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It’s that time of the year again; the time of the year when you drive home from work in the dark, there is no baseball on the TV, the weather drops to an insane 71 degrees, and all of your favorite snack foods are now being sold with a "pumpkin spice" varietal. Yes, the holidays are upon us, and there’s just no stopping it. With Thanksgiving just a couple days away, and the ever-growing Black Friday "holiday" the day after, the holiday shopping season is about to go full tilt. But don’t fret and get anxious about what you’re going to buy your Angels-loving loved ones, because Halos Heaven has got you covered with this holiday gift guide. Plus, if you’re like me, you’re going to wait until you get your year-end bonus halfway through December to start buying stuff, anyway, so when it comes time to figure out what to get that insane Angels fan you have in your life(or if you’re just gonna treat yo self), then you’ll have this guide at the ready, and you’ll come away from the holiday season looking like the Mike Trout of gift giving.
The Basics:
First, we have the usual suspects from the team store/MLB.com. These are the go-to gifts; in other words, the easy, obvious choices: official Angels hats, jerseys, shirts, hoodies, etc.
This link will take you to the hats. Hats are awesome and one of the most slam-dunk choices you can go with for a Halos fan. The tricky part, though, is knowing the recipient’s hat size. Getting the wrong size will mean they can’t enjoy their hat and will have to exchange it. Of course, flat out asking for their size via out-of-the-blue text message/email is just going to tip your hand, and take away the surprise. I mean, you COULD get them a snapback or one size fits all hat, but those are weak sauce, and you don’t want to give a weak sauce gift, do you? You want to give a nice, fitted, New Era 59Fifty hat so the Angel fan in your life looks like a baller, and not some 65 year old white dude(the main proponent of the floppy, non-fitted baseball cap). Price: $10 and up
Then you have shirts, hoodies, etc. This is all official gear, which is cool, but the styles leave a lot to be desired. I do love the official Angels team hoodies, although if you’re living in So Cal, you may never get a good opportunity to wear it. Price: Varies
Jerseys are a no-brainer. They can be an expensive no-brainer, if you go with an authentic jersey, but you can save some dough by just going with a replica. Price: about $80 to $$$$$$$
It’s good to also remember that there is a discount section on the team’s dot com store, so perhaps you can’t afford an authentic Mike Trout jersey, but you CAN get an authentic Josh Hamilton jersey for a discounted price. It’s always worth checking out the clearance section, regardless.
Kids and/or adult aged kids:
Oyo has some really neat Lego-like minifigures based off of real life Halos, like Matt Shoemaker and Mike Trout. Price: $12.99
They work with other "major building block" sets...meaning Legos...and if you don’t want to get specific players, you can just get a 40pc Oyo minifigure starter set that lets your kid(or an adult aged kid) build their own Big A. Price: $19.99
Go even further and get them a groundskeeper cart. Finally, the real heroes of the Big A are given their own toy. Price: $19.99
If you’re looking for a figure that’s a little less "mini" and more "action", then you can get a Mike Trout figure done by McFarlane Studios(one of the best collectable figurine makers in the biz). Price: $29.99
Do you know any youngins’ that like video games? Do they also like the Angels?! Well, then get them an Angels controller for their PS2. Wait...PS2s are still a thing? Price: $30
Inexpensive options for the hardcore Halos fan:
Stirrups talked about these stadium blueprints awhile back in a HaloLinks post. They are only $60 and with a few extra bones put into a frame, it’d make a pretty sweet gift to go over your mantle. Price: $60
Does the Angels fan in your life like to brush their teeth? If you answered yes, you’re in luck(in more ways than one). Now they can brush their teeth in Angels style with these siiiiiiiiick Angels toothbrush. Price: $7.31
Here’s a neat woven banner for your man cave, displaying various Angels logos throughout the years. Price: $16.98
Know an Angels fan that likes zombies? That venn diagram for fans of both has to overlap somewhere, and for the people that find themselves in that group, there is a cutesy little zombie Angels dude statue. Price: $24.99
Ever wanted a one-of-a-kind miniature Edison Stadium for your desk or bookshelf. Boom. Here you go. Price: $5.99
Nolan Ryan socks. That’s all you really need to know. They are socks with Nolan Ryan on them. What are you waiting for? Just buy ‘em already! Price: $11.99
This is a neat, finely crafted Angels pen from Steiner Sports. The cool factor is the fact that it has dirt from Angels Stadium in it. Yes, this pen has dirt in it and for that reason, you want it. Price: $29.99
Somewhat expensive options for the hardcore Halos fan:
Mike Trout Fathead...don’t worry, it has nothing to do with Mike Trout being fat. That’s just what these things are called. They are gigantic decals for your walls and what wall can’t be improved by having a giant Mike Trout on it? Price: $99
For an even more hardcore Mike Trout fan, and assuming you know your recipient’s shoe size, you can get them a pair of the new Lunar Trout 2s, Blueprint edition. I have a pair myself, but never wear them because they are too pretty. Price: $149
Do you like art AND the Angels? Well, then you’re probably a guy that used to run this site...but if you like art AND the Angels AND you’re NOT that guy, then maybe you’d be interested in a "minimalist" print of the Big A. Price: up to $169, depending on size of print you want.
