Ideas for a 40th Birthday Gift

Happy Labor Day to my American friends!  I’m at work today but after a week long holiday and two days off last week, there is no whinging from me (a great British word that’s a cross between whinning and complaining).  This weekend I spent a good amount of time doing Internet research and unusually, I am still unsuccessful and need your help! I  have searched the term  “40th birthday gift ideas” so many times in the last month I am now being retargeted with ads for sports memorabilia, designer watches, outdoor grills, and more.   That is not to say these are not great presents, but alas, no.    What am I talking about? My fiancé Mark (the silent one from Instagram) has a big milestone birthday next month and when speaking about gifts he let me know he would prefer something physical, not a trip or an experience.   And that is very, very hard. 

There are so many gifts that would work for someone else, for instance, he already has a nice watch, he would never wear a leather jacket, he does not care about designer goods, and we are not allowed to have a BBQ grill on our balcony per our lease agreement. Thus, today I am rounding up 40th birthday gift ideas with more than dozen items at different price points – some under $100,  some gifts priced between $100 and $250, and a handful of times above $250. Why so many price points? Well, I don’t have a set budget for this birthday and I could end of up doing some smaller things together or one larger item. In addition, both his Mom and sister-in-law have asked me for gift ideas for him and I also wanted to share in case any of you are in the market.  Lastly, to give some context after each gift I have listed all of the reason the gift would not work for him (though maybe they will work for whoever you are searching for): 

1 | Apple Watch Series 5 GPS, 40mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – $549  – A great option and there’s a reason I put it first –  Mark already has an earlier version of the Apple Watch and it’s still in good shape.  (I would like kudos though as this was a past gift I gave him that went over quite well). 
2 | Apple AirPods Pro  $229 – I love my AirPods and use them daily and while this Pro model is supposed to be awesome Mark also has the regular first generation of AirPods.  And after having looked into it  based on reviews, there is not enough of a difference between the two that you need both.
3 | Salvatore Ferragamo Gancini Cufflinks $260 – I am big fan of Ferragamo and I love a guy in a crisp button down shirt with cufflinks, especially this pair with the toggle closure but Mark already has a few nice pairs. 

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4 | Mulberry Eight Card Croc Embossed Leather Wallet in Black – $410  This black croc-embossed wallet immediately caught my eye but I think it would be a bit showy for him and he already has a nice one, dang you, Mark.
5 | CREED Aventus Eau de Parfum Cologne $287 –  From GQ to Vanity fair this cologne is one of the top rated in the world but not only is it quite pricey for a bottle of liquid but Mark does not wear cologne. 
6 | Hypervolt by Hyperice Handheld Percussion Massage Gun– $495  If you have never seen one of these (this might look quite odd in the collage above) this is the hottest item in the world of fitness, a precision Massager to use to relax and recover post workout. I seriously considered buying this for him but after he tried one last November Mark called it “okay” and I don’t want to spend nearly $500 for a present that is likely to get dusty on a shelf. 

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7 | Glass Decanters and Tumblers   $80 – Another gift that iI really like but we already have a decanter and a set of glasses that used to be his grandmothers (you can see them on our bar cart). 
8 | Sage Barista Express Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine, Stainless Steel –  $729 – This would be more of a gift for me than Mark as he does not drink coffee, never mind espresso … moving on.
9 | Microsoft Xbox One S 500GB Console  – $399 – My knowledge of video games caps out at Supersmash Brothers on N64 but apparently this is the best gaming console on the market which would be great but Mark does not play video games.

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And then a number of items that did not make the collage above mainly because they did not fit into my pretty black and white theme, but as I mentioned, I have done quite a bit of research.  Thus additional gifts sorted these by price: 

10 |  NFL Protoast Toaster $37 – A funny gift and great for a die hard football fan but not only is American Football not big in England but Mark is also gluten free. 
11 | Entireworld Six Stripey Socks Set  $80 – I am trying to get rid of his socks not add more (though I didn’t help my cause when I got him eight new Marvel pairs at Christmas)|
12 | Vivitar VTI Phoenix Foldable Camera Drone $249 –  A drone may be on my list, especially a foldable one 
13 | Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones II with Google Assistant –  $299  We have a pair but does not use these
14 | YETI Tundra Haul Portable Wheeled Cooler $400 We recently added a Yeti cooler to our wedding registry but this does not seem like a great long term gift. 
15 | LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon   $1,099 –  A  cool idea but and the caption said who doesn’t love Startwars? and hasn’t bought the one he got at the beginning of lockdown plus this one is 7,500 pieces and more than 30 pounds. 

I would like to think the ideas above are great but I am still really stuck!