Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Shopping for your parents (or other authority figures in your life) is never easy, just like it probably wasn't a cakewalk raising you. Thus, every year at the holidays, one must make the pilgrimage to a gifty shop with fingers crossed that there is something, something that will delight them, or at least get used.

In an attempt to inspire you into getting some great gifts for your parents this year, we've rounded up some of our favorite shopping spots, from Broadway Panhandler for the parents who fancy themselves chefs to the Phaidon Shop for parents who would instead be sitting in a corner, quietly reading.

Got any other suggestions? Do let us know in the comments. And if you're trying to find a present for parents with particularly impossible taste, ask away—maybe we'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Read More