Photograph: Courtesy Mouth

The best gift baskets, gift boxes and subscription gifts

Give the gift that keeps on giving with these unique gift baskets, boxes and monthly subscriptions

Monday November 23 2015

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Gift baskets have gotten a bad rap for being a little cheesy and a little impersonal. But honestly, if you know someone loves a particular thing, isn't offering this person an entire basket of said thing a pretty impressive present? Sure, no one wants a gift box full of mealy apples or accessories he or she will never wear. But lately the subscription game has changed, and you can now find gifts of small-batch coffee, organic wine, curated art supplies and colored vinyl. No matter what your giftee is into, there's a present here to impress them—and you can choose to offer it just once or over and over again.

RECOMMENDED: The full holiday gift guide

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Top gift baskets, boxes and subscriptions

1. Vinyl Me Please

Photograph: Courtesy Vinyl Me Please

$100 for 3 months, $175 for 6 months, $309 for 12 months; vinylmeplease.com

This record subscription service delivers special-edition vinyl to the gift recipent's door once a month, complete with an album-inspired 12" x 12" art print and a custom cocktail pairing recipe. Other perks include playlists, downloads and interviews, as well as access to the Vinyl Me Please store and archive.

2. Bon Appetit Box

Photograph: Courtesy Bon Appetit Box

$150 for 2 months, $276 for 4 months, $390 for 6 months; bonappetitbox.com

Bon Appetit Box has curated an impressive list of artisanal French foods. Husband-and-wife owners Zoe and Bertrand were born and raised in the south of France, so they really know their stuff—each box comes enclosed with dining and cultural tips, along with information about who makes each goodie and how to best enjoy it.

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3. Nicely Noted

Photograph: Nicely Noted

$40 for 2 months, $60 for 3 months, $120 for 6 months, $240 for 12 months; nicelynoted.com

Nicely Noted is a stationery subscription service that delivers three letterpress cards and stamps (with themes such as creatures, shine or neon) on a monthly basis. For letter lovers, probably nothing is better than receiving snail-mail fixings as snail mail.

4. Quarterly Co.

Photograph: Courtesy Quarterly Co

$50 to $100 a package, with one package every three months; quarterly.co

Sign up your giftee to a subscription run by one of Quarterly's influential curators, and he or she will receive in the mail a personal letter and care package once overy three months. Think a DIY synthesizer kit from Bill Nye, a vintage '70s action figure from Will Wheaton, seed bombs from Rosario Dawson or Mast Brothers chocolate from GQ. There is definitely something for (and from) everyone here.

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5. Julep

Photograph: Courtesy Julep

$39.98 for two months, $79.96 for four months, $119.94 for six months; julep.com

Make your gift recipient a Julep "Maven" (or subscriber) and he or she will be granted first access to new makeup and beauty-product collections each month. A subscriber can also customize the selection to receive more of what he or she wants and less of what's not desired (like lip liner—who ever wants lip liner?).

6. Flicker Box

Photograph: Courtesy Flicker Box

$102 for 3 months, $175 for 6 months, $320 for 12 months; myflickerbox.com

This monthly service delivers boxes of small-batch, artisanal, thematically curated candles. Past themes have been labeled as Sweater Weather, Wild West and Blue Lagoon. This makes it a fun and inventive way to give a not-so-inventive gift.

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7. Root Bizzle

Photograph: Courtesy Root Bizzle

$72 for 3 months, $$138 for 6 months, $240 for 12 months; rootbizzle.com

We're not a huge fans of the name, but we do like the idea of giving the fashionable men (or dapper ladies) in our lives the opportunity to accessorize with something new each month. Choose ties or socks, then pick a style (skinny? floral?) and size.

8. Glassful

Photograph: Courtesy Glassful

$54 for a Great Box, $69 for a Fantastic Box, $100 for a Statement Box; glassful.com

Bestow booze on a loved one with Glassful. Choose from three different price points and specify whether your giftee likes red, white or a mix. The recipient will receive three bottles of wine delivered to the door. Make sure the recipient or someone over 21 is home to sign for the package. Cheers!

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9. Universal Yums

Photograph: Courtesy of Universal Yums

Yum box (6 snacks): $16 for one month, $45 for 3 months, $84 for 6 months; Yum Yum box (12 snakcs): $29 for one month, $81 for 3 months, $150 for 6 months; srirachabox.com

Universal Yums will send a box of international goodies to your door once a month, with treats from a different country each time: Indonesia, Germany, you name it. A booklet describes each item in depth, as well as animals, stories and a music playlist from the month's chosen country. On the back of the booklet is a clue to what country will be featured next month. Great for kids or friends who love to travel (and snack).

10. Beauty Heroes

Photograph: Courtesy Beauty Heroes

$115 for 3 months, $225 for 6 months, $450 for 12 months; beauty-heroes.com

This beauty-box subscription delivers one full-sized, nontoxic skin, sun, body or hair product each month, allowing a recipient time to truly test it out and (hopefully) see results. Members also receive a 15 percent discount to the Beauty Heroes online store. This means once a giftee finds a product he or she loves, it will be easier to purchase more at any time.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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