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The seven best antique and vintage gift ideas for him this Christmas
Posted by Chris on 11/11/2024
It can be exceedingly difficult trying to come up with gift ideas for your husband, partner, boyfriend or father at Christmas.
Often they just seem to already have everything they want already, or sometimes they don’t appear to have any particular interests to buy for (and going to the pub doesn’t really count as a ‘hobby’).
Many fathers will tell you that they just don’t need anything this year – that’s about as helpful as the two word replies they usually send to your text messages.
So what do you do? Read our seven best antique and vintage gift ideas for men this Christmas, of course!
Don’t settle for the usual!
You could of course buy him a voucher, a nice bottle of wine, or more often than not, something rather modern and ghastly that is a bit of a shot in the dark as to whether they’ll actually like it or not. Or maybe the backup of all backup options: some socks!
However there is a better way to buy gifts for him this Christmas – whoever your ‘him’ might be!
(Scroll down to see the seven top ideas for gifts for him).
You can do better than buying the men in your life socks again this Christmas!
The many reasons to consider buying antique and vintage Christmas gifts
There are plenty of reasons why it’s a great idea to give an antique for Christmas. Not least because – as we often say here at Antiques.co.uk – the past makes a great present!
Your Christmas gift for him will be of a high quality
Antique and vintage gifts aren’t just some flimsy throwaway piece of plastic. The mere fact that they are still intact (and usually in great condition) after tens or even hundreds of years mean that they’ve already shown themselves to be very durable.
The antique gift will show him that you really care
And it’ll be even more meaningful to him that you haven’t defaulted to the stock gift option – instead, you’ve found something unique and thoughtful. They really can’t be found on your typical high street.
Your Christmas gift will rather magical
Much of the magic of an antique gift is that the item has been owned by a number of people over the years – so the untold backstory can spark the imagination. That’s something you simply don’t get with an M&S gift set.
Your Christmas gift for him will be eco-friendly and sustainable
Manufactured many years ago, not only do you get the imagination of years of memories with the antique gift – but the carbon footprint is entirely paid off when you buy an antique. That means that antique Christmas gifts are really very eco-friendly. Usually you just need to arrange postage or shipping.
A Christmas gift for him that really is unique
Giving an antique as a Christmas gift means that you won’t be presenting your father, husband, partner or brother something made en masse in China (although there are plenty of Chinese antiques out there of course if that's to your taste).
You can find such a vast array of items not only made in countries around the world (and chances are, by hand), but often there are very few of them remaining on the market. That means your Christmas gift for him is quite special – and unique.
Your gift will (most probably) hold its value
As the item you’re giving is already tens or hundreds of years old, the worst that can happen (if by chance it doesn’t go down as well as you’d hoped) is that it’ll be relatively easy to re-sell for a similar price. Often antiques can be a good investment, and to make it easy you (or him) can always list it right back here on Antiques.co.uk.
Where to start when buying an antique Christmas gift? How about these vintage Silver Vermeil Kai Yin Lo Cufflinks Natural Onyx, £85 / $110
Buying an antique Christmas gift for him: where to start?
You may be thinking: “so if I want to buy an antique Christmas present, where do I start?”
That’s a perfectly reasonable question. If you’re new to antiques, or just need a bit of inspiration, here are seven of the best ready-made antique and vintage Christmas gift ideas for men.
- Vintage men's watches
- Antique books
- Vintage tie pins and cufflinks
- Men's signet rings
- Vintage hip flasks
- Antique maps
- Wine accessories
Pictured: Tudor / Rolex 9CT Gold Gent’s Wristwatch, £950 / $1,225
1. Vintage watches
It’s a well known fact that many men love a good wristwatch. Listed with us you’ll find a wide selection of antique and vintage wristwatches – including some lovely vintage Rolex that won’t break the bank (and some that will…):
- Tudor / Rolex 9CT Gold Gent’s Wristwatch: £950
- Tudor / Rolex Regal Gentleman’s 9CT Gold Cased Watch: £950
- Rolex Speed King RAF Officer’s WWII Watch (ultra rare item): £3,500
> Explore more antique and vintage wrist watches.
Pictured: what better gift for him than this Antique copy of The Life & Explorations of Dr. Livingstone, circa 1875, £795 / $1,025
2. Antique books
At this time of year, when the winter is closing in and people are starting to get their fires and woodburners on, what better to help while away a dark evening than leafing through an antique book? There are plenty of these listed on our site, but older novels and biographies are a great idea.
- The Life of Charles Dickens, 1880: £395
- Charles Dickens Rare 1st Edition Books: £POA
- 1st Edition, Two Volumes of the Iliad of Homer: £25
> Explore more antique and vintage books.
