Father’s Day: A History, Total Spending, Unique Gifts and Flowers

According to the National Retail Federation, spending on Father’s Day gifts in the U.S. has doubled over the last 15 years, and is expected to total $20b this year.

This version of the original article by Stefan Von Imhof (alts.co) has been edited and abridged  to provide you with a faster and easier read. Also note that this complete paragraph must be included in any re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.

The Origin Of Father’s Day

Father’s Day didn’t originate from a dad who felt under-appreciated or with a son who wanted to celebrate his hero. In fact, it was a daughter who suggested there be a special dad’s day, and the story of how it came to be is actually quite heartbreaking.

…On Dec 6, 1907, the worst mining disaster in American history occurred in Monongah, West Virginia. There were 362 deaths, including 250 fathers which left about 1,000 children fatherless. One of those children was Grace Golden Clayton who approached her pastor about holding a memorial service honoring the fathers lost in the tragedy and two months after the first Mother’s Day, the first Father’s Day was born.

The Effort To Make Father’s Day A Tradition

​Sonora Smart Dodd, with the help of her church, lobbied and petitioned to make Father’s Day permanent. It was a slow start because many fathers were skeptical viewing the holiday as effeminate – similar to Mother’s Day, when moms were honored with roses and candy – but by the end of World War II that sentiment was gone. Dads realized being appreciated isn’t the least bit emasculating, and Father’s Day has been universally accepted ever since.

The Official Father’s Day Proclamation

• In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to make Father’s Day an official holiday but Congress resisted, fearing it would become commercialized.
• In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson made the first national proclamation in observance of Father’s Day.
• In 1972, President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a permanent national holiday.

Spending On Father’s Day Gifts

According to the National Retail Federation, spending on Father’s Day gifts in the U.S. has doubled over the last 15 years, and is expected to total $20b this year. (Still, that’s half the amount spent on Mother’s Day!)

There was a huge jump in 2021. Is this a result of inflation? Or do we all suddenly love our dads even more?

Why the increase in spending over the past 10 years? I think it has to do with the changing role of the modern-day father.

• In 1989, 3% of fathers in the US reported being stay-at-home dads.
• By 2016 that number had increased to 7%.

Dads now spend around 8 hours/week in childcare — triple the time spent back in 1965. This is partly because now, only 27% of couples with children are single-earner households, down from 47% in 1970. With more women entering the workforce, more men get to be the caretakers.

Alternative Investment Gift Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with a nice tie or some comfy socks but there are a ton of cooler gift ideas for Dad:

1. Luxury Fountain Pens: Montblanc has done to fountain pens what Ferrari did to race cars.
   • The pens have extraordinary craftsmanship. The “nibs,” the part that does the writing, are handcrafted, and the quality control includes trained craftspeople listening to a nib, and feeling how the pen writes. In the Patron of Art editions, for example, these nibs are made of 18 karat gold.
   • Some of these fine writing instruments are made in very limited editions. For example, the Patron of Art Homage to Moctezuma Limited Edition Fountain Pen has just 87 pieces and retails for  $36,000.00.
   • Other designs are more affordable. The Scipion Borghese (one of 4,810 pieces) will set you back $3,500 and then there is is a special edition ballpoint pen in the shape of a spark plug, created to recognize Elvis Presley and his love of cars. Despite being a “normie” ballpoint, the pen is still intricate, detailed, and features a 24k gold clip – and retails for $875.
2. Vintage Sports Memorabilia:
   • vintage baseball gloves are relatively affordable. You can buy old gloves from the 1920s for as low as $40, and up to $1,000 for gloves in better condition. Prices go higher if the glove has the inscription of a famous player on it, like Ruth or Mantle.
   • While looking for the perfect vintage baseball mitt, you can easily go down the rabbit hole of other sporting goods like vintage hockey sticks, vintage Converse Chuck Taylor Shoes, and leather football helmets; all of which make cool gifts.
3. Alternative Posters and Prints: Depending on your dad’s interests, this can go in a few cool directions. Film posters, music flyers, book covers, etc.
   • We recommend alternative posters & concept art prints (done by artists who re-imagine pop-culture iconography). These large posters (24″ x 36″) are made with thicker stock, can be hand-numbered, and merit framing because of their quality and rarity. These aren’t posters you see in a college dorm; they’re prized collectibles.
   • Sites specializing in similar prints include Mondo, Hero Complex Gallery, Bottleneck Gallery, and Spoke Art. Prices vary between $50 and $200, depending on edition size.
4. Personal Whiskey Barrels: For dads who enjoy having a nightcap or two, you can buy miniature barrels of whiskey that allow you to age your own drinks.
   • Don’t expect the whiskey that comes from these to match the quality of a Macallan 40-year-old as smaller barrels age whiskey faster than larger ones and yield fewer ‘wood sugars‘ (the stuff that help give its color and caramel notes), so the whiskey lacks a certain depth. The joy from this gift comes from brewing your own drink, experimenting, and learning about the power of oak.

Flowers Make a Great Gift Too!

Most men receive their first bunch of flowers at their funeral because flowers are still viewed as female gifts but, as it turns out, a majority of men admit they’d like to receive flowers as a gift so, if you’d like to challenge another outdated belief, maybe consider grabbing a bunch of flowers for your old man too!

Conclusion

Whatever you choose, whether it’s a pricey collectible or just your love and affection, we hope you have a good one, full of new memories and a healthy dose of dad jokes.

A Related Article from the munKNEE Vault:

A Father’s Day Letter Of Admiration & Love For Dad