Geek Gift Guide 2012: It’s Splendor Galore at 20 Bucks and Under

It’s that most wonderful time of year again when we scheme, sleuth, rush and hustle our way through holiday gift shopping for all our favorite geeks. Boyfriends, girlfriends, moms, dads, sons, daughters, bosses… naughty and nice, everyone deserves a little sugar! To say that this is a daunting task is an understatement of the elves-are-height-challenged variety. That’s why I’ve assembled a quick crib sheet to help you get through to the best geek stuff without delay, and without breaking the bank. All 12 items below are certified 100% geek gold and astonishingly available at or below the twenty dollar marker.

So get ready to flex those bidding and buy-now fingers… and set your course for EBAY!

Complete Set of 3 1977 Star Wars ‘Special Edition’ Comics by Marvel Among the very first collectibles available to Star Wars fans in the summer of 1977 were Marvel Comics. They ran a normal size series of books telling the tale of Luke and co., as well as releasing the same art in this jumbo tabloid-sized collection. See it here.

The Black Hole 500-piece Jigsaw Puzzle Very few would ever accuse Disney’s 1979 ‘The Black Hole’ of being a good sci-fi flick, but the fact remains that anyone who lived through it still remembers it’s atrocity. Nevertheless it’s a gorgeous image and it actually does look like a challenging puzzle. Kitsch factor off the charts. Must-have for any snow-bound geeks in the coming winter! See it here.

Unopened Original 1980 Rubik’s Cube I could never figure the damn thing out. But my cousin could totally do it in about 27 seconds and my friend’s half-brother knew of a special way to take it apart and put graphite inside to make it go faster. Sweet to see it unopened in it’s original packaging. This sucker single-handedly ushered in the 1980’s and it can be yours (again) on the cheap. See it here.

1980 Darth Vader T-Shirt Iron-On Wow. Unused iron-on transfer of an exceptional Darth Vader collage. Very hard to find these, and even harder in this condition. See it here.

Full Carton of Unopened James Bond ‘Moonraker’ Trading Card Packets by Topps OK. This auction may not end up under $20 but with only 3 days left it’s absurd that it hasn’t even broken ten bucks. Even if you paid less than $50 it would still be a steal and of course would knock your geek sideways at gift-giving time! Be warned you may be bidding against me on this. See it here.

Vintage Star Wars Boba Fett Action Figure If your geek was alive and under the age of 15 during any of the original Star Wars trilogy movies, they likely had this toy and still miss it to this day. Do them a favor and get them reunited once and for all! They’ll probably kiss you all over your body for it. See it here.

Unused 1984 Gizmo Gremlins Plush by Hasbro Kawaiiii! This little guy has survived 30 years unused with his tags still on just waiting to give up the big love for your holiday honey. Check him here. Or take your pick of the classic 1984 lunchbox instead. Either way you come out the big wiener!

Vintage 1987 Doctor Who Dalek in Original Packaging by Dapol Dr. Who fan on your list? Check out this find! I’ve been following this one for a while. Seller can’t dump it at $15.99 for some reason. Others have gone for at least twice that. It’s currently not listed but I would recommend dropping the seller a line and making an offer. They’re bound to bite. See it here.

Complete 11-Sticker Set from 1977 Topps Star Wars Series 1 (Blue Series) Alongside Marvel Comics, Topps trading cards were the earliest of early Star Wars memorabilia. These stickers are a complete set from the very first available series and simply can’t be outdone. Sit back and watch as your geek just TRIES not to stick them on his stuff. Hours of holiday fun! See it here.

Full Set of 4 Return of the Jedi Glasses by Burger King Burger King released awesome screen-printed glasses as giveaways for all three of the original Star Wars films. The Jedi glasses might not have been the best of the three, but they’re the only full set you’ll get for under $20. Don’t worry, they’re still a shockingly cool gift with big punch for the low dough. Your beer drinker will be in geek heaven. See it here.

1973 Planet of the Apes Cornelius Action Figure by Mego Gorgeous. Perfect condition and complete. He might not be the badass ape with the gun (everybody wanted – and still wants – that guy) but Cornelius still delivers. Hell, anything that’s vintage Mego in this condition deserves your attention. See it here.

1988 Gyango Gango Kaiju Toy by Bandai OK, so I’ve made good on the under-twenty-bucks promise until now. And clearly you can see why that deal gets called off here as this adorable kaiju is too cute to pass up. If your little geek has any interest in the Ultraman universe past or present, don’t hesitate! See it here.