50 Christmas gift ideas for the Genealogist in your life : From zero cost to over the top
This is my fourth annual Christmas gift list for the Genealogist in your life. The suggested gift list for your genealogist/family historian is still a long one. So read on for some inspiration covering every budget from zero cost to over the top.
$0 to $10 gifts
Funds tight? Then let's start with the zero to low cost options first. Most family genealogists would appreciate any of the following:
A list of 10 of the best Family History/Genealogy blogs – I'll post a list for you to use closer to Christmas. Draft it using an elegant font and decorate with some attractive Christmas pictures or topic-relevant images. Free pictures are available at:
Pixabay; and
Print the document and:
Roll it up and tie with ribbon; or
Place the document in a large, flat envelope then Christmas-wrap the envelope; or
Fold and place the document in a box then Christmas-wrap the box – after all good things come in small packages.
Document scanning software for your genealogist's tablet or mobile phone. The ability to scan documents on the go and away from home is an important task for genealogists and too few take advantage of the scanning capability of their tablet/i-pad or mobile phone. Tech Radar lists the following mobile document scanning apps as their top picks for 2023 all of which are free to download for the basic product:
Adobe Scan;
Abbyy FineScanner (also suitable for foreign language documents);
Genius Scan;
Cam Scanner;
Swift Scan.
If your genealogist already has a stand-alone mobile scanner, then using scanning software on their phone/tablet/I-pad means they will have one less device to carry when they go on the road or just to the local archives office.
An I.O.U. for one or more of the following personal yet useful services – these do not require an outlay of any money but are essential activities for your genealogist. It’s also possible you have skills which your family genealogist lacks and would appreciate:
Back up your family genealogist’s files for them – genealogists are human too and all too often they don’t get around to doing regular back-ups themselves;
Organise their paper and/or digital documents either according to their preferred method or to one of your recommendation – this comes easily to some genealogists, but others struggle with organising all their research, documents, photos, certificates, etc.;
If your family genealogist does not have a structured method for storing digital family history files offer to create one for them;
An hour or two (or more) of your research time (or research assistant time);
An hour or two (or more) of your time scanning your genealogist’s old documents or photographs for them;
Create a ready reference list of all the births, deaths and marriage certificates they hold (whether in hard copy or digital format) for their family members/ancestors. Many people consider this best practice, but again, it often remains on genealogists’ To Do lists;
Sync your genealogist’s multiple devices for them (i.e. desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile phone and digital camera) to ensure the family history-related contents are either the same on each device or, at the very least, are all on the genealogist’s main computer or in their cloud storage. Like other people, genealogists can work from anywhere and are prone to having information spread across each device they use and can be inclined to forget to move documents and photos from one to another;
Proof-read their latest book on the family's history - every writer needs another pair of eyes to check their manuscript before publishing or distributing.
Family Tree (UK) magazine - The latest copy can be downloaded here to your genealogist’s phone, tablet or desktop computer for under A$10.00. I suggest you give your genealogist an I.O.U. in a nice card and then at their convenience download the magazine on their device. If you know how, then you could also snip a picture of the magazine or even take a photo from the magazine's website, print it out and include it with the IOU.
Luggage scales – An inexpensive but very useful piece of equipment for your travelling genealogist. Whether they are restricted to carry-on luggage or use a suitcase, luggage scales are always a welcome gift. Mechanical scales cost as little as A$7 from discount variety stores or A$10 for battery-operated digital scales. The latter is smaller and neater, but there is a risk the battery will die at the worst possible time. (I use the mechanical version myself.) Whichever type you choose, make sure they go up to at least 32Kg. Of course, you can purchase far more expensive luggage scales, but I find either of these low-end options work perfectly well for my frequent travels.
