1. Gifts.com Christmas Gift Guides offer a collection of gift guides. The Top Holiday Toys for 2008 showcases The LeapFrog Tag Reading System (pictured).
2. Surprise.com Hottest Holiday Gifts can inspire ideas, such as the Craftworks Toolbox Garage Refrigerator for handy giftees.
3. Newsweek’s Tip Sheet Holiday Gift Guide features a slide show of 100 gifts, including the Epson PictureMate Dash Photo Printer.
4. Amazon.com Gift Central ranks gifts by price, personality, relationship, most gifted and most wished for, like Wall-E on DVD.
5. Williams-Sonoma Top 20 Gifts may please with the Breville Ikon Panini Press and the Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot.
6. Yahoo Shopping Holiday Gift Guide lists popular gifts, including the iGolf neo Pocketsize Golf GPS. Also see the Top 10 Holiday Gift Lists.
7. The New York Times Critics’ Picks 2008 Holiday Gift Guide shares critic favorites, including top 10 books like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel.
8. ThisNext.com’s 2008 Holiday Gift Guide list 27 categories of suggestions such as Holidays Gourmet (featuring the Tear Drop Tea Set by Tea Forté).
9. The Container Store’s Great Gift Ideas offers clever stocking stuffers, like a Cyclops LED Book Light.
10. ThinkGeek Holiday Gift Guide 2008 has almost everything for the lovable nerd in your life: an official Indiana Jones fedora, the I Can Has Cheezburger? LOLcats Collection book, and Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap.
11. The Washington Post 2008 Holiday Gift Guide highlights travel gifts, including the Silk ‘N Dreams Luxury Lounging and Travel Set.
12. The Ars Technica Holiday Gift Guide 2008 recommends tech gear and gadgets this Christmas. Apple fans will enjoy gifts from the “Infinite Loop” section (Apple Travel Accessories, Mac Apps and Services, and Mac Accessories).
13. TreeHugger.com’s 2008 Gift Guide will appeal to those who lean green. Consider Earth-friendly cookware from La Chamba Black Clay Cookware.
14. RedEnvelope.com’s Holiday Catalog Collection features personalized gifts like a monogrammed cashmere two-tone scarf.
15. Cool Hunting 2008 Holiday Gift Guide selects stylish and unique gifts such as the elegant Kor One Hydration water bottle.
16. Reader’s Digest Holiday Gift Guide 2008 offers categorized gift recommendations, including the Take Four Word Game as a “Top Family Night Game” for ages eight and up.
17. Fredflare.com Holiday Gift Guide has you shop for quirky gifts by 54 themes like Audrey Hepburn, Nancy Drew and Lumberjacks.
18. The JustGive Guide lets you donate to charities that your giftees care about in their names. Give to causes that support their passions like The World Wildlife Fund, The American Red Cross or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

1. Give one 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 with a 638-horsepower engine; one 2010 Fisker Karma hybrid sports sedan; a spot in the two-day driving event, The Quail Rally, in California’s Monterey Peninsula; transportation and access to all events during Monterey Car Week; and one week of premium accommodations for two at the Quail Lodge resort in Carmel, California.

   Gift price tag: $1 million.

2. Make your billionaire the first person in the world to personally own a zeppelin. Customize both the exterior and the interior cabin. Receive zeppelin-pilot training and certification.

   Gift price tag: $17 million or more, depending on customizations.

3. Join golf legend Greg “The Shark” Norman and two of your friends at Cornerstone Colorado. Includes round-trip private air transportation to Montrose, Colorado. Spend two nights’ lodging at Cornerstone plus a welcome reception and meals, including a dinner with Norman. Enjoy up to 80 cases of Greg Norman Estates Wine through 2014 and selections from Norman’s apparel line over the next five years. Also, receive a set of custom-made MacGregor irons.

   Gift price tag: $750,000.

4. For the sculpture lover, give the Blue Venus, an 18th-century blue-sapphire statuette of the Roman goddess of love, once owned by Catherine the Great.

   Gift price tag: Price available upon request.

