Gift guides

Shopping for a LEGO-loving kid’s birthday? Start with what they are into, from Minecraft to Batman to Harry Potter, and use this guide to pick a set or minifigure they will build right away.

If someone you know traded Garbage Pail Kids at recess, a card with the right name on it can make them laugh out loud. Here is how to pick one and give it well.

For the young witch or wizard who builds, LEGO Harry Potter sets and minifigures make a gift they can play with and display. Here is how to choose well.

A signed photo or poster can be the most personal gift a fan ever receives. Here is how to judge the paperwork, the framing and the spot on the wall before you buy.

If dad grew up in the 1980s, there is a good chance a G.I. Joe or He-Man figure still lives in his memory. Here is how to find a nostalgic gift that brings it back.

From the original Playmates figures of 1988 to Rise of the TMNT, the Turtles have reached several generations of fans. Here is how to find the right gift for the one you are shopping for.

Small gifts do not have to feel small. These collector-friendly stocking stuffers, all listed under $30 when this was written, make a stocking feel picked rather than filled.

A Funko POP looks like an easy gift until you are standing in front of hundreds of them. Here is how to match the fandom, judge the box and choose one that earns a spot on the shelf.

A guide to giving classic Nintendo cartridges, with picks by the kind of player you are shopping for and simple checks that help an older game arrive ready to play.

Kenner Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Ninja Turtles, He-Man, Garbage Pail Kids and the NES: a guide to finding the 1980s toy that sends a grown-up straight back to Saturday morning.

From a first Funko POP for a young Padawan to vintage Kenner figures and a signed photograph for the fan who saw it all the first time around, here is how to match a Star Wars gift to the person.

A parent-friendly guide to choosing a LEGO Minecraft set for the kid who talks about Creepers at dinner, with picks matched to how they actually play the game.