Unique, unforgettable gifts - Brief Article - Buyers Guide

Black Enterprise, Dec, 2000 by Ann Brown

Items for the pickiest person on your list

Are you looking for a few unique, off-the-wall gifts for your loved ones, friends, or colleagues? Try these BE picks to surprise even the pickiest person on your list.

Culture Clothes

Got an aviation or history buff on your list? A Tuskegee Airmen Aviator Jacket ($275) from Heritage Apparel (800-711-7710; www.heritage apparel.com) might be just the ticket. The brown, soft goatskin jacket is made to the same U.S. military specs as the A-2 flight jackets worn by the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.

Custom Computers

Jazz up any home or office setting with handcrafted computer gear. Oberhofer (888-557-7786; www.oberhofer.com) makes luxury computer peripherals (keyboard, mouse, and monitor) and laptops in mahogany, maple, cherry, and a variety of exotic hardwoods. You can even get such designer finishes as marble, carbon fiber, aluminum, and leather. Prices for a complete package range from $1,399 to $6,500. Components can also be bought separately. Available at select Neiman Marcus stores or through special order.

Office Essentials

N'Time Co. (www.ntimeco.com; 877-236-8463) offers leather Palm Pilot covers in camel, ebony, or ebony with mudcloth for $50. The black-owned stationery supply company also features leather `n mudcloth binders, priced $85 to $115.

Protecting Your Uniform

Anyone taking care of an infant might appreciate the "bib for parents" known as a Snibbie. It's designed to protect adult clothes and is 100% cotton terry cloth. It comes in six colors and offers broad coverage of both shoulders and chest. Larger than traditional cloths used for burping, it is also equipped with a Velcro fastener to hold it firmly in place. It's available through select Buy Buy Baby stores or on the Internet at www .snibbie.com, or call 800-221-5354 toll-free.

Choo-Choo Christmas

Businesspeople are always hopping a plane, rushing to catch a flight, or stuck in traffic along an expressway. Give the gift of luxury train travel. The American Orient Express (800-320-4206; www.americanorientexpress.com) offers seven itineraries in the United States and Canada. Trips range from eight to 11 days. Among the excursions are the "Rockies and Yellowstone" tour from Denver to Salt Lake City and the "Great Transcontinental Rail Journey," which travels from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. Prices start at $2,890.

Get Game

Offer a game of chess with a Roots Africa (www.rootsafricka.com) chess set ($150) from South Africa. The colorful pieces are decorated to resemble members of the Zulu and Khosa tribes.