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It's knot too late

Consumer Champ Bill Clarke helps you find a great last-minute gift for Dad

By Bill Clarke, Special to the Rocky

Published June 8, 2008 at 3 p.m.

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Consumer Champ Bill Clarke says you don't have to turn to neckties as a last-minute gift for Father's Day.

Photo by Ellen Jaskol © The Rocky

Consumer Champ Bill Clarke says you don't have to turn to neckties as a last-minute gift for Father's Day.

Bold-patterned shirts from Paradise on a Hanger

Bold-patterned shirts from Paradise on a Hanger

Treats from Wen Chocolates

Treats from Wen Chocolates

Wii Balance Board

Wii Balance Board

Gift set from Savory Spice Shop

Gift set from Savory Spice Shop

Possibly the best gift you can get Dad is the gift of time.

Possibly the best gift you can get Dad is the gift of time.

Portable hammock from Sharper Image

Portable hammock from Sharper Image

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Let's call it a simple case of Dad's Day Desperation.

Maybe you spent a lot of time and/or money on the gift you gave Mom for her day. But Dad? Well, he's likely to be nowhere close in your thoughts or dollars. And now with the day drawing near, you're more likely to remember which day next week you're due for a visit to the dentist. Anything to avoid thinking about even a card for Dear Old Dad just yet.

As always, we're here to help. You want a custom-painted tie with nearly lifelike images of the dog or the kids? There's a place in Chicago that does the job. Golf is big with many dads, so how 'bout a custom set of super-deluxe clubs guaranteed to put him in the same league with Tiger Woods? Or a golf cart that resembles a Rolls-Royce? They're available, too.

But you have neither the time nor the money (possibly not even the inclination) to treat Dad that well.

So clip the following suggestions . . . and pick something in your price range. They're all available in the metro area - with one exception that can be here overnight. If the Dad's Day deadline comes and you're still not ready, pull the images off the respective Web sites, print a copy and promise Dad his gift is on the way. Just be sure to block out the gift's price.

Portable Hammock

Sharper Image, Catalog Item TU006, $150, sharperimage.com

Give Dad the gift of leisure. No need for trees, posts or walls - the folding frame supports the breathable mesh sling and Dads up to 250 pounds. Includes detachable support pillow and sewn-in pockets for lotion and accessories. Optional accessory: your promise to carry the 27-pound hammock in its nylon bag with strap when you take Dad out for a picnic or camping trip. Even better: your promise not to hog it while he does all the work.

Wii Fit, Wii Balance Board

Nintendo, $90 for the packaged set

Give him a full-fledged personal trainer in a video game system. Nintendo's Wii, popular with young people, now offers Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board. The two-piece set (DVD and Balance Board) can get the old man worked up for a workout: yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games. Dad can watch his on-screen "Mii" interact with trainers and other virtual characters. Workouts are short in the beginning, and after a while Dad can decide how much additional effort he wants to put into it. Don't have a Wii system? That's another $250.

Hot Shirt

Paradise on a Hanger, $30 to $100, hotshirts.com

Give him a shirt so bold that people will ask him where he got it. Steve Duffy has more than 200 varieties in stock at Paradise on a Hanger, over in Crawford on the Western Slope. Bold, splashy tropical prints, some crazy-themed shirts - Duff has 'em. He stocks sizes from XS to 7XL in cottons, blends, rayons, even silks. Choose from his own house brand or names that are hard to find here. You can get overnight shipping if the drive to Crawford is too far, and it is. Shirts seen here, about $60 each.

Gift set from Savory Spice Shop

www.savoryspiceshop.com

Give him gifts that are sweet and savory. This is one combo that requires just one stop off I-25 near downtown at 1537 Platte St., a half-block north of My Brother's Bar. At Savory Spice Shop, Dad's savory comes from spices and rubs that will have him flavoring treats on the grill well into next year. Top of the line is the 14'ers Jumbo Set ($39): 10 rubs named after some of the state's best-known peaks, and a few lesser ones as well. More modest, the Front Range gift box ($18.95) with four blends including the Pikes Peak Rub, Longs Peak Spice, Table Mountain All-Purpose Blend and the Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning.

Treats from Wen Chocolates

wenchocolates.com

Dad's sweet treat is next door to the Savory Spice Shop, where you can cozy up to some of the best chocolates made between Chicago and the West Coast at Wen Chocolates. There's a lot to tempt you here, but I put my money on the Truffles: more than 20 dark, milk and white chocolate mini-masterpieces flavored exotically and presented so artistically you might be tempted to frame 'em. They're $1.75 apiece and you can mix, match, stock up or just give Dad a bite or two of heaven on Earth. Just don't oversample before you deliver to Dad.

Time

priceless

Possibly the best thing you can give Dad is represented by a stopwatch. It's the gift of time, time spent with Dad away from the routines of the day. Take him golfing, take him fishing, maybe just take him for a walk and get caught up on life. Whatever you do with that time with Dad, you're saying you love him and that while it may never be spoken, your time with him is special. I had a friend tell me it's not the "thing" but the time you spend with Dad that is the gift. And I'm not sure I could have said it any better.

consumerchamp@q.com

Comments

  • August 6, 2008

    3:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Evalina writes:

    I am trying to contact Bill Clarke, consumer champ...I am responding to an article in the paper about "Presidents" I have some old LIFE magazines, and some of them are about presidents...One is dated 1968, a special issue called "The Presidency". I also have one dated 1979, featuring Ted Kennedy. Also one special edition about the Kennedys. I have one dated 1981, featuring Ronald Reagan. I have one featuring Marilyn Monroe, dated 1982 also. I just wondered if they are worth anything to a collector? Thanks so much! Evelyn My home phone number is: 303-464-0538. Or, you can email me.