Magic carries a variety of products that are great for the giving season, but if you want to deviate from the norm, here are fourteen fantastic gifts for that special someone in your life.

If your mother or aunt asks you and you simply cannot ask for another sweater, give her this list. If you are that family member . . . Hello! This website is about a very complex card game, Magic: The Gathering, and my column talks about art, storylines, and culture surrounding that game. Today's column has expensive, serious gifts, ranging down to gifts costing one American dollar. I hope you can find something that your special someone—or, well, you—would love.

For your information, I own all but one of these items. So, in other words, I recommend all of them highly. I wouldn't tell you to buy something if I wouldn't buy it myself. The one piece I don't have I plan to acquire soon.

On we go!

Magic Products:

1. John Avon Land Poster, Signed, $35 Shipped from the UK

$35 is silly-cheap for a high-quality poster. Having it signed is just gravy.

He has three versions as of right now. There might be more later, but I guarantee they'll be more expensive.

How do you get it?

You have to e-mail or tweet at Avon's agent, Guy Coulson.

@JohnAvonArt

guy at JohnAvon dot com

2. James Gurney’s Books: Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter, $16.49, & Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist, $16.49

Why are these important? How about we find out what a Magic artist thinks?

If someone you know wants to be a fantasy artist, that person needs these books. Period. Seriously.

3. White-Backed Artist Proofs (5), $25

Here’s some info on what they are.

They’re normally $5 each. Getting a few artist proof cards would make a great gift.

If you know what cards are still being proxied in a Commander deck, get some “real” copies. It’s cheap, and they look better than gold-bordered cards. If you’re smart, you’ll take a peek at the Commander deck, check out the artists, and get a white-backed artist proof along with a signed card!

4. Map of Jamuraa (25.4”x25.4” or 420mm x 420mm) by Tom Wanerstrand and Pete Venters, $43 Shipped from the UK

Very few Magic maps exist in history, and even fewer can be easily bought. This map is for the Mirage setting—among the best sets ever made. This map is a great size for a print; it’d be a great gift. I’d buy it and have it framed later. It doesn’t need to be professionally matted and framed, but stop into a framing shop and buy a premade matte and frame. It’s cheap if you can find it.

5. White Playmat with Life Counter, $10 at CoolStuffInc.com

Buy this playmat.

Give it to an artist you know or whom you've contacted through the Internet.

Commission said artist to make a unique artwork.

Give artist money. (Include shipping costs for returning it! It's kind, and it speeds up receiving it.)

Give gift to special someone.

Win.

Other white and eggshell playmates do exist, but the life counter on the right side brings it over the top for the same price.

6. The Art of Magic: The Gathering, $35 from Third-Party Sellers on Amazon

This book is fantastic. It’s the closest thing to a style guide that players can get, and it’s fantastic. Imagine the entire Gerrard and Rath situation as an art book on your coffee table. It elevates the game.

7. Plains Framed Print by Ryan Pancoast on ImageKind.com, $117

I like the 28.7"x 23.5" for $145.90 with $14.95 shipping.

Framing art is serious business. It’s normally $200 to start for a framed original painting, regardless of the medium.

I mean, you can go with the Target frame route for $10 if it’s a poster or $30 if you want a frame, but that’s only with the standard sizes of 24”x36”, which is more uncommon than you think.

Also, use code 30ELF for 30% off. $102.13 + $14.95 = $117.08

Oh, and it’s frickin’ gorgeous. Ryan Pancoast was just a new guy . . . and now? Brilliance. Go get it.

8. Urza Omnibus I, $10.91, & Urza Omnibus II, $10.99

These compendiums contain two and three books respectively, for a total of $22 on Amazon. The books covering the early days of Magic concerning Urza contain some of the best writing in Magic. If you’re smart, you’d pick up another book to hit $25 and get free shipping from Amazon.

9. Arena by William Forstchen, $4 on Amazon from a Third-Party Seller

I would argue that Arena is the best book in the Magic novel assortment. It’s the first book ever made, and as such, it tries to explain everything it can about how the card game would translate into a world. It’s a prerevisionist novel, sure, but it’s an enjoyable read.

