With cash flowing in mostly one direction (straight out of your pocket), the holidays can be a tough time to stay on a strict budget. But with a little help, and some perfect timing, you can still gift friends and family some elaborate gadgets and technology with cutting-edge functionality—just not for this decade.
Thrift stores are mostly just shelves and shelves of VCRs, but eBay is a goldmine of extinct and unwanted technology people are trying to get rid of (and make a buck or two in the process). It might not be as exciting as tearing off gift wrap to find a new iPhone, but who could possibly be disappointed with an electronic antique under the tree or beside the menorah?