So that couple you know and love (parents? friends?) are celebrating their wedding anniversary and you'd like to get them something out of the ordinary.

Good for you.

Leave it to the others to give boring commemorative plates and doodads with "25th Anniversary" stamped on the side.

Wouldn't you like to give them something especially for them? Something they'll really remember?

Great gifts are presented in an interesting or surprising way. The following three ideas are sure to impress even the hardest people to buy for.

And they're perfect for people on a tight budget.

That's probably what you'll hear if you give the happy couple a set of silver champagne glasses.

Yep, silver. (Well, okay. Silver-plated. But they look fantastic!) They're ideal for celebrating the anniversary -- pour the bubbly!

And of course it's on-the-mark for the couple celebrating their Silver Anniversary!

And the cost doesn't have to break the bank. Go to ebay and do a search for "Silver champagne glasses" and you'll easily find them, usually costing about $4/each. If you get six, that's a lovely and unique gift for about $25.

Best of all? Your gift will be the hit of the party.

What could be lovelier for the happy couple than a gift basket presented in a silver bowl? On ebay you can find a variety of silver wire baskets that will highlight your gift items.

Think of the gift basket as though you were making an Easter basket -- fill it with small items you know they love and enjoy. Chocolates? Grapes? Peaches or pears? How about a small bottle of perfume or cologne? Maybe even a rolled up copy of their favorite magazine? (Unroll it and a post-it note inside tells them they've been given a year's subscription!)

Why not consider giving each spouse their own basket? That way you can individualize the gifts -- a carpenter's measuring tape for him hidden beneath his favorite candies; maybe a pretty nightgown boxed and beautifully wrapped beneath the candies and yummies for her?

Get creative! The best part? The happy couple experiences the most wonderful gift of all -- someone (you) took the time to assemble something fun inside of a silver basket (it is their Silver Anniversary, after all) they will treasure.

Go to ebay and search "silver baskets" or maybe "silver wire baskets" -- you'll be able to find them for less than $15 each.

What's a Gorham?

They're the craftsmen who provide the silver service for the White House.

Gorham has been making silver items -- from solid silver to silver-plated -- since the early 1800s. They're still making them today. In addition to flatware they make sculpture, collectibles and presentation items.

Best of all? You can find these items -- even those with some historical significance -- on ebay for little money!

How much is "little money"? You'll have to check out ebay to see current prices, but in early 2008 you could find Gorham silver bowls from the early 20th century (search "Gorham YC 781" on ebay) for about $10!

It isn't the money. People remember gifts when the giver spent some time (and creativity) putting it together.

And being creative doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Thank God for ebay.

I hope these ideas spark something that will make the happy couple pleased to have received a gift from you.