When my girls were toddlers I took them to the dollar store to pick out Father’s Day gifts. One returned with a sequined, pink scarf in her hand and exclaimed, “This is the perfect gift for Dad. He’ll just love it.” If guys hate getting ties as gifts then I can only imagine what my husband would think when they opened up her gift. I somehow pursuaded her to keep looking and the scarf story made for good banter later once the kids were tucked in bed.

We’ve advanced from the dollar store over the years and have purchased some great gifts together for Dad. After all, he’s the only boy in our house so we try to really spoil him on what we call “boy holidays.” There are some hard-to-shop-for men in the world, so here are a few tips for finding the best Father’s Day gifts for the men in your life.

1.       Decode the dads on your list. Is he practical? Sporty? Corporate? Travel lots? Mr. Fix It? Musical? Outdoorsy? Think about what his passions are in life, how he spends his free time, and on what he spends his extra cash.

2.       Match it up. Once you’ve identified the kind of dad your dealing with, get online and figure out what the hottest products are in his area of expertise. Maybe it’s the new iPod Touch, or maybe it’s a Chumby, the do-it-all WiFi gadget for the electronic dad.

3.       Be creative. Some of the best gifts are those that come from the heart and are not the most expensive ones you can buy. I try to mix up a gift for my practical, sports-loving husband with our annual gift: hand-drawn artwork from the kids and updated portraits of each of the kids. The artwork and the portraits occupy six large frames hanging on his office wall.

Question: What great gifts have you, or will you, buy for the Ddads on your list?