by Tony Connor

Created on: May 24, 2007

It used to be that personalized gifts were one or two initials on a few leather goods. I used to think it was in case you lost something or it got mixed up with someone else's. That would mean every watch and pen I have should be personalized; as well as my glasses, sunglasses, car keys, shopping list, remote controls, slippers, mobile phone, dog, and (if I'm being totally honest) my children.

Nowadays there is a much wider range of goods that can be personalized with more advanced technology.

Photographs can be put on almost anything, including clothing, blankets, watches and mouse pads. This means you could go into the office the day after Father's Day with a tie with the picture of the kids, a mug with a picture of your wedding day, the watch with your whole family on the dial and a mouse pad with a picture of your lost dog (you really miss him, shame he didn't have your initials on). This may or may not be greeted with snorts of derision depending how important you are, but no matter if you are the big boss, or the janitor, people would still probably laugh behind your back.

Specially printed T-shirts make a great gift. They can be personalized with humor, a photograph or just a special message. Don't go too overboard and come up with something crude or offensive - you want him to wear it! Plus, there is no point buying a sweatshirt for someone who lives in Florida!

Boxer shorts can have your name stitched onto them - very useful if you do actually lose them. Ah, the good old days.

You can also compose poems and have them etched onto glass plaques - "Dear Dad you're a hit, It's great I turned into such a wit".

Another option is to have your name superimposed onto a sports jersey in a photograph so it looks as though you were on the winning team in the Superbowl or World Series. Or, in the case of the Washington Nationals, just trying very, very hard.

My favorite is where you can have your name put onto a real football jersey. The fact that it comes down to your knees and doesn't seem to quite fit the way it does on the players is of no consequence. No, it means that the dream is still alive.

In all seriousness, personalizing something for Father's Day can make a very hard to choose gift that little bit more special. And even if people laugh behind his back he'll treasure it always.

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