Gift idea for something uniquely American that is difficult to find in Poland?

I'm not sure what section to post this in so here it is.

We have a friend in Poland that has really gone the extra mile to help us with our move to Warsaw from the United States, and we would like to try to get him an inexpensive gift as a way of saying thank you. Does anyone here know of something uniquely American that is difficult to find in Poland that wouldn't break a student budget? I have no idea what is available there so I'm kind of at a loss.

Green card.

buy him a NFL football - it's just a souvenir after all - or a real baseball bat (the aluminum thing) and catcher's glove

California wine.

you can get california wine here. I would think a t-shirt with something on it.

a soccer shirt from one of the US teams. a baseball shirt.

I always wanted to have a Jimmy Proof Lock and Smith & Wesson toy ;)

basically any sports memorabilia would be a good idea.

a can of coke or pepsi, from america. i used to bring it in for my students, they all got a kick out of it.

Butterfinger. my favorite candy bar and i've never seen it in poland.

Give him a poster of Obama. JUST KIDDING!

You can give your friend a framed photo of a nice place, located close to where you used to live in the US. An ocean or mountain scene may be good. If you have kids, you can have them draw a pretty thank you card too:)

Morbid obesity..............failing that,some twinkies :)

isthatu wrote:


oh good, so in that case, they can give him some kielbasa and a jar of smalec to take back to the states with him. fair trade.

You can get him something from a souvenir shop.

ryanb, i don't know what state you're in, but maybe you can find something unique from there and give it to him.

Scotties got a good point, I got given some stuff from Oklahoma U, over here thats kind of unique and was far better than the bog standard more general "American" stuff :)

Did you get a buffalo burger? They're great. iIhad a few when I lived in Okie land.

Get a small keychain from your town, or a mug.
If you like cooking, make them some chili or tacos. Poles love that stuff and it's not easy to find in Poland. Take some seasoning packages and taco shells with you, they can later make it themselves.

Local stuff is the most interesting.

maple syrup and/or maple syrup goodies like cookies, tea/coofie sweetners, etc. They are not known in Poland, hard to get and expensive but people love them when they try them. They can be bought in some upscale delicatessen or health food stores in Warsaw.

urszula wrote:


Alma.

great American prezzy idea, or if they have kids a radio flyer..(could be hard to pack...)

A real baseball bat is made of wood.

Poles are more than familiar with wooden bats - (ask hooligans - although baseball bats are not the latest craze among them actually) - aluminium bats look much more 'professional' - if I wanted a souvenir from America I would like a good aluminium baseball bat and a baseball glove (plus a couple of balls) more to impress than to use (I never had an aluminium bat in hands but I guess it feels much more powerfull)- maple syrup products are also a nice gift idea since the stuff is not widely available in Poland (call it exotic)

I agree.


Believe me, it doesn't. Why do you think the pros play with wooden bats? It's not just tradition. There's nothing better than a bat made from wood.

a wooden bat is better weighted.

if u buy a glove make sure that u know if the recipient is left or right handed.

a souvenir is not suppose to be really practical - do you think their Polish friend would ever use a souvenir bat for some serious playing? I guess no - and I think an aluminum bat works better as an item to impress than a wooden one (maybe it is just me but aluminum bat seems to me much more fancy)

honestly, your sports t-shirt, jersey idea is probably the best one yet.

yes a quality baseball fan jacket should do (throw in a nice cap and you and your Polish friend are home)

Hmm, what would I want as a unique gift for me?

I don`t need a green card. I am not fascinated by sports gear. All kinds of wine are available in Poland. Coke or other sodas are a joke. :):):) Keychains or mugs are for kids. T-shirts and other garment - too.

I just came back from holidays and on our last trip we visited the bison/buffalo farm. My kids got fascinated by the animals. So, I think I would like to get a bison. They are cheap and easily available in US.

It can be a baby bison, so that the cost of transport is still within the budget.

put a wink here and there sometimes cause someone might actually take you seriously - bison easily available heh :) - I guess they are more readily available in Poland than in the USA (save for the different species - but I guess they interbreed readily)

yes!!! and a giant redwood tree! a mustang!!