5. Commission a custom Vacheron Constantin men’s wristwatch, crafted during a five-night trip to Geneva, Switzerland, for two. Receive a full tour of the watchmaking plant and a hand-ons workshop with master watchmakers.

   Gift price tag: $1.4 million.

6. Have your giftee create a custom single-malt whisky at the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, Scotland. Visit Missouri’s Ozark Mountains to pick tree wood to make casks with a master distiller. Go to a Kentucky cooperage to learn about cask making. Receive 20 barrels, cellar space and five bottled versions of your whisky for up to 25 years. Take a private jet with three guests to all destinations.

   Gift price tag: $6 million.

7. Visit all nine of chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Vancouver and Beijing via private jet for six guests. Enjoy luxury accommodations, a personal concierge for sightseeing, eight-course meals, and exclusive tours of Boulud’s kitchens.

   Gift price tag: $1.1 million.

8. Give a 24-karat gold leaf MV Agusta F4RR 312 1078 motorcycle. This ultra-high-performance motorcycle comes from an Italian manufacturer, now owned by Harley Davidson.

   Gift price tag: $150,000.

9. Give the Picasso painting, Sans Titre (Tête de Jeune Femme), with a tour of the artist’s studio in Antibes, France, now the Musée Picasso. Includes five nights’ accommodations for two in the Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc.

   Gift price tag: $3.5 million.

10. Jet from New York to Champagne, France with another couple. Stay for three nights as VIP guests at Dom Pérignon‘s Château de Saran. Taste Dom Pérignon’s rarest vintage champagnes. Tour the Champagne region by helicopter and take part in the grape harvest. Each couple receives a dozen bottles of Dom Pérignon, six of them in a Karl Lagerfeld-designed guitar case.

    Gift price tag: $3 million.

11. Lavish your giftee in a 5,760-square-foot suite at the new Montage Beverly Hills with a housewarming dinner for 12 guests, prepared by Wolfgang Puck. Weekly spa treatments, a private dinner for 14 annually, plus 14 nights each year at Montage Laguna Beach, all through 2020.

    Gift price tag: $36 million.

12. Give the Cartier Le Ciel mystery clock. The “mystery” comes from the hands of the clock: they appear to float in midair with no connection to the clock’s face.

    Gift price tag: $2.5 million.

13. Prequalify your giftee with a guest for the Mille Miglia Storica 2009 race parade in Italy. Gives an opportunity to drive or navigate a historic racecar with a dedicated team of mechanics. Travel, admission fees, meals and four-star lodging included.

    Gift price tag: $1 million.

14. Give a 328-foot yacht designed by Ken Freivokh.

    Gift price tag: Starts at $300 million.

15. Commission a model railroad masterpiece with four trains and 32 train cars, a 2,500-square-foot layout with landmarks, major cities, and stations on the trains’ routes from New York to Los Angeles, all run from a control center with four flat-screen TVs.

    Gift price tag: $2 million.

16. Give the ultimate Chanel jewelry experience: a 70-carat necklace with an 8-carat white-diamond center stone and 2,218 smaller diamonds, and a 6-carat ring with 144 white diamonds. Receive two tickets to Chanel’s exclusive fashion show in Paris, a private tour of Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment and dinner at Chanel’s boutique at Place Vendôme.

    Gift price tag: $2.7 million.

17. Create a custom 33-carat diamond Tibaldi pen with Baccarat case. Travel to Italy first-class and enjoy five-star accommodations, helicopter transport between Florence, Bologna, and Naples, and dinner with the Tibaldi board members.

    Gift price tag: $1 million.

18. Design a custom-built library in the style of the Vanderbilts’ 19th-century Biltmore estate. Tap the services of library consultant Kinsey Marable and buy 10,000 books to shelve.

    Gift price tag: $7.3 million.

19. Give eight wooden cabinets designed by David Linley as replicas of Bordeaux’s most celebrated wine châteaux. Each cabinet holds 18 bottles of each château’s finest vintages. Then travel to France for a private tour of each château.

