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Price Check: Valentine's Day gift ideas

Flowers and chocolates are fine, but gifts that will last are even better

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Valentine's Day is right around the corner — in fact, you can practically see it in the distance if you squint hard enough. And while we may be close to living in a world where drone delivery is possible, we're not quite there yet. You have to get your online orders in now. So forget the flowers and the chocolates, get the geek in your life something they'll actually enjoy. We've found a couple ideas to get you started.


  1. Star Wars Han and Leia Hand Towels at ThinkGeek ($19)

    For many of us nerds, this is one of the most romantic moments in movie history: moments before he's frozen in carbonite and shipped off to Jabba, Princess Leia tells Han Solo exactly how she feels with those three words. Han responds with two: "I know." ThinkGeek has immortalized the moment with a twist on a classic Valentine's gift idea — his and hers towels.

  2. Monthly box of geek and gamer gear at Loot Crate ($13/month)

    There is a plethora of monthly clubs you can sign up for these days. There's the cheese of the month club, the wine of the month club — there's even a bacon of the month club. But Loot Crate might have one of the coolest around. Its monthly box of gear is full of over $40 of geeky swag every month, ranging from toys to comics to stuff you can wear. The items are from well-known brands, too — you can take a look for yourself at the past crates here. The deals start at around $13 per month, and if commitment's not an issue for you, they get cheaper if you sign up for more.

  3. SundanceNow Doc club ($19/3 months)

    We're all juggling a handful of entertainment subscriptions these days, so the thought of adding another one is often unappealing. Take that burden off of your loved one and gift them a membership to the "Doc Club," a monthly ad-free collection of Sundance-approved documentaries streamed right to your device. These aren't the fringy kind of pseudo-documentaries that mar the category on other streaming services — we're talking about collections hand-picked by people like Ira Glass. The membership also comes with some extra benefits (like access to screenings), all for under $10 per month.

  4. Cord tacos at This is Ground ($40)

    This gift will relieve your significant other of what is assuredly one of their biggest headaches: tangled headphones. These leather "tacos" wrap and snap around headphone cords to keep them from tangling up in your bag or pocket, and each one is emblazoned with a message fit for candy hearts. This is Ground is offering a pack of five for $40, but only until supplies last.

  5. Custom rice krispie treats at Treat House ($36 and up)

    You can still gift something sweet this year without giving in to the stereotype of a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Treat House has a deal that lets you top its delicious rice krispie treats with a custom-printed square candy. You can choose from more than 15 different recipes, too, like birthday cake, s'mores, or original.

  6. Engraved Apple iPad Mini 2 at Apple ($299 and up)

    Nothing says "I love you" like laser-etching words into anodized aluminum. Apple offers you the chance to declare your love so permanently that it'll surely be there long after you and your significant other are gone. You get two lines to express your feelings, but you're limited to 34 characters on each line, so keep it concise. (No one buys an iPad to stare at the back of it anyways.) This one doesn't come cheap, but it's one of our favorite tablets around.

  7. Vintage love spoons at eBay ($18)

    Whether you're using them to stir coffee or eat a bowl of Fruit Loops, these vintage spoons make for a sweet daily reminder of your feelings. These hand-stamped spoons are silver-plated and come in a silk pouch, so they're ready to be gifted as soon as you pull them out of the postal wrapping.

  8. The Feast of Love at Amazon ($12)

    Love is great, but it can also be hard. It takes a lot of work and commitment, and let's be real — luck. Charles Baxter sums that all up in his novel The Feast of Love, a story that comes recommended by a couple of Verge staffers. You can get it for under $10 but there's nothing terribly romantic about an ebook purchase, so gift your loved one the real thing. Amazon will sell you the paperback form for a mere $3 more.

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