Regular bobbleheads are cool and all, but Forever Collectables makes some SERIOUSLY collectible bobbleheads. Here’s one for Jered Weaver. Price: $89.99
Angels-themed ugly Xmas sweater...for that one party you’re going to go to where people will wear ugly sweaters. Nothing having to do with the Angels can be completely ugly, though(outside of long term free agent contracts). Price: $49.99 to $69.99
Extremely expensive options for the hardcore Halos fan:
Here’s the section for the ballers and the lucky people who receive presents from said ballers. If money's no object, then why not get the Angels fan in your life a Spring Training package? Inquire about costs...but it’ll probably be expensive, just warning you. Price: ?!???
There’s also the Angels fan cruise, although the ship may have sailed on that one already(hahahahaha, i’m funny). If you can still wrangle a spot for this event, i’m sure the lucky person who receives it will be overjoyed. Price: ???!?
Autographed Mike Trout MVP jersey...because no duh. Price: $1149
Here’s a neat little plaque commemorating Mike Trout on last year’s All Star Game MVP award, along with a limited edition coin. Price: $149
Here is some more of that "minimalist" art, although this time it’s of the famous rock pile at the Big A, and there is only one size to choose from...so it’s going to cost you. Price: $394.99
And here it is...the granddaddy of all insane Angels gifts. You can own what Rev Halofan called "the Rosetta Stone of our favorite franchise". Yes, the same Story of the Angels that we just posted a few days ago is up for grabs on eBay, and it’s the ORIGINAL 16mm print of the film that you’ll be the proud owner of(and the deal comes with a projector, to boot). If any of you guys buys this, we need to set up a viewing party. Price: $2500
If you’re still looking to spend on big ticket items, you might want to check the team’s ever-changing auction page.You can bid on some crazy stuff, but it can still cost a pretty penny. The good news is I think you can use these purchases as tax deductions...but i’m not an accountant, I just play one on the internet.
Thinking outside of the box:
Most of these aforementioned gifts can be found through regular MLB-approved channels or vendors, or through fairly simple Google searches. But if you’re a seasoned purveyor of online Halos goods, then you know the best place to find unique, kickass Angels gear is going to places like etsy or eBay. I can’t recommend looking around those sites enough, and just a quick look today yielded a bunch of rad results, as evidenced below.
Vintage California Angels shirt from Spring Training, when the team was still spending their Spring in Palm Springs. Pretty dope. Price: $27
Retro Starter jacket with California Angels logo, and even better? It’s got "Brandon" embroidered on the chest, so if you know anybody named Brandon, this is an especially sweet score. Price: $19.20
Need some decorations for you Christmas tree? This eBay seller has you covered with retro Angels ornaments featuring players like Wally Joyner. I’m pretty sure this person has just taken old Starting Lineup figures and added a hook and some string...but it’s the thought that counts. Price: $2.99
One of a kind Angels home decor in the form of used pallets, via etsy. Another good addition to your man cave, perhaps? Price: $50
Handmade Angels earrings, and their big dangly ones, too! See? etsy is cool. Price: $4.00
If you MUST get a snapback hat, at least get one that is supremely one-of-a-kind. Here we have a decent Angels snapback hat that is turned into a pretty dope piece of artsy, handmade headwear. Price: $64.95
Remember in the 90’s, when hip brands were proving how hip they were by putting cartoon characters on everything? Well, relive those days with this 90’s Angels shirt featuring Fred Flintstone. Price: $42.00 (hey, nobody said being ironic is cheap)
So there you have it, folks. Holiday shopping for Halos fans made easy. The key things to remember are 1) hit up the team site/store for regular old stuff but 2) check the clearance stuff just in case, and 3) make sure you look at sites like ebay and etsy(or even go down to your local swap meet/antique store area, usually bastions of Angels ephemera) if you want to get something old school, handmade or one-of-a-kind. You can also make things even easier for the frantic Angels fan shopper by listing any other cool stuff I missed in the comments. ‘Tis the season of helping one another spend a bunch of money, after all.