A clutch pencil or two (also known as a mechanical pencil) - Archives and Libraries forbid the use of pens and visitors/researchers may only use pencils. A clutch pencil is a useful item for your travelling genealogist's toolkit. At the time of writing, Officeworks has clutch pencils and refills ranging from as little as A$2.48 (for a pack of three) up to about A$45 (for the stationery lover). You can no doubt find them cheaper again at a discount store. Buy an attractive pen box for $2 from the discount store and you have an ideal, yet thoughtful gift. Add a note saying you know they can't use pens in the Archives so the genealogist knows you've given it considerable thought.
A framed genealogy saying or cartoon - search Google for something that takes your fancy or that you think your genealogist will appreciate. If it's a saying, type it up using a fancy font. If it's a cartoon, reproduce it on a colour printer. Purchase an inexpensive frame and you have another thoughtful, attractive and relevant gift.
A packet of 2 or more magnetic photo holders/frames – a simple but useful gift. If you have an old family photo to include so much the better. They cost under A$5 for a pack of two from good stationers or photographic shops. They are perfect for people with minimal space because they can be placed on the refrigerator or filing cabinet or any other metal object.
For even less outlay, create a jpeg file (if you know how) and upload it to your genealogist's computer, tablet or phone as their desktop/wallpaper picture. Just Google "genealogy sayings" or "genealogy cartoons" or "genealogy humour". You will be spoilt for choice, for example:
$10 to $50 gifts
If you have a budget, but no idea what to get for someone whose passion is family history/genealogy then consider the following:
A month’s subscription to (or pre-paid credits for) one of the major online genealogical databases - If your genealogist already subscribes to one, then they would probably appreciate a short-term subscription to another. (For annual subscriptions see the section $100-$500 below.) Examples that I use myself include:
Ancestry; or
FindMyPast; or
The Genealogist; or
The first three above sell one-month subscriptions and the fourth sells credits. RootsIreland even has a 24 hour subscription.
Is your family historian old school? Do they prefer hard copy documents and magazines? If yes they might enjoy:
A magazine binder to keep them neat and tidy;
Or perhaps a Who Do You Think You Are certificate holder.
A 2024 family history calendar. Go to an online stationery company like Vistaprint.com.au and create your own photo calendar using an old family photo for each month. The family historian in your family will enjoy it or if you're the genealogist, it would make a practical gift for some of your own family members. They make an ideal small gift for someone who is sometimes difficult to buy for. Make the calendar even more thoughtful by marking birthdays and other important family dates throughout the year. The cost starts at about A$13. Many other companies also provide the same personalisation service for their products.
A personalised coffee mug, mousepad or water bottle – these can be purchased online, usually for A$10-15 from sites like Vistaprint.com. Designing your own personalised products are usually more cost effective than purchasing ready-made genealogy-related items. Upload a favourite old family photo to go on the mug or mousepad. If you don’t have one or prefer a family history saying or image then go to a website like Pixabay.com and download a royalty-free picture to add to the item when ordering it online.
A genealogy T-shirt with or without collar. These can be purchased ready made from a myriad of online shops or you can make it a more personalised item and customise it for your genealogist. As with personalised coffee mugs, mousepads, etc., download an appropriate picture or words or make your own design if you're creative (sadly I'm not). Then order online from Vistaprint.com.au and similar companies. At the time of writing, expect to pay from A$15-$50.
Cable and gadget organiser – We all travel with multiple cables, adaptors, usb drives, SD cards and the like these days. A zipped cable and gadget organiser is an essential piece of kit for the genealogist – regardless of whether they travel to the local library or the other side of the world. They can be purchased for $10-$25 depending on size and quality. If the budget extends that far, make it a more substantial gift by including one of everything your genealogist uses for their technology so they don’t have to remember to pack everything each time they travel.
Who Do You Think You Are magazine – either purchase a hard copy magazine from a large news agency (usually about A$20) or purchase the latest issue via download from PocketMags (A$7.99 at the time of writing). The digital version is also available from iTunes, Google Play or Amazon (Kindle).
