Good evening. Tonight, a love letter to a duck in crisis. Plus:
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| Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter; illustration by Con McHugh for NYT Wirecutter |
Congrats to our old friend, this duck |
Several weeks ago, I had an extremely important 1:1 meeting with Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief, Ben Frumin. It was a searching conversation that veered into the existential and posed some of the toughest questions I’ve ever been asked in this (or honestly, any) job. The matter at hand? A $17 duck lamp.
Many of you may recognize the duck. It — in all of its cute, complicated, ennui-ridden glory — first appeared in this very newsletter, when gifts expert Samantha Schoech suggested it as a birthday gift for a prankster. Since then, the duck has come to mean many things to many people, but especially to our newsroom. And Ben was on a journey to find out why.
“Why do I love the duck so?” he wanted to know. “And what does it say about me, about all of us, that we love the duck?” His reporting led him to uncover the true meaning of the duck, which I won’t spoil for you, but you should absolutely read about here.
And it gave us language to help explain what makes it such a particularly compelling gift — one of our most popular ever. (As Ben points out, importantly, “vanishingly few recipients would already have one.”)
To me, the duck is perfect. But it’s just one of the 71 winners we unveiled this week for our inaugural Best New Picks Awards. These standouts span a range of categories and prices, but are each delightful, surprising, and useful in their own right — and hidden among them are some excellent gifts, too.
- If it’s possible for a watering can to be a showstopper, well, this one is. Our gardening expert Jackie Reeve loved this Italian stunner so much, she was willing to pay overseas shipping for it — “and it’s since become one of my favorite household objects.” It pours beautiful big glugs, and would make a lovely, luxe, yet still practical gift for any aspiring green thumb.
- Newsletters editor Brittney Ho swears by her nightly “Cyborg Time” with this red-light mask. It has noticeably improved her skin texture and acne — and it feels extremely comfortable to wear. (A moment for the cooling eyepads, please. They’re like the old “metal spoon in the fridge” trick but better.)
- “We rarely see games that work just as well at a bachelor party as they do at a family event,” says games writer James Austin, “but this party game does just that.” It would make a fun hostess gift: It takes almost no time to learn and wraps up in about 30 minutes, so it can liven up a gathering without totally dominating it. Ideal.
- Any avian- or nature-lover would be quite delighted by this birdhouse. It has a solar-powered camera that lets you peek inside straight from your phone, and captures snaps you can send to loved ones (or your giftee). “I loved sharing videos of attentive parents and baby birds,” says our smart-home editor Grant Clauser, “and I missed them once the chicks grew up and left.”
- For the Magna-Tile-loving kiddo in your life: This marble run (yes, we test marble runs) is one of the best. The brightly colored 100-piece set combines magnetic tiles with translucent tubes and tracks, and builds on already existing magnetic tile collections.
- Portable CD players are having a comeback (really), and this one — beloved by our audio expert Brent Butterworth — has great features, excellent sound quality, and looks cute in a retro sort of way. You could gift it to any frequent concertgoer in your life and then share with them Brent’s merch-table tip: “Now I can buy an artist’s CD, put a few bucks into their pocket, play it when I wake up the next morning, and relive a little of the magic I’d experienced the night before.”
- This handsome Danish pepper mill, which would make a quite nice housewarming gift, looks like a little wooden sculpture to be admired on the table alongside morning eggs. And it doesn’t skimp on practicality: It makes quick work of crushing peppercorns.
- Lastly, let it be known that well before the eagle-eyed fans of Love Story clocked this classic J. Crew sweater onscreen, our own Hannah Frye was singing the praises of the ever-versatile 1988-design Rollneck. Its timeless, match-anything style is why we’ve long thought it would make an excellent gift for just about anyone, including jetsetters braving unpredictable weather, office workers, and sure, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy admirers, too.
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What to give: My husband? |  |
I need help shopping for my husband. It is our 25th wedding anniversary, but we will have been together for 40. He is 56 years old, in perfect health, and an artist, outdoor enthusiast, and native of NYC. — C.W.G.
From gifting expert Samantha Schoech:
Happy anniversary! I just celebrated 25 years with my husband, and since he really doesn’t like material gifts (we went on a trip), I will live vicariously through you.
For big anniversaries, I try to hit a note that is thoughtful, sentimental, and unique. Twenty-five is the silver anniversary, which can be tricky if your guy isn’t the jewelry type. (If he is, this oxidized sterling bracelet is awfully sexy.) For the outdoor enthusiast in him, how about this snazzy cooler in a silver tone, or, if you want to really go big, this beauty from one of our favorite brands? You could fill it with his favorite drinks or an itinerary for an outdoor adventure. Staying with the silver theme, I recently stayed at a house with these windchimes and was utterly charmed by their sound, which is a little like church bells in the distance.
If he misses NYC, this LED map shows the subways in real time and doubles as a cool object d’arte. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t hit a sentimental note with the personalized viewfinder, which, if he’s 56, will bring him back to his childhood.
Have someone who’s impossible to shop for? Submit your question here.
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 | Gift of the week: The perfect socks for springEditor Hannah Rimm owns 57 pairs of socks — but she always reaches for this versatile, comfortable, and colorful pair first. The neutral silhouette is perfect for spring, but they’re still cozy enough for padding around inside. |
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One last gift (for you): This elegant blown-glass match holder comes with a set of 120 matches and a built in striker on its side. We found it for 25% off today.
You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.
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