The Best Gift Cards for the Geeks on Your List

Dan Miller
·Editor
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(Photo: Thinkstock.com)

Gift cards might be the last refuge of scoundrels who can’t be bothered to put any thought into the whole buying-and-wrapping process. But they can also be handy ways to get something for people whose interests you just don’t understand.

So if your gift list includes someone who’s obsessed with technology of one sort or another, and you have no idea what she’s talking about half the time, a gift card could be the perfect solution. But not just any card: You want one that’s just right for your geeky giftee. Here are some suggestions.

The generalists

Of course, pretty much every big-name tech brand that sells anything online — including Apple, Google, Microsoft — sells gift cards of its own these days. Note that Apple cards occasionally go on sale at other retailers, allowing you to buy a $100 card for, say, $80. It’s worth keeping an eye out for such bargains, as they come and go quickly.

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(Photo: Apple.com)

If your recipient isn’t so brand-specific, most of the major online retailers who sell electronics offer gift cards, too: Amazon; Best Buy; Walmart.

Tech stores

Then there are the technology specialists, retailers such as Crutchfield, Newegg, TigerDirect, who sell technology products and almost nothing else.

One personal favorite in this bunch: B&H Photo, which began life as (yes) a camera store in Manhattan but has morphed into a smorgasbord of digital goodies of almost every kind, from computers and their accessories to tablets, smartphones, TVs, media players, and wearables, as well as a truly remarkable range of photo and video hardware.

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(Photo: B&H Photo)

True specialists

Then there are the true specialists: sites that focus on one particular type of technology or another. The Dynamism store, for example, specializes in 3D technology (in addition to notebooks and some other general tech stuff).

Thinkgeek specializes in geek culture: Shopping for someone obsessed with Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Minecraft, Marvel Comics, Game of Thrones, or pretty much any other nerdy franchise? This is your store.

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(Image: Thinkgeek.com)

For gamers, consider a XBox Gift Card or a Playstation Store Cash Card. Have someone on your list who you don’t want to see for a while? Get a Minecraft gift card: You buy a physical card at a retailer (including Target, Best Buy, even 7-11), then redeem it online for a downloadable copy of the Minecraft game. Your recipient won’t resurface for months.

Finally, two honorable mentions: Skype has gift cards, which you can give to loved ones who can’t seem to stay in touch. And Gyft offers perhaps the geekiest offer of all: The mobile gift-card app works with Bitcoin.

Dan Miller is an editor at Yahoo. He hardly ever gives anyone a gift card.