50th Birthday Gifts for Men: Ideas Guys Will Love - Or Not

The man in your life who's turning 50 this year is tricky one to buy a birthday gift for. By his fiftieth birthday, there's a good chance he's got everything he wants or needs already, and if he doesn't, he's probably convinced himself he doesn't really want it or need it, anyway. So getting him to say what present he'd like for the big five-oh is useless. Don't bother. Instead, check out these 50th birthday gift ideas for men. Whether he's your husband, your son, your father, a relative, a coworker or a friend, here are some cool birthday presents for guys turning 50.

Gag Gifts for a Laugh

What would a 50th birthday be without a wisecracking gag gift?

From mugs to puns to slogans serving as "over the hill" jabs in the ribs, every soon-to-be-50-year-old man knows it's coming.

A cool gift with a different take is a 1959 Nostalgic Candy gift basket. Or consider the 1959 time capsule gift collection that recaptures the year of his birth.

And then there's the book, 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s. Though it gets an initial laugh, it's less a gag gift than it is a joyous take on what there is to look forward to.

But do him a favor and don't just gag-gift him. He deserves a serious gift, too. Not to mention a party. After all, this is his fiftieth.

Grass-Fed Beef for a meat lovin' man.

100% Grass-fed beef, if you haven't already heard, is reputed to be healthier for your heart and cholesterol level than even organic grain-fed beef, due to the high ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids.

Whether or not that's true, grass-fed is the way beef were raised and finished for centuries before agribusiness started using grain to fatten up cattle. Given that man ate cattle that roamed the range and didn't have access to oats and other grains, there's a good chance that the human body is better adapted to 100% range-fed beef than the alternative.

But regardless of health--grass-fed beef is utterly delicious, with a distinct taste that will help a man remember his 50th birthday as the tastiest ever. Leaner than grain-fed beef, you cook it for a shorter time and at a lower temperature so it doesn't get too tough.

Get him a stock of a hundred percent grassfed beef for his freezer, so he can enjoy this delicious beef for ages.

Find the best prices on 100% grass-fed Black Angus Beef from La Cense

Help Him Stock Up.

By the time they turn 50, most guys don't want much that's fancy. But a good, plain gift can be hard to find.

Your 50th birthday boy has probably got a full closet of ties, sweaters, socks, and other easy-to-get clothing.

What he wants is something practical, something he can use, but that he doesn't yet know he needs. Will he turn up his nose at a 5-year's supply of motor oil or antifreeze? Doubtful.

But be careful--no 50-year-old man wants a birthday gift that means he has to do something he doesn't like to do. So--forget about the auto supplies if he doesn't like to tinker with the car. Get him a new lawn mower blade.

And if he hates mowing the lawn, get him a big ol' bag of whatever supplies he's running out of. Trust me--in these economic times, it will only get a laugh, especially if you include a birthday card with something tongue-in-cheek, like "Here are 50 packs of disposable razors--look for 50 more in another half century."

Tools and old tool catalogs.

Here's a cool gift idea for a 50-year-old man if he likes tools. If the man you're shopping for is handy, then he can always use another tool.

The problem is, if you get him the wrong tool—a 6mm chisel instead of an 8mm, for example—look out!

So get him a spiffy new set of tools, especially if those he has are worn down and he's past the point of sharpening blades or replacing handles.

For a more eclectic idea, hunt down an old vintage Stanley Tools Catalogue. These small catalogs from the first half of the 20th century used the spelling “catalogue,” and they're sold wherever collectibles are sold.

If he's a tool hound, he'll love it—he'll spend hours poring over the tools illustrations and the text.

Plan the Party Now

If there's a party being thrown for the man reaching the half-century mark, then consider party favors and decor specifically designed for the big five-oh. If you plan a big, shocking surprise party, though...have some mercy and give him some warning. After all, he is getting on in years...!

Seriously, the hullaballoo of gag favors like 50th birthday warning tape and "Fifty sucks" lollipops as well as festive balloons, napkins and streamers can help alleviate the "wince" factor of turning fifty. Play some music from his childhood. Invite some people he hasn't seen in a while. And have fun.

There will be many groans at a 50th birthday party, guaranteed. If you can manage to make some of them turn into laughs, the party will be remembered as a feel-good commemoration of a truly wonderful milestone in a man's life.