    Gift price tag: $3 million.

20. Establish a custom-made men’s wardrobe from Bergdorf Goodman: one week’s worth of suits, a topcoat, a tuxedo, footwear, and accessories. Enjoy a trip for two to Italy to select materials with Bergdorf Goodman staff.

    Gift price tag: Starts at $300,000.

21. Make your giftee the named benefactor of a 15-year program to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction. Includes a one-week trip to South Africa, with luxury accommodations, meetings with rhino experts and a helicopter flight to follow rhinos through the Rooipoort Nature Reserve.

    Gift price tag: $2.3 million.

Surprise.com’s Most Popular Hobbies and Interests

1. Gadgeteer
2. Secret Agent Man
3. Loves Their Car
4. Avid Reader
5. Krispy Kreme Maniac
6. Wine Connoisseur
7. Loves to Travel
8. Loves to Cook
9. Movie Buff
10. Dog Owner

Surprise.com’s Most Popular Sports and Outdoor Activities

1. Golfer
2. Sports Fan
3. Football Fan
4. Baseball Fan
5. Fishing
6. Basketball Fan
7. Backpacker or Camper
8. Walker
9. Likes the Mountains
10. Runner

Next: #4: Give an Adventure

Previous: #2: Choose Playfully Functional

• A Seabourne luxury cruise to the tropics
• Burberry cashmere sweaters from Nordstrom
• Platinum jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
• Big Bertha graphite drivers from Callaway Golf
• Pampering spas, courtesy of SpaFinder.com
• 60-inch Plasma HDTVs from Pioneer
• Just about anything in the Neiman Marcus Indulge Them! gift collection

Or it can be less costly, but still decadent, including…

• Chocolates from Godiva or La Maison du Chocolat
• Old-school men’s shaving from ClassicShaving.com: a Merkur Classic 1904 safety razor, Vulfix badger hair shaving brush and Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream
• Lobel’s dry-aged steaks in “black-tie” gift boxes with a personalized steak branding iron from SteakBrands.com
• Stonewall Kitchen’s “Best of the Best” gift basket for gourmet jams, mustards, cookie and brownie mixes
• Cozy Ugg slippers for men or women from Zappos.com
• Home-cooked surprise dinners featuring comfort foods like meatloaf wrapped in bacon and garlic mashed potatoes.

You might call these gifts “acceptable” indulgences. But there are also the guilty pleasures, where joy and shame meet, that can be riskier to give. If you venture into these indulgences, make sure to give that Pauly Shore Bio-Dome DVD in private and with gift receipt.

To avoid the crowds at brick-and-mortar retailers, try a few online gifts. The shipping deadlines for most online shopping sites have passed, so these gifts will arrive as e-mail. You choose whether to send directly to your giftee or print out the gift certificate and give in person.

The clock is ticking, so quickly consider these 25 online gift-giving options.

