Buying for a music fan or a gamer without knowing the subject

The three traps people fall into

Before picking a specific thing, it helps to know where this usually breaks.

• The duplicate. The gamer bought it in a sale a year ago; the music fan has the album already, just in a different pressing. From the outside this is nearly impossible to check.
• The wrong format. Vinyl with no turntable, a game for the wrong platform, a ticket for a date they're away.
• Too “on theme”. A mug with their favourite band's logo, a supermarket “gaming” mouse — presents about the hobby rather than for it. Someone inside the subject reads that instantly.

The conclusion is simple: in these two areas guessing costs more than asking or looking. Here's how to look without asking outright.

How to find out without giving yourself away

1. 1Check whether a list already exists. Gamers usually have one: almost everybody keeps a Steam wishlist, and with a public profile it's visible from the outside. For a music fan, ask a mutual friend — people tend to have sent their list to somebody already.
2. 2Ask around them, not them. In any family or office there's someone who knows what's already been bought, which turntable they own, which platform they play on. One question to a third person replaces an hour of guessing.
3. 3Check the format before you buy. Is there a turntable. Which platform — PC or console, and which one. Which country they live in: that decides whether a digital gift can reach them at all.
4. 4Leave yourself a way out. A shop gift card isn't an admission of defeat but insurance: in these two subjects it lets the person pick the exact edition they need.

For the gamer

A digital game is easiest to buy in the store where they actually play. On Steam, since summer 2026, you can do it without an account of your own: if they have a shared wishlist, you can buy from it as a guest and the recipient is filled in for you.

• Region matters more than the discount. A gift sent by email goes to a recipient in the same country as the buyer; for a friend abroad Steam can match their region's price, but you have to be on their friends list.
• Steam won't let you buy a duplicate: a game already in their library can't be gifted, and the store says so.
• Hardware and peripherals carry no duplicate risk — but only if you know how they play. A mouse for the wrong grip or the wrong kind of headset goes in a drawer.
• Subscriptions and in-game currency are boring and almost always used.

For the music fan

Vinyl is a popular present, and rightly so: it's a real object and you don't have to guess a size. It has three catches, though.

• The turntable. Without one, a record is a poster at triple the price. If they don't have one, give both or give something else.
• The pressing. The same album comes out in several versions, and someone in the subject wants a particular one. Missing here is easier than it looks.
• Merch and tickets. A ticket is a strong present but tied to a date and a city: make sure they're free that evening, or it becomes an obligation rather than a treat.

If you're torn between pressings, a record shop gift card beats a coin flip: a collector will top up exactly what's missing from their shelf.

When you want to be sure

The safest route in these subjects isn't choosing blind — it's getting a list. Asking for one isn't rude: people who collect records or play games are usually glad you asked, because they're tired of duplicates too.

And the other way round: if people keep asking what to get you, put your own list together in advance. It shows what you already have, and reservations stop two people buying the same thing.