box for e-waste recycling (laptops, phones, cords, cables and more). The Take Back Bag and Tech Take Back Box make awesome gifts because everyone has too much stuff. Especially right after Christmas. You can read more about how we recycle here.

Megan writes via email: I think books and jewelry are two excellent entry points for buying second hand items. People can get squicked out by used clothing or furniture but jewelry is easy to sanitize and books don't usually bother people.

For jewelry, I'll humbly recommend my two favorites: Erica Weiner (who has been doing amazing Instagram Live sales that are essentially 2 hour long history lessons) and Erie Basin, though there are tons and tons of others to choose from. For books, Strand and Powells both ship, but there are lots of other online resources and is there really anything better than spending an afternoon in a used bookstore with money to spend?

This isn’t a specific gift, but rather a gifting idea. When I was a kid, my aunt used to buy all of the cousins a Christmas tree ornament every year. She clearly put a lot of thought into it— the ornaments were always very high quality and she managed to find ones that had different “versions” so that siblings could have their own special ornament (one year it was different felted animals, another was wooden tropical fish, another was painted glass balls with different winter scenes). The idea was that we could have them when we were grown up and put them on our own trees— and we do! It was a great tradition and an easier gift when you have lots of kids to buy for!

Hi there, for folks who love bikes/cycling, I collaborated with Grant Petersen of Rivendell (was recently profiled in the New Yorker) on a book called Bicycle Sentences, it's 177 illustrated sentences of Grant's wisdom, very much in keeping with the article, really.
I've got some copies here: https://betsystreeter.com/shop/
(Also people who buy a Riv bike get one too but that takes a while) :-)

Our granddaughter is turning two in February and her mom says her consistently favorite toys are the ones they've received from Lovevery.

We purchased the "developmentally appropriate" Play Kits (from 0-5 years), which are delivered as a subscription every 2-3 months. They are well designed and well made, with lots of wood.

We have no connection with them, just customers who re-upped recently.

My wife and I started Wondermade 12 years ago, making incredible flavored marshmallows. Lots of highlights… including making the Kottke gift guide a few years back!
The flavors include Bourbon, Irish Cream, Peppermint Swirl, etc.
If anyone ever visits Disney, we have a small kiosk at Disney Springs and I'm there a few times a week. Stop by and say hi!

We stayed at a lovely B&B/brewpub a stone's throw from the Shenandoah Nation Park - hopkinsordinary.com Newly owned and run by two delightful young women - a gift certificate would be a great treat for any traveler!