1. Amazon Gift Card
   Choose a simple e-mail message or a holiday-themed e-card to the “Earth’s Biggest Selection.”
2. CafePress “Gift This Cart”
   Shop for quirky tees that your giftee would love, adding them to your cart. Then at checkout, write your gift message and click the “Gift This Cart” button to complete payment. CafePress will send the list of paid-for gifts to your recipient, who may choose to accept your selected presents or shop from the amount of the cart. Or you can just send a regular e-mail gift certificate.
3. iTunes Gifts
   If you and your giftee use iTunes, you can select songs, albums and videos to send. Or you can e-mail a gift certificate sent via the iTunes Store.
4. JustGive.org
   Donate online to a charity that matches their passion or let them choose the charity with an online gift certificate. See my post on this topic.
5. GiftCertificates.com
   E-mail a SuperCertificate letting your giftee select from a variety of gift cards. However, avoid the MasterCard gift cards — here’s why.
6. OneShare.com Gift Announcement
   The stock certificate will not arrive for a few weeks but a printable gift announcement will. See my post on this gift idea.
7. The Gift of Flickr
   Upgrade a Flickr photo sharing account to pro status. Read my post for details.
8. Restaurant.com Gift Certificate
   Give online certificates to restaurants near your giftee at discounted rates, such as a $100 gift certificate for $40.
9. Sephora.com e-Gift Certificate
   Allow your giftee to shop online for favorite cosmetics and fragrances. Please note the gift certificate cannot be redeemed in Sephora stores, only online.
10. Lenox.com e-Gift Certificate
    Lenox is renowned for its china, crystal, flatware and vases. My wife and I love our Lenox Courtyard Platinum china set we received as wedding gifts.
11. Uncommon Goods E-mail Gift Certificate
    A great source for eclectic gifts and unique home accessories. E-mail gift certificates ship within 24 hours.
12. Ticketmaster Printable Tickets
    Order and print concert tickets using TicketMaster’s ticketFast service.
13. Cabela’s Electronic Gift Certificate
    If you know someone who enjoys the great outdoors, they know Cabela’s outdoors outfitter. Give an e-mail gift certificate towards hiking, boating, hunting, fishing and camping gear.
14. Lego e-Gift Card
    Legos are among my favorite toys. After all, the package does read “5 and up.” At the office, I keep a small Lego set in my top desk drawer to help break through mental blocks. Lego offers an e-Gift Card valid for LEGOshop.com or phone orders, arriving within four hours after placing your order.
15. Bed and Breakfast.com E-mail Card
    Send an e-mail card announcing your lodging gift to more than 4,000 B&B and inns in the U.S. and Canada.
16. Southwest Airlines Gift Card
    Give travelers an e-mail gift card for airline tickets.
17. Fandango Movie Bucks
    Treat your giftees to a movie at a local theater with these e-mail movie bucks. Check the zip code search on the Fandango web site to make sure local theatres accept Fandango Bucks.
18. Broadway.com Gift Certificates
    Broadway fans who frequent the Big Apple will enjoy a gift certificate good for any current Broadway or off-Broadway show in New York City. Each of these e-mail certificates cost $145.
19. Netflix Gift Subscription
    Delight the film buff on your gift list. Choose the number of months for the Netflix online DVD rental service. Six months costs $53.94. A one-year subscription is $107.88. Then print the certificate or send via e-mail.
20. Eddie Bauer E-Gift Card
    You have until 4 p.m. Central time on Christmas Eve to send an e-card to this clothing store favorite.
21. Callaway Golf E-Card
    Offer golf fans a choice of accessories from the online Callaway Golf Store with an e-card.
22. L.L. Bean E-mail Gift Card
    Select from boots, outdoor clothing, backpacks and tents from this classic mail order company in Freeport, Maine. No expiration date or added fees for this e-mail gift card.
23. Nike Store Digital Gift Card
    Give Nike athletics shoes and apparel with a swoosh via e-mail.
24. DisneyStore.com Online Gift Card
    Recommended by Scrooge McDuck for those Mouseketeer gifts.
25. NFLShop.com Online Gift Certificate
    Rally football fans with e-mail gift certificates that reach e-mail in-boxes within hours.

My Top 10 Favorite Gifts from Gift Show 2007

1. The Buddha Bowl ($19)
   A bowl ergonomically designed to rest in your hand (pictured above).
2. Angel Espresso Cups ($20)
   Espresso cups with silicon wings to keep your fingers cool.
3. Stylish Stems ($13 for a set of six)
   Wrap these around stemware to keep wine glasses identified with flair.
4. Sticklebook Shelf ($20)
   This alternative book shelf grips the cover and pages of books, making your reading appear to defy gravity.
5. Snake USB Hub ($16)
   Twist and shape this four port USB hub to plug in access easy. Available in green, orange or white.
6. Candle Carver ($10)
   Turn a granny smith apple into a votive candle holder with this coring gadget.
7. Charging Cell Phone Holder ($10)
   Hang this rubber-plastic composite holder over your plugged-in charger and have a colorful, handy shelf for your cell phone.
8. Garden in a Bag ($8-$17)
   Just mix the seed packet with water in the leak-proof bag and grow herbs, tomatoes, strawberries or flowers indoors year-round.
9. Metallic silver ice cream holder ($49)
   Serve your quart of Edy’s ice cream in style on your dining room table.
10. Photoart Clock ($84)
    Paint by numbers clock frame with brush and paints included.

