So you promised yourself this year you’d get everything done early so the holidays wouldn’t be such a stressful rush, as they always seem to be. You got the decorations up in good time, mailed out cards, made lists of what presents to get… but you never quite got around to going to the mall… or other stores… or Amazon. And now there’s less than a week until Christmas and you haven’t finished your shopping! Well if you’ve got geeks on your list, I’m here to help. 

First off, the plan of attack – online v. in person. You CAN still make some purchases online and have them arrive by Christmas. Amazon is a good bet (especially if you have Prime) and you can pay for expedited shipping on other sites (though, for many, today is the deadline). So get online, search for Star Wars, Harry Potter, Doctor Who – whatever fandom fits your needs – and get those gifts! Plus, if you would have needed to get something in the mail, you can do it right from the site instead of having the gifts delivered to yourself first.

But if you’re fine with braving the shops in person, do so strategically. I call it guerrilla shopping – have a list, know what stores you need to hit, get in and get out! Go as early in the day as possible (anyone with a day job will be hitting those places after 5 p.m.), don’t get distracted by browsing and always have a second choice in mind in case the first is sold out – you don’t want to have to go store-hopping to find where something is in stock.

Next, what do you get a geek when you don’t know the fandom? The easiest answer is, go general, not specific. If you know someone is into Star Wars, but they tend to buy the fan swag they like right away, go for something general sci-fi, space or science. A mug with constellations on it (plus cocoa or coffee, of course) or a book about the cosmos. Or mix a fandom with something practical they enjoy, like Star Wars kitchen utensils (yes, these exist) or Marvel ear buds.

But if you’re determined to show how well you know someone by getting them something from their fandom, go really new or really old. Basically, buy something that just arrived in stores in the past week or so – even diehard fans don’t see everything that’s come out and this time of year they’re trying to buy gifts as well and spending less on themselves. For a Harry Potter fan, a shirt or throw or travel mug from Fantastic Beasts would fit the bill. Or go old (which works best online) and get something collectible or that used to be difficult to find. An autographed book is a good idea and you can even get those at some big box bookstores now.

What about the geek who has everything? Well, as much as I hate to say it, gift cards or their equivalent. Don’t go overly general with an Amazon gift card or one for a department store though. Show you know a little about your recipient’s interests and go with Game Stop, Hot Topic, Books a Million, Michael’s. If you have gamers on your list, find out what system they use and give something like Playstation cash. Or if they’re into comics, a subscription to Marvel Unlimited. Plus, there are lots of subscription boxes to choose from that you can give as a gift, some general geek (like Loot Crate) and some specific fandoms (like Firefly Cargo Crate).

There’s still time, so take a moment to make sure W3H is covered – who, what, where and how (you already know the why and the when). Happy shopping… and good luck!