A 70th birthday is a big deal, so you probably want a unique gift to help your loved one celebrate. Whether you want a funny 70th birthday gift or something useful, sentimental, or personal, you’ve come to the right place.

Capture reached out to some of our 12 million customers to ask them about their favorite 70th birthday gifts. Use their special gifts as inspiration for your own and come up with something that guarantees a memorable 70th birthday party. 

Keep reading to learn from five 70-year-olds and their favorite gifts including everything from thoughtful keepsakes like photo frames and memory books to personalized gifts, funny ideas, and more. 

Jump to:

• Section 1: John's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts
• Section 2: Susan's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts
• Section 3: Albert's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts
• Section 4: Margaret's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts
• Section 5: Eleanor's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

Section 1: John's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

John has always been interested in technology and gadgets from the time he built his first transistor radio to becoming a HAM radio operator decades ago. Because of that, his loved ones often get him the newest gadgets. For his 50th birthday gifts he received his first camera phone, case, and a DVD player when DVDs came out. 

Now, it’s 20 years later and technology has progressed even more, which is why his favorite 70-year milestone birthday gift is a Virtual Reality video game that he can play with his grandkids. Not only is he amazed by the technology, but he can create new memories with his favorite people in the world. 

Two of his other 70th birthday presents include an Amazon Alexa smart home device that ensures he is safe and can call for help if he falls as an old man as well as his first digital camera because he somehow jumped straight to a camera phone from his old Kodachrome film camera. 

While your loved one celebrating a happy 70th birthday party might have different hobbies and interests, this shows how much it can mean to him or her if you take their passions into account when selecting a gift. Whether they enjoy gardening or playing the guitar, getting an interest-related gift for grandpa or grandma adds a personal touch and can make the birthday boy or girl feel special. 

Section 2: Susan's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

Susan has a large display case filled with her favorite gifts. She said, “I particularly like the gifts that take me on a trip down memory lane.” While there are plenty of personalized wine glasses, figurines, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and other fun gifts bought off Etsy, she truly cherishes the ones that include old photos and memories. 

Her favorite gift from her 70th birthday celebration is a memory book that contains photos, messages, and drawings of family memories including vacations, Christmas celebrations, 20-year anniversary gifts, and family members’ favorite moments with Susan. 

When we asked Susan for advice when giving presents for septuagenarians, she said try to include memories to reminisce over now and precious heirlooms that can be passed down to future generations. Then, she told us she hopes her loved ones transfer VHS to digital and create a digital copy of her memory book for her 71st birthday. 

Section 3: Albert's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

Albert is known as the “fun uncle and grandpa” within his family because he always wants to spend time with his loved ones, try new things, and go on trips. So, it’s no surprise that his favorite gifts revolve around his experience. 

The first of his favorite 70th birthday gift ideas is a puzzle that includes a portrait of the entire family tree. Why does he like it so much? Because it was created from a picture he hadn’t seen in years using high-quality 35mm negative scanning. Plus, it allows him to do something fun by building the puzzle with his grandchildren who gave it to him. 

Another one of his top 3 best 70th birthday gifts shows that thoughtful gifts are often more valuable than expensive ones. Albert was given a digital photo frame. After figuring out how to digitize old photos, Albert’s son uploaded them to a digital photo frame to display around his home. 

Finally, Albert’s favorite gift involves a trip to California, USA where he grew up. The entire family and his best friend took a trip together to create new memories and revisit his old high school, hometown, and memorable places. Not only did Albert get to spend time with his children and grandchildren, but he was able to try new things including a trip to Disney Land and a walk down Hollywood Blvd. 

When we asked Albert to share his advice on giving presents for Dad and Mom at age 70, he said to not overthink it. Just get them something they will like, add a personal message, and, most importantly, spend the day with them “because that’s really the perfect gift for any birthday girl or boy.” 

Section 4: Margaret's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

According to Margaret, the perfect 70th birthday gift is one she can use. She’s a little old-fashioned and loves the simplicity of 70th birthday cards, jewelry, and other useful items, which is why one of her favorite 70th birthday gifts for women is a gift box full of shampoos, gift cards, lotions, and perfumes all packed into a personalized tote. 

She also received decanters and tumblers because no matter how old Margaret gets, she still likes to share a toast with her loved ones. She also laughed at a gag gift she received: a massive stemless wine glass with the funny quote, “One Day You’re 20 in the 70s and the Next You’re 70 in the 20s.” 

However, her all-time favorite 70th birthday gift was the surprise party for her special day. As soon as she and her daughter walked through the front door, she was greeted by birthday decorations and all her favorite men and women. “That was better than any traditional gift.”

Margaret said to come up with the best 70th birthday gift ideas just look at things that your loved one would use, but that they would be unlikely to buy for themselves. For her, it was the pampering gift basket and tumblers, but for your loved one it could be a weighted blanket, wall art, sterling silver kitchenware, or even an espresso machine. 

Section 5: Eleanor's Favorite 70th Birthday Gifts

Eleanor received a great gift for her special occasion, and it all started when she downsized her home at the age of 69. Her children and grandchildren helped her pack up her things and stumbled on shoeboxes full of photos, home movies, and even an old film projector! 

These long-lost memories contained Eleanor’s legacy but were at risk of fading, becoming damaged, or being lost forever. That’s why her daughter decided to contact Capture to preserve them forever. In just 30 days, they had digital copies of all their old photos, VHS tapes, film reels, and memories contained on a DVD and digital download. 

So, they planned a party idea around these memories. The whole family gathered around to watch the home videos, share the photos, and view old film reels that hadn’t been watched in decades. Along with the party, birthday cards, and some other small keepsakes, Eleanor said it was the best 70th birthday idea ever. 

Conclusion

There are lots of 70th birthday gifts to choose from including tech-based gifts, useful presents, thoughtful experiences, and sentimental options based on nostalgia and memories. While each 70-year-old had different advice regarding the most memorable 70th birthday presents, you can use their ideas to inspire your own gift shopping. 

If you choose a memory-based gift involving photos, videos, or film reels, Capture can help you digitize them to preserve them forever. Plus, with digital copies, you can create photo gifts that can be passed down to future generations. You can even give your loved one the gift of preserving memories with our digitizing gift ideas.  Click here to learn why Capture is the best choice for your most precious memories.