And the Top 10 Quirky Gifts from Gift Show 2007

1. Post-It Notes on Toast
   The name and picture says it all. Now you won’t forget to pick up bread after work.
2. Memory Clothes Planner ($10 for a pack of 5)
   Cards that adhere to clothes hangers, so you know when and where you last wore your special outfits. Includes a pen that hangs in your closet.
3. Teatime Clock ($315)
   Vintage teacups from Goodwill form the hours of this offbeat analog clock.
4. Bike Chain Bowl ($88)
   A bowl formed from recycled bicycle chains for an unusual accent with heft.
5. Goony Accessory Tray ($26)
   Bendable and poseable, this accessory tray has fingers that mold to hold jewelry, keys, watches and more.
6. Tattoo Bookmarks ($5)
   Clip-on bookmarks that resemble classic tattoos.
7. Computer Key Clock ($20)
   Oversized Ctrl key, Esc key, Home key and Enter key analog clocks in bright colors.
8. Fortune Chopstix ($10 for 6 pairs)
   Colorful chopsticks topped with a hollow spot for custom fortunes. Blank fortune paper slips included.
9. Magic Cube of Office Tools ($10)
   A 3-by-3-inch cube that packs in a stapler, scissors, pen, exacto knife, measuring tape, eraser, paperclips and adhesive tape.
10. Billiard Ball and Golf Ball Wine Stoppers ($29-$34)
    Ideal for wine enthusiasts who love pool or golf.

You can find plenty of book gifts that count down the top 1,000 or 1,001 of whatever you want gift recipients to experience. (And preferably before they die, based on some of the titles.) Below is my list of 25 “1,000-Plus” book gifts.

For travelers:

• 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List
• 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die
• 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Traveler’s Journal
• 1,001 Natural Wonders: Places You Must See Before You Die
• 1,001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die
• 1,001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: Architectural Masterpieces

For music fans:

• 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
• All-Time Top 1,000 Albums
• Rolling Stone 1,000 Covers: A History of the Most Influential Magazine in Pop Culture

For readers:

• 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
• Time Out: 1,000 Books to Change Your Life
• Book of 1,000 Poems

For art lovers:

• 1,001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
• 1,000 Sculptures of Genius

For film buffs:

• 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
• 1,000 Best Movies on DVD
• Time Out: 1,000 Films to Change Your Life
• 1,001: A Video Odyssey — Movies to Watch for Your Every Mood
• Reel Life 101: 1,101 Classic Movie Lines that Teach us About Life, Death, Love, Marriage, Anger and Humor
• The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

For foodies:

• 1,001 Foods You Must Eat Before You Die
• Eat This!: 1,001 Things to Eat Before You Diet
• 1,001 Reasons to Love Chocolate

For golfers:

• 1,001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die
• Why Do They Call It A Birdie?: 1,001 Fascinating Facts About Golf

Besides the classic Oxford grey sweatshirt, you can find caps, polos, tee-shirts, shorts, afghans, golf accessories, glassware, watches, stationery, diploma frames, license plate holders, bobble heads, and even gas grill covers. Consider giving college-themed baby and kids wear to proud alumni parents. And, of course, the college gift shop is great place to find graduation gifts.

The ultimate alma mater gift is a captain’s chair or a Boston rocker with the college seal on the backing. Expect to pay between $350 to $400. For about $30 more, you can have the alum’s name and class year etched right under the university seal. Standard Chair of Gardner manufactures most of these classic college chairs.

For the truly devoted alum who has many college items, make an online donation to the institution in the person’s name.

And don’t forget the tuition-paying parents of current college students. Most schools offer “MIT Mom” or “Dartmouth Dad” themed gifts in mugs, tee shirts and sweatshirts.