Clarity Strategic^TM

The title is ambiguous on purpose. Sometimes you will want to give a geek a gift. But sometimes a geek will give someone else a gift. So I'll try to offer a couple tips useful in either case.

1. Make sure a non-apparel gift has a use, apart from being geeky. The more high-end gifts of this sort might include cell-phone sanitizers and Kindle reading lights.
2. Make sure an apparel gift can be worn somewhere besides the Comic-Con. For many men, a duster (e.g. "Serenity" browncoats, but get it in dark brown!) will show taste on a rainy day. For women, try lounge pants (but choose design with care!) or try an accessory like custom gadget cases.
3. If you choose a tasteful gift, then you can loose your inner geek on the accompanying card (e.g. I was watching "Torchwood" and thought of you with one of these!).
4. Avoid pure joke gifts and anything NSFW, if possible - those gifts will be left to gather dust after the party. NO PICKLE FINGERS.
5. Above all, DO NOT embarrass the recipient, either through your gift or your presentation. You may need that friend one day. :-)

They say it's the thought that counts. If we geeks are thinkers, OUR gifts ought to count MORE.

The most valuable geeks (e.g. us) are the ones who understand that not everyone lives in the geek world, and not everyone who does sees it the same way we do.

You may be interested in Ten Geek Gift Ideas. You may also be interested in Ten Authors' Geek Gift Ideas. Subscribe to #GEEK and Proud!