Holiday Gift Guide 2015

Hobbies & Toys

November 18, 2015 - by Metro Staff

I CAN HAZ PUSHEEN? Cupertino's Hilltop Gifts has everyone's favorite webcomic kitty—stuffed.

Stuffed GIFs

Plush Pusheen, $12-$24

The Hilltop Gifts shop has just about every plush Japanese stuffed animal you could possibly imagine. The plump, fuzzy and cherubic-faced toys include Internet icon, Pusheen the Cat, the strawberry- and bird-loving Gororin Panda, and Wooly the Sheep, who comes with either a bowtie or hair bows. (JF)

Funplugged

Non-Electronic Toys, $15+

Thinker Toys, Morgan Hill

With an old school toy store feel, Thinker Toys sits wall to wall opportunities to play, breaking the Toys "R" Us mold—avoiding plastic, landfill-fodder and pedalling books, trucks, dolls, board games and art supplies, like beeswax crayons, instead. (CC)

Fruit Huggers

Jumbo Jibbles, $35-$45

jumbojibbles.com

A giant, plush, stuffed eggplant; a pink and white unicorn-horned balaclava; or a "monster blueberry pillow." Made by hand with durable materials, Jumbo Jibbles—the "giant fruit and vegetable pillows you can hug"—make an ideal gift for a child, or a child at heart. (NV)

Game Theory

Smash Up, $20 Betrayal at House on the Hill, $50

Game Kastle, Santa Clara

This South Bay store caters to hardcore table-top and trading card enthusiasts, as well as board gamers. Betrayal at House on the Hill tasks players with exploring a haunted house together—until one player succumbs to evil and becomes the game's villain. Those interested in self-contained deck-building games can check out the wacky Smash Up as well. (SL)

Celebrity Sketches

5x7 Prints, $25

Bruni Jazz Art Gallery, Willow Glen

This gallery specializes in dreamy portraits, especially of jazz greats, but you can also find Michael Jackson moonwalking, Mother Teresa praying and Steph Curry shimmying into a crossover. There are plenty of large pieces, but to whet your curation appetite, a petite print will be perfect for your local jazzhead. (JF)

Funny Pages

The Legends of the Dark Knight, $10

HiJinx Comics, Willow Glen

This tiny specialty shop is chock full of comic books of all sorts, following characters ranging from Charlie Brown to Bruce Wayne. They have new releases bursting with intricate illustrations, old favorites wrapped in plastic for posterity and authoritative guides to major graphic artists like Frank Miller and Alan Moore. (JF)

Time For Trinkets

Candles, Stationery and Decor, $10+

Magpie, Willow Glen

This European vintage shop is full of trinkets and novelty gifts for the home and garden—including lighting fixtures, stationery, candles and other decor. Great for last minute stocking-stuffer items, like Annie Sloan chalk paint. (CC)

Skate Or Die

Skateboarding Accessories, $20+

NC Boardshop, Los Gatos

For decades, NC Boardshop has been a beacon for the skating, surfing and snowboarding community. This is the spot for finding gifts for the most mobile one in the family, such as a new set of wheels, a deck or skating swag. (CC)

Fore!

Disc Golf Starter Set, $25

Mel Cotton's, San Jose

Golf is an expensive hobby. Disc golf is for the everyman. The South Bay is home to many great courses. Give the gift of fun in the great outdoors with this disc golf starter set—featuring a fairway driver, midrange and putter—available at Mel Cotton's. (NV)

Wood, Not Plastic

Wooden Mini Pram, $45

Adventure Toys, Los Altos

Parents tired of caving to the toddler's request for flashing Disney princess wands can opt out of the plastic and electronic madness by purchasing a renewably-sourced gift. We're talking wood. The Mini Dolls Pram by Moover caters to the imagination. Find it at Adventure Toys—a store biased towards educational playthings, with only a little junk thrown in. (NV)