Be Better Guys

Just earlier this week, a friend, who’s a woman who is not my wife, asked, “If you could pick some gifts in a few price ranges, what would you want to get?  I’m out of ideas for my own husband and since you run Be Better Guys, what would a Better Guy want?”

The Guys: I want a ’67 Jaguar E Type and a 1960 Fender Stratocaster and a first printing of “Casino Royale” (the first James Bond book, ya knucklehead!) and a house in Montauk,  New York and….sorry, that was my life’s wish  list.  Let’s bring this back to reality.  Here are a few things I’d dig (though none of these will come true, not this year at least…unless my wife’s reading closely!):

1. In the $50 range, a nice single malt Scotch that I wouldn’t buy myself, such as 10-year Springbank, or a nice rye whiskey, like Ri or High West Rye.
2. In the $100 range, now I just got a new fountain pen, but a nice pen is sweet.  Pelikan and Aurora make great ones, and everyone needs a decent pen.  Another option,  a nice cashmere sweater from J Crew.  Why J Crew?  Because a little known fact is awesome cashmere sweater maker, Loro Pianna, makes J Crew’s cashme
   

   Air Colton from Cole Haan

   re.  So you’re buying a $500 sweater for a little over $100 on sale.  That.  Is.  Nice.

3. In the $200 – $300 range, a set of three custom dress shirts is nice.  But you need your man there to get precise measurements to that takes the surprise out of it, but who cares?  He’s getting custom dress shirts!  Also an option, ’cause I’m a shoe guy, is suede lace ups from Cole Haan.  They go to the office or they kill on the weekend.  Ya can’t lose.
4. In the $500 range, going back to that whole James Bond thing, getting a first printing of one of the later Ian Fleming novels is a pretty cool gift for any guy who digs Mr. Bond.  Ebay’s got some very reputable sellers.  I get my copies from eBay and I’m happy with their quality.
5. In the $1,000 range, how can you go wrong with a Burberry trench or a Hugo Boss topcoat.  A guy needs a good coat for life, check out Bloomingdale’s or even online to find some deals.
6. And for $2,000, I’m hunting hard for a vintage Omega Speedmaster watch, the one that was accompanied the astronauts on the first moon shot back in 1969.  So cool.

This is just a shortlist of what I’m scoping out.  And this ain’t all, there’s always other things, like art, that I’m checking out, but you know, there’s always next year to add to the collection!  Hope this gives a bit of an idea of what a Better Guy may want.