Navigating Online Map Gifts

Phew! How about this online shopping craze? It’s pretty crazy, isn’t it? I’d say it can be crazy fun actually. You can find just about anything you want online without leaving the comfort of your home (or office for all you mega multi-taskers at work).

I was thrilled to find that there’s an immense selection of online map sellers. Hey, we even do it here at Discovery Map. Did you know that you can procure a Discovery Map for any one of our more than 130 destinations just for the cost of shipping and handling? Whether you want to frame it as a remembrance of your last trip, present it as a suggestion for future travels or just provide someone with a memento of a place that resonates with them, a Discovery Map is a clever and super inexpensive way to let someone know you’re thinking about them and their love for travel.

Here are some online shopping stores to check out when looking for other map-oriented gifts for friends, family, coworkers or even yourself this holiday season and throughout the year.

Pine Brook Antique Maps – Don’t you love the look of an old map? Whether for decorative purposes or as a historical reference, vintage maps always generate a lot of interest. Don’t wait to stumble upon one of your favorite locale at an antique shop or show. Check out the selection at Pine Brook Antique Maps, a leading internet map dealer that showcases unusual and important original maps from days gone by. How about a map of France depicting the French Empire in 1812? Created in 1850, this is the kind of gem appreciated by history buffs and decorators alike.

Push Pin Travel Maps – (image, left) There’s something about the little thrill you receive by pushing in a pin that marks where you have traveled to–whether it be near or far. Push Pin Travel Maps sell a plethora of maps from all over the world–some on a canvas backing– that you can hang on your wall and mark up to your heart’s delight. This sounds like a marvelous gift for nourishing a burgeoning case of wanderlust.

Omnimap – With over 200,000 maps on their website, Omnimap is one of the world’s largest retailers of maps. Be creative and order a map to Oregon Wineries, for example, and present it to your loved one with plans for a romantic getaway to that part of the country. Or how about a California & Hawaii Lighthouse Map? Or a Route 66 Road Atlas? Let the map inspire you and plan an adventure around it that will create a lifetime of memories.

Maps.com – All kinds of people, including educators, go to Maps.com for all kinds of maps. You can buy a North Pole Regions map from 1907 or an Arctic Ocean Map from 1990. Or both, if you want. The world is your oyster with this online boutique. They even do custom maps of a particular region or place. Their expertise reaches as far as your imagination.

Mapshop – Time to set sail. You can convey this by offering a nautical or lake chart to your favorite sea captain. You can find these as well as a library-sized collection of maps from all over the world at Mapshop. Funny how these maps serve to inspire, inform and adorn.

Mapsales – Are you nostalgic for those big ‘ole maps that lined the walls of your classroom when you were a kid? Well then check out the outstanding selection of wall maps at Mapsales. Most of them are laminated, which in addition to preserving them, allows you to draw on them with dry-erase markers. Way cool, just like in school.

Modernized Life – The new way to mark your travels is to scratch off where you’ve been. Yes, we’re all looking for more interactive ways of living these days and that includes how we relate to maps. Check out the large Scratch Off maps here and then find out how much of the world you can uncover.

Note that Amazon offers some maps that could work as nice gift ideas as well. Map Geek, however, recommends you poke around in these more specialized online boutiques. And once again, don’t forget about ordering up a Discovery Map–or even a bunch of them as stocking stuffers.

One more gift idea: If you’re looking for something especially unique and have a budget that allows you to buy a beautiful piece of art, check out the works by artist John Petach (image, right). Map Geek featured him a while back; his dazzling map art makes for treasured gifts for all kinds of travelers.

Happy shopping!