Pictured: Solid silver horse and horseshoe cufflinks for men, £98 / $125
3. Vintage tie pins & cufflinks
Tie pins and cufflinks really are timeless Christmas gifts for men. These days, it’s actually challenging to find decent ones on the high street – but luckily, in the past they were much more prevalent. And they’re ideal if you’re looking for something on the lower end of your budget.
- Vintage 18CT gold Men's Cufflinks: £145
- Vintage silver vermeil kai yin cufflinks with natural onyx: £85
- Vintage tie pin riding crop and horse head: £22
- Tie Pin sapphire + 9CT gold: £75
> Explore vintage tie pins.
> Explore vintage cufflinks.
Pictured: Vintage Diamond Star Signet Ring, £509 / $655
4. Antique and vintage signet rings
It can be a little difficult to know what to buy in terms of men’s jewellery – but one item that has always been in fashion is vintage men’s signet rings. If you’re looking for stylish, quality gifts for him this Christmas, these rings are plentiful and often really quite impressive. He’ll love it!
- Vintage 1983 Aries Signet Ring: £559
- Vintage 1945 Rose Cut Diamond Signet Ring: £439
- Antique 1917 Shield Signet Ring: £449
> Explore more vintage signet rings for men.
Pictured: Antique 1920 leather hip flask, £595 / $770
5. Antique and vintage hip flasks
Christmas time is a very pertinent time of year to give gifts related to whiskey – and any man will appreciate a cool vintage hip flask to keep
- Irish Solid Silver 1899 Hip Flask for Polo: £POA
- Unusual Antique English Sterling Silver & Glass Hip or Liquor Flask - 1900: £POA
> Explore all antique and vintage hip flasks.
Pictured: A framed antique lithography map of Oxfordshire, with fine cartographic interest and of generous proportion, £895 / $1,155
6. Antique maps
Where is the man in your life from? Places can be very meaningful to many of us, and we often hold a special place in our heart for items associated with a town, countryside or county that we love.
That’s why a vintage or antique map can be a really thoughtful gift for him this Christmas. And the good news is that there are plenty of them listed here on Antiques.co.uk – many of them come already framed.
Selected antique lithography maps (ranging from 17th – 19th centuries):
- Sussex: £295 https://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/Antique-County-Map-Sussex-English-Framed-Lithography-Cartography-Victorian
- Surrey: £295 https://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/Antique-County-Map-Surrey-English-Framed-Lithograph-Cartography-Victorian
- North America: £595 https://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/Antique-North-America-Map-USA-Canada-Mexico-Cartography-Colton-Victorian
- Baltic Countries: £140 https://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/LETTS-MAP-RUSSIA-NORTH-SWEDEN-NORWAY-FINLAND-LAPLAND-JEMTLAND-ca-1833
> Explore more antique and vintage maps.
Pictured: Unique Decanter Tantalus, circa 1900, £950 / $1,225
7. Antique wine accessories
As we well know, wine has been popular for so many thousands of years that there are plenty of great antique gift ideas for men who love their reds, whites and roses.
Some of these will be bulkier furniture, such as a ‘cellarette’ or wine box, or a wine table – not quite so easy to wrap. Others are much more manageable and stand a chance of fitting under your Christmas tree, like antique wine coolers, vintage glassware, decanters and jugs.
Here are some interesting wine gift ideas:
- George III Inlaid Mahogany Cellarette / Wine Box: £775
- Rare Pair of Early Victorian Rosewood Wine Tables: £2,650
- 18th Century Mahogany & Brass Wine Cooler: £2,050
- Gilded William IV Campana Shaped Wine Coolers Pair: £1,600
- Cut Glass & Silver Dessert Wine Jug 1890: £795
- Set of Six Edwardian Wine Glasses: £295
> Explore more wine accessories.
Pictured: original 1928 Argentinian Milk Truck (*man not included)
And finally, a bonus Christmas gift idea for men:
8. Classic cars and motorcycle memorabilia
There are plenty of really interesting gift ideas for men who love their cars and motorbikes – and even traction engines. Listed with us are some really big ticket items (like the 1928 Argentinian Milkman Truck, pictured above) to some much more manageable collectibles including vintage crash helmets and car mascots.
- Chrome Plated Horse Car Mascot: £75
- Vintage Dunlop Tyre Pressure Gauge: £45
- Joseph Lucas No.38 Oiler (rare): £345
- 1965 Honda CP77 Motorcycle: £1,500
> Explore more classic car and motorcycle memorabilia.
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