Gift that will hold is value for son's 21st birthday

Becles

I got a large crystal vase for my 18th. I'm not really an ornament fan and I rarely have fresh flowers in the house so most of the time it just gathers dust in the dining room.

Decided I didn't want to buy something like that for my sons 18th last year. He's always loved football and wanted to go and see a foreign team play. He liked Barcelona as a child, so I booked flights and match tickets for a weekend away. We did the Camp Nou tour, went to the match and did touristy things like visiting Sagrada Familia and had churros on Las Ramblas.

He's got loads of fabulous memories and photographs that will last a lifetime and he said it was the best birthday ever!

skintpaul

Tool kit- great idea.

Mr_Toad

My parents bought me Rolex for my 18th. I always liked watches, I loved the mechanical movements and would never have a battery powered watch and when they asked me what I would like I said a nice mechanical watch.

I never expected them to buy one that cost so much even though they could afford it as they had always instilled in me a need to make my own way in the world.

I've worn that watch almost every day since and that was 37 years ago. To me it has no financial value, but, it is one of the few things other than property that has kept it's value.

It isn't one of the dressy gold ones but a functional stainless steel one that looks as good with jeans as a it does with a suit.

I have since inherited my fathers gold Rolex, I've worn it only a couple of times but will never part with it as it was a part of him and will go to my son. My mothers has already gone to my daughter, mum gave it to her on my daughters wedding day.

I went on to be a collector of old pocket watches, something I am still very interested in.

It's a difficult thing to choose a meaningful gift but it has to be something that doesn't end up gathering dust.

A friend of mine was given a beautiful American Gibson guitar for his 18th, something it would have taken him years to be able to afford. He still has it and plays it almost every day and like the watch it is priceless, it also happens to be worth a lot of money but again irrelevant.

His wife often jokes that if there was fire she'd be doomed as he'd come out with his son under one arm and the guitar under the other.

Buy something that will be treasured, forget the value, if it happens to be something valuable then that's just a bonus.

I bought my son three good cooking knives, he was, and remains a passionate amateur cook, something I thank my mum for. To him they are some of his most prized possessions and still in use 22 years on though they have no intrinsic value.

I hope you find something suitable.

supersaver2

I think the suggestion of a watch would be a very common present for a 21st. My parents bought me an Omega watch on my 21st many moons ago, wear it every day and it has increased in value. Can't go wrong with an Omega, Rolex, Breitling etc.

Jagraf

Money, then he can decide whether its something he wants to grow in value - buy something for himself, have a great celebration, pay his rent.

ViolaLass

Why not talk to him and see what he wants? For my 18th, I wanted a new oboe, which isn't standard so there would have been little point my parents asking anyone except me.

Millerdog

If he has a car, how about a personalized numberplate along the lines of his initials, birth year or 21. Lads that age seem to rate these things and it can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle