Gifts Ideas of Unique Qualities

Amazon has so many amazing things. They make people's lives simpler. Especially in areas where lock downs are still the daily reality. Or when things aren't found on store shelves.

Despite having just about any item you could want, there is, however, so much I haven't been able to find. Amazon lists are important for us. It is the way that family members know what we are wanting for birthdays and Christmas without having to ask. Lately, though, I'm finding so many things that Amazon doesn't have. Things that you need to branch out to other websites to get. Or even shop used to find. Below are things that I wish I could find to add to my Amazon list. What might be something you wish you could find on there? 

Gift Cards

There are gift cards to a lot of places on there. But there are so many you can't get. You can find Lowe's, but not Home Depot. Restaurant gift cards are severely limited. Sadly, Freebirds isn't one of them.

Or any of the other great places that are local. My husband and I have decided that we want to have a date night once a month. During these dates, we want to try something new. Each time. Discover something else we haven't had before. The Vietnamese we had at Pho! ETC was fantastic! The plate I had was enough to make 2 meals for me. My husband could barely finish the soup bowl he ordered. 

Or how about gift cards to your favorite book website? They have Barnes & Noble, but that isn't where I prefer to get my books. I love shopping at Thriftbooks.

I've reached what they call Literati status with how much I have ordered from them. And the fact that my Honey app has often had discounts on top of it all, makes for an excellent shopping experience. They have so much to choose from, from vendors all around the nation. Everything from collectibles, to out of prints, new and old best sellers - you name it, they most likely have it. And if they don't, you create a Wishlist that they will use to update you when that item has become available. It isn't just books either. Movies and novelty items are often there too. If you are interested in saving money and ordering from them, use my referral link: HERE. I've also been looking into Abe Books lately too. They have cheaper prices and cheaper shipping, however, they are only books.

Clothing

I have a difficult time buying clothes. First off, my style isn't what is trending. I'm a Nerdy Unicorn after all. I dress to the beat of my own drum. Often incorporating Steampunk, Victorian, super heroes, or imitating some of my favorite characters' styles. For the past few years, I stuck with T-shirts and jeans. And now I'm tired of this. I'm ready to be stylish again. I'm working out and getting fit! I want to look how I'm feeling. No, not the tired and in-pain feeling. I want to look beautiful. Then I can still try to lose about 45 pounds in the next several months.

But finding the types of clothing I want has been pretty close to impossible on Amazon. Of all the choices out there, they are missing the key elements I'm searching for! I created this Pinterest board, and something as simple as this shirt, doesn't exist on Amazon.

Not that I have found, any way. I have tried every thing I can think of! My Pinterest board has several things from Modlily and Rosegal that I can't seem to find the equivalent of on Amazon either. I told my husband that I wished people would give me gift cards to thrift stores. Of course he laughed. He said that people might think it tacky. But then anyone who truly knows me, would know that thrift stores and yard sales are my dream shopping experiences. You never know what you will find! I don't care that the items there are used. Just so long as it matches what I'm looking for. Besides, how often do we buy clothing online, only to get it and find that it doesn't fit well? This can be so frustrating. I rather find something in person, know it will fit and walk away with it then. I really do miss the days of getting up on Saturday morning to hit the sales. Sadly, my husband works a lot of Friday nights and there are no friends and family nearby who share that joy. 

Another place I love shopping through - Tee Turtle! They have so many amazing shirts and pins that I could spend all day shopping from. 

Unique puzzles

I love puzzles of a variety! My Mom sends me some from time to time and I have a stack in my closet that I work on. They help me pass the time and make my home seem less like a prison. I recently found one website though that had some pretty amazing puzzles. I haven't seen something like this on Amazon.  They are shaped puzzles that come in varying sizes. Within the puzzles, there are animal-shaped pieces as well. And even better, they are wooden! 

 Small businesses

Lately, I have seen a lot of posts promoting small businesses. Asking friends to shop with those local or small businesses that have been struggling. Amazon doesn't need that help. They need customer service help. But not promotional help. Where can I add those items in?? Sometimes I see such amazing things, that I know I couldn't bring myself to get for me, but also don't know how to show others who only like to order from big sellers. Not that all Amazon sellers are big, but they are aligned with a giant. 

Plants 

I love flowers. When we lived in Florida, we had gardenia bushes, wisteria vines, lilies, gladiolas - pretty much bulb plants. My mom and I don't really have green thumbs. I actually managed to kill a bamboo shoot, so go figure. But bulbs were different. As for the gardenia and wisteria, they came with the house. You could say they were grandfathered in, nice and strong. I recently added a candle to my list, mainly because the candle had the scent of gardenia. That is one of my favorite flowers. (Bonus that the candle has jewelry hidden inside! I'm a huge fan of surprises.) I miss that scent so much. The breeze would blow by and it was just beautiful. I also love lilac, roses and honey suckle. But as far as I know, you can't add those to the list. I've been wanting a garden, even though we live in a duplex with no yard. I keep telling myself, one day. Even talked to my husband about building a planter that hangs from the privacy fence. So what I would love to see, are apartment safe plants. Flowers that could hang from the fence or something.

Mailing supplies

So this one is a little special. Yes, you can buy stamps and postcards. You can buy stationary of every type. But you can't find those vintage or unique postcards. I remember going to thrift stores in Florida with my mom. I loved looking for postcards from around the world. I also loved collecting foreign currency. My mom made me a portable table tray once with those under the glass. I loved it! Waco doesn't have those interesting thrift shops. They do have Salvation Army and Goodwill, but those places don't usually have these in the store. You'd have to participate in auctions online. Where is the fun in that? I joined Postcrossing recently as a fun hobby that lets me see the world from my own home. I also learn more about places I may one day want to see. International postcard stamps are $1.50 each. So I can't do it very often. On top of needing stamps, I need postcards to send out. But I don't want those regular sets that everyone else has. I want special types to send out. Tried making some. That was interesting. If you know someone like me, maybe even consider giving them the precut card pages. I prefer Avery best.

So what do you wish you could add to a list for others to see?  What gift would you want that Amazon doesn't offer?