As 'Weird [Stuff] You Can Buy' point out on their website, the internet is one of the best places to shop for cool, neat, and weird products that you won't see at your regular department store.
"[The products we feature] are not the items you were expecting. You’ll have plenty of entertaining hours looking at all the fun and humorous items on [our] site. A sense of humor will definitely be required, as some of [them] are outright hilarious!" the people behind the project write.
"Just why are ridiculous gifts so popular? Well, they provide a bit of entertainment at the adult birthday party. Everyone leads serious lives, so it's good to get away from it if only for an hour or two ... These types of gifts can be kept on the desk at home and work, and can be looked at whenever one is in need of a good laugh."
"We came up with [the idea for] this great site because we were searching for some unique gifts for our friends. We didn't want the usual run-of-the-mill gifts—who needs another pair of socks, or a t-shirt? We were able to find many weird and amazing items and thought it would be cool if there was one source online that features [all of it], instead of having to bounce all over the web to find what's needed."
Projects like 'Weird [Stuff] You Can Buy' can really help people. In their 2019 survey, National Retail Federation (NRF) found that 46% of Gen Z look to social media for inspiration when shopping for the holiday season.
Instagram is their top source, far outpacing Facebook, followed by YouTube and then Pinterest; Snapchat continues to be a source of inspiration for about a third. Interestingly, just 1 in 10 expects to find inspiration on TikTok.
But if you're still having trouble choosing a gift for someone, consider making a list of all the things the person is interested in and things that define who they are. Make it as long as you can. Now brainstorm something to go with every item on that list. Small or big, it doesn't matter. Don't overthink. You don't have to give all of those gifts, but you're going to hit on some cool ideas you wouldn't have otherwise, and when you combine a few of them, your giftee will appreciate how personal and thoughtful you were. Does someone love bacon? Why not get them a year-long gourmet bacon-of-the-month subscription?
For additional insight, ask yourself what that person needs. The key here is to think broader. What does a super busy successful businessman need? Time, probably. There are plenty of products out there to help people run their lives more efficiently. You could even ask other people you know what their pro tips are. Have a sister in nursing school? Maybe you could put together a student nurse survival kit. Thinking on a more general level will help you get outside your regular, narrower view of that person.
