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Father's Day: Two gift ideas full of nostalgia and nerd cred

Not sure what to get Dad for Father's Day this year? Here are two ideas.
Written by Jason Cipriani, Contributing Writer
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Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

What do you get the person who has everything? That's a question I know I ask myself around a lot of holidays, and Father's Day is no different for many of us. Dad typically has all the tools and gadgets he wants or needs, so you're often left with gift cards or some random trinket. 

This year, instead of going that route, check out these two gift ideas that are sure to bring a smile to any gadget lover's face. 

A couple of months ago I found out about Grid Studio and immediately loved the idea of putting old phones, like the original iPhone or the first Apple Watch on display in my office. But instead of framing the phone in a shadowbox and hanging it on the wall, Grid Studio breaks down each device into its parts and lays it out in a fun and interactive way. 

After some back and forth with the team at Grid Studio, they offered to send me a BlackBerry 9900 and an iPhone 3GS to check out on my own. It wasn't until this last weekend I had a chance to unbox and hang them on my wall -- they look fantastic. 

Grid Studio offers several Apple devices, along with the first Apple Watch and Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). There's also a Nokia E71, and the option to make a custom request. 

Prices range anywhere from $129 for the E71 to $399 for the first iPhone. 

Recently, my wife got me four different Apple patent drawings from Stars by Nature on Amazon. The Amazon storefront has several different print categories, ranging from patents top Sci-Fi to inspirational sayings. 

Each print combines the original patent drawings for a specific device. Better yet, the prints aren't all that expensive. For example, you can get four Apple patent drawings for around $17 without frames. (My wife used these frames.)

Looking through their various prints and offerings, I could easily cover my entire office with similar prints ranging from these Nintendo prints to a pair of Atari prints in the electronics section.

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