for somebody older, something that they can experience is often better than a lasting 'thing' - because they're probably got everything they could want by now...
if he drinks wine get him a bottle of wine - a well-chosen $40 bottle should be more enjoyable than a $10 bottle. does he like port? the 20 year old taylor fladgate tawny is $35 to $40 and it's fantastic.
alasdair