128 GB SD card (or larger/smaller size) to provide additional storage for the family genealogist’s mobile phone or tablet. Genealogists often use the camera on their mobile phone or tablet even more than the average person and additional storage will take the pressure off constantly running out of space on their device. At the time of writing, Amazon.com.au has a 128 GB San Disk SD card for A$22.80. Make sure you know what type of phone/tablet your gift recipient uses because I’m told i-Phones do not allow for additional storage. (I’m an android user myself.)
$50 to $100 gifts
If your budget is less constrained, then the following list may provide you with a few ideas:
A key reference book for the serious genealogist who writes up their research. The following two books are available from Amazon in either Kindle or print versions:
Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace: 3rd edition revised; or
Genealogy Standards: Second Edition by the Board for Certifiction of Genealogists.
As a professional genealogist, I have both these references.
An external/portable hard drive – a key piece of equipment for the genealogist for whom losing all their research because their computer died would be a disaster. A 2 TB hard drive can be purchased for less than A$100. Combine it with an I.O.U. to do the first back-up for them. If your genealogist is not very tech-savvy, include an I.O.U. to personally show them how easy it is to connect the hard drive and do a back-up.
Family History software – many people don’t like storing all their family history research with the online commercial databases. If they are relatively new to family history research, your genealogist might not yet have any specific software to store/record their research. There are multiple options including but not limited to:
Family Tree Maker – which syncs with Ancestry.com;
Legacy Family Tree;
Roots Magic;
Family Historian;
Reunion.
A pre-paid DNA test kit - Even if your genealogist has already had their DNA tested, many of them (including me) would like to test with another company as well. If your genealogist is a male, they might like to have their Y DNA tested if they had their standard DNA tested previously. All the major DNA testing companies usually have pre-Christmas sales. At the time of writing their DNA test kits cost:
Ancestry ($85 plus shipping up till 28 December 2023);
23andMe (US$79 until 25 December 2023);
MyHeritage (A$59).
A Tree of Life necklace (or bracelet or earrings). If the platinum and diamond variety I suggested in the Over the Top section below is out of reach for your budget, there are endless options in this price range. The tree of life has virtually been adopted by genealogists as being representative of the family tree. If your genealogist loves jewellery, this could be a good, long-lasting option. They come in all price ranges. Just Google "Tree of Life Necklace" or visit Etsy.com which has a wide range to choose from at the lower end of the price scale in one place.
A new tablet or mobile phone cover/case – these can get very shabby quite quickly and are a practical gift for your genealogist who uses their phone and tablet regularly for genealogical purposes. They can be purchased online from Amazon, Ebay and other shopping sites.
Gift voucher for a photo book – Genealogists love to share their knowledge of the family’s history and old ancestral photos. But it can be expensive sharing the information in a professional format. A voucher or I.O.U. for a photo book will enable your genealogist to produce a professional product, possibly even a coffee table book for use in their own home to show off when family members visit. There are a myriad of online companies who do these books for individuals. A few include:
Vistaprint;
Blurb;
Snapfish;
Office Works.
A gift voucher for a DNA Analysis Consultation with a genetic genealogist who can help interpret and analyze the results of their DNA testing, thus providing deeper insights into their family history.
A subscription to a blog aggregation service – this is a time saver wherein your busy genealogist identifies which websites they are interested in and receive a daily (or weekly) notification with links to those blogs which have newly published material. An example is Feedspot.com which costs about US$3.75 per month. I use this service myself and find it very helpful and convenient.
Annual membership to the local genealogy society – if they are already members of the local society, then they would probably appreciate the gift of membership to a remote society where some of their ancestors came from. For example, some of my family came from Plymouth in the UK and I found a year’s subscription to the Devon Family History Society was very worthwhile as it gave me online access to their resources.
As genealogists we never stop learning. Many genealogists would appreciate a membership to Legacy Family Tree Webinars. I have a subscription myself and use it regularly. They have webinars for novices through to experts on every imaginable topic relevant to genealogy - from getting started to DNA to technology and everything in between. New webinars are added every week. If you miss a live webinar, they are all recorded and are available to view at your own convenience. The one year unlimited access to their recorded webinar library also includes access to the instructors' handouts and chat logs from live webinars. At the time of writing, annual membership was only US$24.98.
