With Christmas 2020 just over 2 weeks away, now is the time to get your shopping done if you have not already. Leaving it any longer and you run the risk of not getting the gift you wanted. Not only this, your gift for the special person in your life could end up coming late. Neither of these options is viable, so if you are a gamer, or buying for a gamer have a little read of our gift guide and get ordering. Below we have a range of goodies at different price points!
Let the shopping commence!
To start off, it is Christmas, therefore we are starting our gift guide off with a special mention. As you know Thumb Culture support charities on a yearly basis and it wouldn’t feel right without trying to help support another cause at Christmas. Finchy Of The North is an online Etsy shop that helps raise money for Special Effect who are a gamer charity. So as a first stop why not head over to their Etsy shop and have a look at the amazing gamer/geek creations they have. With gifts starting at £2.29 they have some amazing stocking fillers.
The Gift Of Gamer Fuel
As we all know, you need fuel when sat at your choice of gaming thrones. These days we have supplements, drinks and snacks. There are probably more out there, but these are the most popular. We are seeing towers of empty tubs as streamers backdrops and absolute growth in demand for these products.
So first up is one of our partners who many of you will have already heard of – Wraith. They are a Thumb Culture favourite, and we highly recommend them (even before partnered!). They have some epic naturally flavoured powders for your power-ups and let’s face it some awesome branding. This year they have some awesome Wraith Crates, that will make amazing gifts. In the crates, you receive a ton of goodies, from shakers to powders. You can check them out here.
Secondly, as some gamers prefer the snack route we have an alternative to energy drinks. Gamer Food is an online company that provide mystery snack boxes for all gamers. They even have a healthy gamer snack box for those looking to cut back on the sugars! You can check out what they have on offer here.
The Gift Of Retro-Ness
Everyone loves looking back at the awesome gaming moments we have has bestowed upon us. Whether that’s looking back at nostalgic re-releases or even gifts with a retro theme, we have a couple of options for you.
Let us get really nostalgic for a moment, for this next gift we have seen games, movies, tv-series, action figures related to this name and more. I am of course talking about Ghostbusters! The team over at Numskull have brought us a Ghostbusters Ghost Trap Incense Burner. I know what you are thinking, this is a gift that sounds amazing. Not only that, it looks impressive as well and can be yours for £59.99.
Moving on, Retro is making a comeback. The comeback is here in many ways, re-releases/re-masters, and we are also seeing some epic merchandise hit the market as well. At Thumb Culture one of our favourites has to be Seven Squared. The team over are currently producing some amazing printed tees of nostalgic goodness. If you don’t believe me, then you better head over and check them out now. They have t-shirts for pretty much most retro gamer and for £19.99 they make an amazing present.
The Gift Of A Good Read
Not everyone likes a read, but some love too! First up we have a pop-culture fiction book. To be totally honest I am hoping most people have read this but there is a chance some people haven’t. I am of course talking about Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Just to clear this up again we are talking about the book, not the film. Ready Player One is set in 2045 and is literally jam-packed full of pop culture. From gaming to movies it has it all! Available from most book stores at various prices but is a must-read! (And that’s coming from someone who reads one book a year).
Secondly, as not all gamers like to read but do like something that’s either more useful or nice to look at. We have the gift of a game guide. These days we don’t see many around, not new anyway. However, Piggyback make some epic guides that many people collect. They cover most of the AAA titles, not only do they contain awesome content they also look nice on your shelf. Head over to Piggyback to see if they have something, someone, you know would love.
The Gift Of A Subscription
This is an ideal gift for those who are hard to buy for and those who you just really have no idea what to get. So what do you get them? A gaming subscription, these come in various forms from single game subs to multi-game/access subs. So which do you go for? If you are buying for someone who has a PC the Xbox Game Pass for PC is your option, however if they are on XBox then you can opt for the standard console pass. However, if they have both then you can’t go wrong with the Xbox Ultimate Game Pass.
When it comes to PlayStation and Nintendo it’s a little simpler. For Playstation you have the PS Plus Service and for the Nintendo Switch, you have the Switch Online service. All of these can be purchased from the console/PC directly or you can buy vouchers online/in-store which can be redeemed on your chosen platform.
The Gift Of a Gaming Toy…Figure… Collectable!
Many of us love collectables and boy can they be expensive! Some of us like to show them off in a cabinet or shelf. Others like to keep them boxed in a steel case inside a protected vault. Each to their own! Let’s start off cheaper with the first option, a brand everyone has come to know Funko. Their fun big-headed little figurines have become a huge collectable. Again these are a great gift, all you have to do is make sure you buy a Funko Pop that you know they will love. They come in everything from gaming and movies to Disney. Available online and in some stores, they are easy to get hold of.
Now the harder option, going with this option you want to make sure you know exactly what the person you are buying for loves. This side of the collectables market can be pricey so if you get the item wrong, ouch! Luckily there are a lot of places now selling slightly more expensive collectables. The collectables I am referring to are SideShow and Hot Toys. These brands have become huge names, but let’s face it, looking at their products it’s clear to see why.
Their real to life figurines have a ridiculous amount of detailing in them. From the modelling of the figure to the design of the clothing and accessories. Everything is basically as good as it’s going to get when it comes to a collectable. As said above these are slightly harder to get hold of but more places are now stocking them. A quick search online will tell you where to go. Again as per the pop vinyls, you can get everything from gaming to movies and make an epic Christmas present for a loved one.
Thank you for taking the time to read this gift guide, and we hope it has inspired your gift buying over the next couple of weeks! If you do end up reaching out for anything we have recommended and it is a gift to yourself please tag us in your photos, so we can see what you opted for!
Merry Christmas from all the of the team at Thumb Culture
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