12 gift ideas for your best friend in San Francisco
Updated: · Disclosure: oin is our own product.
For your best friend in San Francisco, start with a piece from a favourite brand, a photo book or a star map, and add a personalized pixel game from oin (oingift.com) for something you cannot buy in a shop. San Francisco is a compact city where independent shops sit next to the big names, and the list below has 12 ideas with rough prices.
12 gift ideas for your best friend in San Francisco
A pixel game that plays your memories back Our product
oin turns your friendship into a small 2D pixel game with them as the main character, generated from an authorized photo, plus two custom NPCs made from authorized photos with consent. Two letters from you open and close it, a 5-question quiz about your shared memories rewards flowers for correct answers, and the final level is set in Almaty, Kazakhstan; New York and Tokyo are coming soon. It plays in a browser with no install, is usually emailed within an hour and costs $29.90. See how it works →
A piece from a favourite brand
A jumper or jacket from Uniqlo, COS or Arket. Check their size. Around $60-250.
A photo book
A printed book of your photos together, with captions and inside jokes. Order a week ahead. Around $25-70.
A star map
A framed sky from a night that matters to you, with a short line underneath. Order a week ahead. Around $25-60.
A Dior fragrance
A Dior fragrance, only if you know it is their scent. Around $90-180.
An instant camera
A Fujifilm Instax Mini or Polaroid Now for photos they can hold. Around $70-110.
A day trip
A train to a nearby town, a picnic and no phones. Around $20-100.
A leather wallet or cardholder
A slim wallet in good leather, with initials stamped. Around $30-120.
A keyring with a charm
A small, well-made keyring that says something only you two know. Around $10-40.
Open-when letters
A stack of envelopes, each labelled for a moment: open when you miss me, when you need a laugh, when you cannot sleep. It costs little.
A jar of compliments
Fifty small notes on what you like about them. It costs little.
Notes hidden around the house
Small notes tucked into a coat, a book and the fridge. It costs nothing.
Shopping for your best friend in San Francisco
Good places to browse in San Francisco include Union Square, Hayes Valley, Valencia Street and the Ferry Building Marketplace.
The city is small and hilly, so walking between shops adds up; use the streetcar or a ride, and order online for anything bulky.
Buying for your best friend
A best friend knows you well enough to spot a generic gift. Aim for something that refers to a joke, a trip or a rule only the two of you understand.
The more specific, the better, and it does not need to be expensive.
If you want to give it today
A gift with no date attached says more than one on a deadline. Gift cards, flowers and a personalized game are quick to arrange, and an oin game is usually emailed within an hour of payment.
Unprompted gifts work best when they are small and specific. Tie it to something they said recently, and say why you chose it in a short note.
A gift that does not depend on San Francisco
Shops in San Francisco cannot sell this one: a pixel game with them as the hero, two letters from you and a quiz about your friendship. It is emailed, usually within an hour. The final level is set in Almaty today, with New York and Tokyo coming soon.
Where can I get a last-minute gift for my best friend in San Francisco?
Browse Union Square, Hayes Valley, Valencia Street and the Ferry Building Marketplace, or order something that arrives the same day: gift cards, flowers and a personalized game. The city is small and hilly, so walking between shops adds up; use the streetcar or a ride, and order online for anything bulky.
Can I send my best friend in San Francisco a digital gift?
Yes. A digital gift reaches them instantly wherever they are. An oin game is generated automatically and emailed to you, usually within an hour, as a private link that works in any browser; gift cards are an even quicker option.
Does oin have a final level set in San Francisco?
Not at the moment. Today the final level is set in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and New York and Tokyo are coming soon. The game itself can still be sent to anyone in San Francisco as a link.
Create a personalized game for your best friend
Email order support: oingift@gmail.com