10. Path of the Planeswalker I, $10.16 on Amazon, & Path of the Planeswalker II, $11.96 on Amazon

These are the web comics that the creative team posted for free online at the mothership website.

Web comics are fine, but reading a ton of them is a struggle. Eyestrain isn’t that fun, and it affects the zoning into the story. Just buy both volumes for that special someone and then read it yourself!

When you do, enjoy the special commissioned artwork that was only added to the physical versions of the comics. They’re quite nice.

11. Commander Life-Tracking Pad, $1 at CoolStuffInc.com

Keeping track of life in Commander is very against the gentlemen’s unwritten rules of Commander, but you know that you sometimes just need it for that guy. If you’re in a side event at a GP, these are invaluable for that overly Spikey guy whom you don’t quite trust. You know that guy.

Simply tear off and you’re good.

Non-Magic Products:

12. Mansions of Madness, $51.99 at CoolStuffInc.com

A review is here. It won the 2011 Golden Geek Award at Board Game Geek.

I love Mansions because it's everything that Arkham Horror isn't. Arkham Horror, in case you don't know, is among the most complex, rewarding board games in existence. It's cooperative, fun, and a beast to learn. It's about as hard as Magic is to learn. To span that gap, you can get a feel for what it's like through Mansions of Madness. It's like a Duels of the Planeswalkers for board games. It's a quality game, and I recommend you buy it.

13. Settlers of Catan, $33.60 at CoolStuffInc.com

A review is here.

Klaus Teuber is a boss in the games world. If there's a game that moves Scrabble and Monopoly to the ranks of Arkham Horror and Magic, it's Settlers of Catan. It's a great game for evening gatherings, and the cooperative nature of trading creates a great feeling for mixed groupings. It's easier to play Settlers with your Magic friends and non-Magic friends than Ascension. Yeah, I said it. It's a good buy.

14. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, $15.36

I can’t fully teach you how to walk into a museum and explain intricacies and nuance and find meaning in every period of art since humans harnessed paint. I can barely scrape that context. What I can tell you is that, in the fantasy world, especially when discussing any artistic concerns, information that will exponentially increase your knowledge is found in McCloud’s work. Do you want to design games? Do you want to speak intelligently about any visual that you see in your daily life? Then you need to read McCloud’s work. His other books are helpful, but they don’t change your world as much as Understanding Comics.

After you buy it, gift it to that special someone, then borrow it and read it yourself, then tweet at me. I have some strong opinions about the book, and I'd love to chat about it.

15. Franz Vohwinkel Original Art, $100-150 Including Shipping

Franz and his wife are wonderful people. I innocently asked if they had any art in an inexpensive art range for a holiday wish list, and Franz’s wife Imelda said, “Actually, the idea is pretty good.” So, if you’re interesting in any of the three pieces below, e-mail Franz and his wife here. Each artwork is roughly 8”x10”. Yes, the website has a lot of German on it, but for shipping purposes, rest assured. They live in Seattle.

Rowen, Acrylic on Paper, $100 Including Shipping

Fervor, Acrylic on Canvas, $150

Mistform Wall, Acrylic on Board, $150

16. Thomas Baxa Original Art, $200 Including Shipping

Tom is a pretty prolific artist when it comes to Magic. He has over a hundred artworks, and well, we have an exclusive on GatheringMagic for him. If you mention that you heard of his paintings from “Vorthos Wednesday,” he'll offer either of these pieces for $200 from now until December 31. I like both pieces—they're great in different ways. The Mantle has amazing figural work with a lot of movement, and the Reejerey is a merfolk lord . . . Does it need more appeal than that? Yes? It's 15” x 11”! That's an oversized Magic card art painting.

Mantle of Leadership, $200

Medium: Gouache, Size: 12.75” x 9”

Merrow Reejery FNM Promo, $200

Medium: Oils on board, Size: 15.5” x 11”

17. Steve Argyle black-and-white altered play mat, $200

Oh, boy. These play mats are amazing and will take six to twelve weeks to get back to you. Is Steve backlogged a few months? Of course he is. He’s that good.

The hardest part? Asking him what to put on the play mat.

His figural work is amazing. Anything you want, he’ll make.

Contact him through his website’s contact form here.

Be a real American and go buy things.

Happy holidays!