Counting down to Christmas, Hanukkah, and every other seasonal celebration, Shapeways launches their Holiday Gift Guide 2016.

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Listen. Can you hear that? The distant sound of jingle bells? And snow crunching underfoot? And the vile stink of pumpkin spice permeating your nostrils? That’s right, the holiday season is approaching once again. And it’s never too soon to start buying presents.

3D printing service Shapeways is getting in on the act early this year. It’s only the first week of November, and they’ve already launched their Holiday Gift Guide to hoover up your gift budget.

That said, the selection of gifts is rather impressive. We took a quick tour of the micro-site, and we could feel our wallets twitching over the Dark Side Candlestick and the Game Boy Cufflinks. And ooooh, also the Caffeine Molecule Espresso Cup.

If you’re of the disposition for (expensive) impulse purchases, then perhaps you should give the Holiday Gift Guide a wide berth. But if you’re made of sterner stuff, then wade through several well considered categories like “Express Yourself“ and “Technical Advantage“, and more besides.

The guide also helpfully sorts the gifts into pricing tiers from $25, $50, $75 and $100. And if you still can’t decide after that, you can always fall back on the Shapeways gift card option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAErvnl9r8g

This Holiday Gift Guide Spreads Seasonal Cheer

Thinking about it some more, this holiday gift guide is a damn clever ploy by Shapeways. Damn clever. How? Because it’s the perfect opportunity to dazzle your nearest and dearest about the wonders of 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

Picture the scene. You and the family, crowded in the living room in front of a roaring fire (or flatscreen TV), unwrapping the last of your presents. You just gifted so-and-so with a Warthog Bottle Stopper, who totally loves it, which then prompts you to launch into a brilliant story about how unique they are and how they were made.

If this holiday gift guide is as successful as Shapeways is hoping, this same scene could be played out in thousands of homes. Which would be quite the cause for celebration in the Marketing Department.

To entice us further, the company are also offering free shipping for items in the guide using the special promo code “SHIP4FREE”. But you’re encouraged to move fast, because the code is only valid until 20 November. Presumably, this incentive will help Shapeways stay on top of the orders as they come rolling in.

What do you reckon? Is this the year you shower your loved ones with 3D printed gifts? Let us know in the comments.