Unique, Useful Gifts For The Home

December 6, 2008

By Jean Murphy - Daily Herald Correspondent

Christmas rolls around once a year whether the economy is good or bad.

And whether you are cutting back or proceeding as usual, you are probably looking for some unique and useful gifts for your loved ones this year. So we did some research for you and came up with 10 unique home-related gifts that may entice you, ranging from $17 to $599.

"There is so much talk about gloom and doom and while people are certainly more resistant to making purchases, they are still shopping," said Jon Abt, co-president of Abt Electronics in Glenview.

"This year people are looking for items that will improve or enhance their everyday lives and are ignoring the neat gizmos that they will enjoy for a few minutes and then put on a closet shelf," he explained.

This is always the busiest time of the year for Abt's gourmet shop, which sells small appliances for the kitchen, Abt said. But this year, because more people are cooking at home, they seem to be looking for ways to make cooking easier and more enjoyable.

"And people are still indulging in televisions since they are probably not going out to the movies as much," he continued. "Besides, the price of televisions has come down drastically and people are buying in advance of the digital conversion in February."

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