It is not to generalise, but just like with food that always become better with salt, there are few things you can sprinkle your present to give it more of a sparkle.

Excitement - ideally, you can think if a specific gift would be exciting to him, rather than how useful or sensible it might be. You can also be excited about something, i.e. an eco-friendly toothbrush made from plants (actual product), then, suddenly, your excitement will become infectious.

A story - you will notice me coming about it throughout this site, but it is true. Knowing where things come from and how it relates to you, your values, heritage, or dreams is the way to go. Scottish love things made in line with their clan tartan colours, eco-warriors love earth-friendly materials, and we all love a good story that we can share with others.

Heritage - every Italian will love something from their home country as a gift, maybe from their region or a neighbouring village is even better. But so would any other nationality. Interestingly, we get a lot of enthusiastic feedback from people whose parents are coming from European countries, and they like to re-gain the connection to the roots that they thought was long lost.

And lastly, thoughtfulness. It is never about the price. It is about connecting the dots and linking soulless products to a person that will appreciate it, and love it.