Portable power bank/charger – a phone and/or tablet running out of charge is a disaster for genealogists when they are in the middle of photographing or scanning material away from home. I never travel without mine. They come in an almost endless range of styles, sizes, strengths and prices. Don’t forget to add a short charging cable which they can carry all the time in their bag (i.e. no more than15 cm/6in or less in length). For the environmentally conscious, consider a solar powered charger.
$100 to $500 gifts
If you have a generous budget to spend but are clueless about what your genealogist might use/like, then keep reading:
12-month subscription to one of the commercial genealogy databases listed above. Genealogy is not a cheap hobby and a subscription to one of the major commercial databases will almost always be a prized gift.
12-month subscription to a family history magazine – either in print or digital version. The digital version is often 30% (or more) cheaper but don’t forget to ensure the automatic renewal is de-activated. When buying an annual subscription you will often get 13 months. My personal favourites are the (British) Family Tree and Who Do You Think You Are?
Photo editing software – most genealogists treasure old family photos yet many of them are damaged to varying degrees. Photo editing software enables the genealogist to remove scratches, stains and other damage from the photo. If the budget allows, include a gift certificate for classes in how to use the software. Conversely, if the genealogist already has photo editing software but finds it difficult to use, then a gift certificate on its own will be welcome.
A briefcase on wheels – all the equipment a genealogist is inclined to carry around can get very heavy. A briefcase on wheels with a special place for the laptop, is a great piece of luggage for your genealogist. I speak from experience when I say whether they are going to the local library, travelling interstate or overseas for their research, this will come in handy and make life easier.
A block of hours from a professional genealogist to help break down one of your family historian's brick walls or provide advice on how to go about a specific aspect of family history research.
Over the top gifts
If money is not an issue, then you might consider:
A platinum and diamond or gold and diamond Tree of Life necklace. If your genealogist loves jewellery, this would kill two birds with one stone, i.e. their passion for genealogy and appreciation for fine jewellery. The designs are endless and they are usually available from good jewellery stores everywhere. Google "Tree of Life necklace" for inspiration.
A quality DSLR camera is a wonderful piece of equipment for the genealogist and you don’t need to go far to find most brands on sale this time of the year. Add a zoom lens that will allow the genealogist to fill the picture with a document’s image. The quality of a DSLR camera also produces excellent reproductions of old photographs when visiting custodians of family treasures. Most DSLR cameras also come with a video function which genealogists can use for recording oral history interviews with family members.
A new desktop computer with large screen – the better the specs, the longer it will last before needing replacement. If lack of space prohibits a desktop, then a top quality laptop is the next best option.
A new state of the art mobile phone or tablet with genealogy-related apps loaded. Who doesn’t like an up-to-the-minute phone/tablet?
Commission a local artist or find an online service that creates personalized family tree artwork. This can be a visually appealing and unique representation of their family history. If you don't kow a local artist, you can look at options for this personal service on Etsy.
A plane ticket, accommodation and 3-day conference ticket to Roots Tech held in February every year. Roots Tech is the world’s biggest genealogy conference held annually in Salt Lake City.
Funding for a genealogy research trip to a location of significance in their family history. This could be a local historial site or even an ancestral homeland.
How did you go?
I hope you found some inspiration above. If so, do let me know in the Comment Section at the bottom of this screen. If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them as would your fellow readers.
If you think your spouse, other family members, or friends might find the list useful, don’t hesitate to send them a link to this blog post.
Another option of course is to just print out the list, highlight the items you’d like and leave it on the kitchen bench so they can’t miss seeing it (LOL). My own husband loves getting my wish list.
Disclaimer
I have mentioned a number of commercial products and providers for many of the gift ideas above. Please note that I do not have any commercial arrangements with or endorse any of them.
Happy Christmas shopping!
Therese
Your Family Genealogist
Pictures : Pixabay, Amazon.com.au, Etsy.com and my own collection