I need a gift for a ten year old boy - stat!

[DisturbedPervert]

The Sears near me growing up definitely had an auto center.  I'm sure they could change your oil for you.

[Barrister]

The Sears near me growing up definitely had an auto center.  I'm sure they could change your oil for you.

Fair enough.

But Cdn Tire does not sell much clothing.  They sell a bit, but only outdoorsy-type stuff.  It's  less than a department store, but more than a hardware store.

Apparently they tried to expand to the US at one point, and failed miserably.  The US just didn't 'get' their mix of products.

[Valdemar]

Just for the record: he is not my nephew.  He is my wife's friend's son.  Him and his mom have been staying with us for about 3 months when they first moved up to the Yukon (until Feb 1st, when I get my house back!!! ).

I have done a few things with him, but I'm not about to take him for a night out.  That'd more be a present for his mother, not him.

That being said... he is a child being raised by a single mom.  Growing up he's had little contact with his dad (but good contact with his dad's parents).  He definitely feels a lack of a male role model.  He somewhat oddly enjoys doing very mundane, but manly, tasks with me.  Shovelling the driveway, going to the dump.  Him and I actually had a very nice morning in December going out to cut down the Christmas tree.

So I don't know if grumbles knew or was thinking of any of that, but that's what gives the idea of a gift "from one man to another" some merit.  But probably only in conjunction with something a little more interesting as well.


Anyways I also got an email from his mom that he wants a "bucket of pucks" from Canadian Tire.  That'll be the gift, with maybe a side of a toiletries bag / shaving gear.

Well my soon to be 10 year old son enjoys that sort of things as well, so I think its the age, not the lack of father

As to your question, I am probably late, but the biggest hits this xmas and year has been, a mobile, FIFA 10 for Wii, Lego star wars models, Premier League football jerseys, Mangas like Dragon Ball Z, nice jeans and sweatshirts, (almost the age where clothes begin to matter), cinema tickets to avatar (with me) and oddly enough Bakugan balls.

V

[Grey Fox]

The Sears near me growing up definitely had an auto center.  I'm sure they could change your oil for you.

Sears Canada sold/closed their Auto Center division about 5 years ago.

[grumbler]

Ooh, a pocket knife would be good too; I think I got my first one around 10 years old.

Great idea if mom wouldn't through a shit fit! 

[Grey Fox]

Sears won't change the oil in your car.  Canadian Tire doesn't sell much clothing, and certainly isn't the place to buy, say, a bra.

It's funny, I really hate Cdn Tire. I hate going to the place, it always takes forever & then you wait 45mins at the cashier. Yet, atleast half of what I own comes from there.

[jimmy olsen]

A 10 year old boy in the Yukon?

I suggest a Wolf-dog puppy. 

[Martim Silva]

I'm with HisMajestyBOB on this. When I get gifts for non-family kids at 10 or younger, I just get a toy gun which looks as realistic as possible.

The knife is also good (I got mine at age 10 and still have it), but I usually associate that with family kids; I wouldn't give it to an outsider kid, and I certainly would resent if someone gave it to a kid of mine - I'd want to give that present myself.

[Admiral Yi]

FYI Martim, a BB gun does fire little metal balls.

[Martim Silva]

FYI Martim, a BB gun does fire little metal balls.

I know. My kid gun could hurt people (or blind them if it hit the eyes).

My definition of real firearms are those that fire bullets.

[Josephus]

I'm not sure if those guns are even legal here (Canada). I could  be wrong but I think toy guns that look like the real thing are illegal. Of course, no one in CAnada knows what the real thing looks like, cause no one here owns guns. 

[Grey Fox]

It's complicated.

But I don't they are illegal, Cdn Tire sells BB guns (along with paintball markers & real fire arms).

[HisMajestyBOB]

Ooh, a pocket knife would be good too; I think I got my first one around 10 years old.

Great idea if mom wouldn't through a shit fit! 

Get this one. She'll think it's a hammer. 

[Malthus]

Pucks make a lot of sense, pucks in a pail make sense if you think a little, but why would a person in need of a pail of pucks direct himself to a store called Canadian Tire?

You've never heard of Canadian Tire?

It's a major retailer up here.  Part automotive parts and repair, part hardware store, part home and garden stuff, and part sporting goods store.  There's no real American equivalent to the particular mix of products they sell.

www.canadiantire.ca

The problem with Canadian Tire is that the quality of their products and service both tend to be quite low. To be honest, I'm not sure how they stay in business, other than the fact that everyone in Canada already has a little stack of that money that they issue sitting in a tin can in their garage. 

[Admiral Yi]

Except for their pail o' pucks that is.