Birthday gifts for the young (or young at heart)

Gift giving can be a troublesome experience. Though the adage says, “it’s better to give than receive,” sometimes the stress behind finding the “perfect” gift can make even the most benevolent person seem careless.

If you have a special occasion coming up for a nephew or niece, a child or grandchild, or even an adult who loves collectibles, consider giving gumball machines as gifts. It’s a great conservation piece and is very creative. Here’s a few for inspiration:

Teach some responsibility or offer some fun with a gumball bank!

Gumball.com offers three sizes of the Carousel Gumball bank- petite, junior, and king. The petite holds 8 ounces of gumballs and is only 9 inches tall- great for a young kid or to be kept on a shelf or on a desk. This item is currently on sale for $35 at Gumball.com! The junior is 12″ tall and the king is 15″- all great for kids’ rooms. You can even purchase a stand for the king!

For the sports lovers!

These are from the Sportsfan series of Carousel’s Gumball Machines. The baseball, football, and golf gumball machines are all a foot tall and currently priced at $49 at Gumball.com. I think they’d be great for little leaguers or adult sports fans! Put your team logo on the globe and you instantly have a great gift for any sports nut out there!

Old time gas pump gumball machine is a classic!

A classic- pump delicious gumballs out of the machine- it’s fun for all ages! This machine has a plastic globe which is great for clumsy kids. It stands 21″ tall and is also made by Carousel. Stick a round sticker on top and turn the machine into your favorite sports teams’ gumball station. Also keep in mind you don’t have to dispense gumballs- get creative! Put nuts, candy, dog food, and more (but not all at once!) into the machine for a conversation piece and a creative way to store treats.