Collegiate Times

A gift for around $20 can be the easiest or the hardest to buy. This is the broadest range of gift giving because it encompasses everyone you're not attached at the hip with.

New friends, old friends, first impressions and reminders are all here. Everyone knows the trick to gift giving is picking up on the little details about someone and forming your present around that, but this rule becomes even more important in this category.

For $20 you're probably only going to find one item, so it better be memorable. Gifts like these can have the most significant impact, and the goal is for the gifter to be as remembered as the gift.

Everyone loves the iPod or flat panel TV they got, but rarely does one remember where it came from when scrolling through songs or channels. We do, however, always remember that someone was thoughtful enough to buy us a pair of gloves in our favorite color because they once heard us complaining of cold hands.

Simplicity, not extravagance; that's the key for the under-20 shopper.

CLOTHING

There's probably nothing more personal than clothes. Clothes allow us to showcase our personality without even opening our mouths. On the other side, clothes as a gift can also show how much you know about a person. There's a reason Aunt Mildred from Sacramento never gets you a sweater you like.

For under $20, though, clothes shopping can be hard, so it might be a good idea to stick with something seasonal. Right now, gloves, caps and scarves can make great gifts and are typically things people don't buy for themselves.

For the really adventurous and/or cheap shoppers, thrift stores serve as a literal workshop for one's gift-giving imagination. There is something, somewhere, amidst all those '80s clothes that your friends need, they just don't know it.

THE GIFT OF LIFE

Pets in college are never a good idea. That puppy is going to poop twice as much as it is going to be cute, so just hold off on the Mastiff until grad school. And cats are just a waste of everyone's time. Instead, a simple fish should satisfy that animal lover on your list.

Consider it a dog on training wheels. A Beta fish can be purchased at virtually any pet store, along with a bowl, food, and chlorine neutralizer (most important part) for around $20. Betas are the easiest fish to take care of, and with the aid of a mirror, they can also be the most entertaining.

If the person you're shopping for isn't into fauna, perhaps some flora. Plants, as boring as they may seem, can be interesting, and make any college-inhabited space look less like a prison cell. Bamboo is practically grass in a jar, but it really is a great gift. Anyone can take care of it. Plants are also an area where personality can be added to the gift.

What is your friend's favorite flower? Well, why not get him that potted whatever, or better yet, seeds and an interesting pot so they can grow it themselves? Some plants can be purchased at the Farmers' market in downtown Blacksburg, or at Crow's Nest Greenhouse off Prices Fork Rd.

ALCOHOL-RELATED

An unfortunate majority of college students are unaware that the glorious world of beer extends beyond Keystone and Natural Light - way beyond. This is where the legally capable gifter can shine. For six of your friends, the ones you actually care about, buy six six-packs of different significant beers.

For this, a trip to Blacksburg's Vintage Cellar should do the trick. It will probably run around $60 for everything, but once you divide it out it becomes six gifts for $10 each.

Might I suggest for your six packs, Guinness Draught, any Dogfish Head, a nice winter seasonal, any German (you can't go wrong with Hofbrau), Starr Hill Jomo Lager (if you happen to be in the Charlottesville area), and Milwaukee's Best Light to put everything in perspective.

Another interesting idea for your beer drinker is a set of pint glasses with his or her favorite beer printed on the side because all good beer should be poured.

For the wine fans, Target carries an electric bottle opener right at $20. I have no idea how this thing works, but it certainly sounds interesting.

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