Gift picture good for area dads

Denny Nimigean, who's confident he'll get golf clubs, gets in some practice at U.S. Golf in Sylvania.

Some dads are going to be very happy on Father's Day.

Kurt Snyder, manager of Insideout Home Recreation Outfitters in Maumee, said a woman recently bought an outdoor grill for about $4,500 and a hot tub for $5,000 for her husband.

"That's a nice Father's Day present," he said.

That gift probably hits the upper end of the scale, though. The average person's expenditure for this Sunday's holiday is expected to be $89 this year, according to the National Retail Federation in Washington. Total spending for the day will be about $9 billion, up from last year's $8.2 billion, the trade group said.

About a fourth of dads get gift certificates, a third get clothing, and most of the rest get books, CDs, electronics, home-improvement or gardening goods, or tools, the trade group said.

As always, the spending is far shy of that for Mother's Day, which the group said averaged $122 per person.

Statistics like that don't bother Denny Nimigean, of Swanton, who expects his daughter and his girlfriend to pay about $2,000 for new golf clubs, and he's already told them exactly what he wants, including a new Taylor Made driver that goes for about $400.

"I travel and play a lot of championship courses," said the retired die setter. He was looking over the goods yesterday at U.S. Golf in Sylvania. "That's what I wanted to do when I retired, and I'm doing it."

At the same store, Julie Beam, of Elmore, was buying a gift certificate for her husband, Ryan. "It's a tradition," she explained, adding that he "occasionally golfs."

Arthur Bell, owner of the store, said gift certificates are popular, as are golf balls ($30 a dozen and up).

Gift certificates from restaurants are also a popular choice. "I sold a couple of them this morning, and we sell them all the time," said Nadia Castilleja, of the Navy Bistro at the Docks in East Toledo. The certificates typically range from $25 to $75, she said, but relatively few will be used on Father's Day.

"Most fathers like to stay home and cook out [that day]," she said.

Not all gifts need to be expensive.

Brad Fischer, owner of the Whitehouse True Value Hardware & Auto store, said one of his most popular specials is a $14.99 bucket for the do-it-yourself car washer. It includes washing fluid, wax, sponges, and everything else a guy needs.

"I think gas prices and the economy hurt [business] a little this year, but those are selling pretty good," he said. Also popular are cordless drills, which sell for $40 and up.

William Rectenwald, manager of the Cigar Affair in Maumee, said he recommends for dads who smoke a $35 Padron handmade cigar from Nicaragua. A box of 25 fine cigars ranges from $70 to nearly $600, he added.

Mr. Snyder at the Insideout store noted that he has had success pushing an automatic pool-cleaning system for $199 to $299 because if dad doesn't have to clean the pool himself, the whole family can enjoy his company.

"But it's a little like buying your wife a vacuum cleaner [as a gift]," he said.

Contact Homer Brickey at:

homerbrickey@theblade.com

or 419-724-6129.