As we get older, we begin thinking about legacy. You know – change the world this, solve cancer that. That’s all fine and good, but it takes a long time and a lot of money. Stop resting on your laurels and start leaving your mark on everything around you. Here is a list of products that you can customize, personalize, or have made in your own image.
Custom Moleskine Covers – $59
Moleskine is the notebook for the discerning writer, artist, or general creative. Unfortunately, there are a lot of discerning writers, artists, and general creatives that have the same notebook you do. Fortunately, you can get your own custom leather Moleskine cover with words, pictures, doodles, or other random things you “found” on the Internet.
Personalized NYC Subway Signs – $99+
Urban design and authentic metal construction may be the most perfect phrase to a guy when he wants to decorate. Personalized NYC Subway Signs are manly, edgy and real (officially licensed by the MTA) and now they can be where they belong – on your wall. Next stop, wherever you want.
I Am A Stuffed Animal – $70
Until cloning becomes a reality – or at least becomes cheaper and less felonious – turning yourself into a 14″ stuffed animal will have to suffice. Send I Am A Stuffed Animal pictures and a description of what you want to look like and 4-6 weeks later mini you will arrive. Potentially useful for pretending to be at work and/or in bed.
Personal Cremation Urn – $2600
Sooner or later, we’re all going to kick the bucket. Instead of leaving your kids with a generic vase on the mantle or a plot of land to visit once a year, get a personalized cremation urn in your likeness. Because nothing will remind your loved ones how you felt about them like a bust of your head filled with your ashes.
Custom Sports Photo – $12+
Most kids spend time playing sports when they’re younger, but very few of us grow up to be good enough to warrant posters, trading cards and bags in our likeness. With Pro Sports Look, we can all be like Mike.
Build Your Action Figure – $8+
All men have thought about having a posable, articulating, plastic version of themselves, and now they can. Pick out a figure type, hair and eye color, clothing, and – of course – weapons. The only thing they’re missing is karate chop action.
Personalized Sharpies – $2/each
Sharpie is magic in marker form. It writes on wood, metal, people’s faces, paper; it writes anywhere. Everyone understands this versatility, which is why they always seem to disappear. Create your own branded Sharpies and use them to prevent theft, feel important, or even as business cards. Like the markers themselves, the possibilities are endless.
Custom Head Cufflinks
What came first, the cufflinks or the shirt? If you don’t already own any French cuff (the ones that take cufflinks) shirts, having cufflinks of your head is reason enough to pick a few up. Your head gets digitally sculpted and modeled and – once approved – cast in gold, white gold, or platinum.
DNA Portraits – $200
Decorating your walls with a map is great and all, but it’s gotten so popular it’s impersonal. Don’t go the public transportation or vintage US map route, go with a DNA Portrait. Take a DNA swab from your cheek (just like CSI) and you’ll get back a full-sized map of your personal double helix.
Creative Coffins
The rules of etiquette dictate that black is the color of the funeral. You never played by those rules before, why start now? Design your own Creative Coffin and your funeral won’t be just a family reunion, it will be an event. There’s nothing like going out in a blaze of glory… twice. Seriously, they’ll do pictures of flames.
We like running around and putting our name on everything, but we’re bound to have missed a few potential targets. Let us know what’s missing by leaving a comment below.
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Cool Material, is a hobby-turned-profession for online publisher, Tim Jacobsen. After starting a top 300 Internet retailer and holding a couple of SVP positions, his passion for social media, online marketing, and entrepreneurship drove him to branch out on his own. Started in 2008, the men’s lifestyle blog covers everything from entertainment and technology, to art and style. Cool Material reaches out to over 600,000 readers each month, but the site’s hip, of-the-moment content and honest reviews continues to grow that number daily. Outside of his Internet world, Tim enjoys bicycling, poker, and traveling with his family.
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