How to Shop for Your Geek

So you're lucky enough to have a geek for a loved one or a family member. How to shop in a way that won't add to the sweater collection, or make the ginormous comic book collection in the attic even BIGGER? Well, for all the times he or she has fixed your computer, hooked up your DVD player, explained the remote control, and helped you with all things electronic, she or he deserves a special gift.

1. Know your geek. Know his or her area of obsession. Is the genre of choice Star Trek? Godzilla? Star Wars? Land of the Giants? Final Fantasy? Ultraman? Voltron? Whatever tickles your geek pink, sites such as Amazon or eBay are renowned for carrying gift items that other stores don't.

2. Find out what your geek already owns. You don't want to buy him or her a duplicate item. At the beginning of my 20 year quest to own every Godzilla movie ever made (a quest that has since been successful... several times) I owned five copies of Godzilla Vs. Megalon on VHS. That was all that was available before the days of DVDs and online shopping. There is nothing more disheartening than hearing "I got you a new ____ Movie!" only to unwrap it and find your eleventh copy of the same movie you have ten copies of.

3. Be original in your thinking. Sometimes a homemade gift can make someone's millennium. Be creative!

4. Steer clear of gag gifts. Do you really want us wearing Spock ears to dinner every night?

5. If in doubt, ask.