Mario Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Gift
Giving a Mario gift looks simple right up until the moment you have to choose. Between a four-year-old child, a thirty-year-old collector and a nostalgic gamer, these are not remotely the same objects. This guide sorts by age, by budget and by type of fan.
Choosing by age
From 1 to 5 years old
Touch and safety come first. Plush toys remain the safest choice: no small parts, instant character recognition. Pyjamas also work very well at this age, when the child already recognises Mario without being able to play yet.
From 6 to 10 years old
The golden age of the toy. Figures let them replay the scenes, jigsaw puzzles and board games fill whole afternoons, and costumes find takers all year round, not just at Halloween.
From 11 to 15 years old
The gaze shifts: the object has to be showable. T-shirts, backpacks and AirPods cases take over, with a marked preference for retro designs rather than cute ones.
Adults
Two profiles: the nostalgic fan, who goes for metal signs and posters in NES box-art style, and the collector, who is after LEGO sets and display pieces. Mugs and mouse pads round out a desk without overdoing it.
Choosing by budget
Under 20 €: keyrings, pin badges, patches, socks, pencil cases. These are the small extra gifts that hit the mark without committing to much.
From 20 to 50 €: the heart of the catalogue. T-shirts, mugs, cushions, figures, jigsaw puzzles, water bottles.
Above 50 €: large plush toys, duvet covers, LEGO sets, throw blankets and full costumes.
Choosing by profile
The platformer player will appreciate anything to do with transformations and with iconic items: a Question Block lamp, a star cushion, night lights.
The racer will recognise themselves in the world of Mario Kart: kart figures, racing T-shirts, spin-off board games.
The RPG player, rarer, will hunt for the supporting characters — those from the Paper Mario series and Mario & Luigi. Figures are the best angle.
The nostalgic fan goes for retro: 8-bit sprites, NES box art, the original Super Mario Bros. itself. Metal signs are made for him.
By occasion
A child's birthday: a plush toy or a figure, rounded out with some decorations for the table. Christmas: the LEGO set or the large plush toy makes the main gift. Back to school: schoolbag and pencil case to match. A fan's housewarming: poster or metal sign.
Mistakes to avoid
Mixing up the characters. Luigi is not a green Mario, Wario is not Mario in yellow, and giving Waluigi to someone who loves Luigi simply does not work. When in doubt, the guide to the main characters keeps you from putting a foot wrong.
Overlooking the size. It is the number one reason for exchanges on clothing. Size guides appear on every product page, and Asian cuts often run one size small.
Choosing a board game that is too complex. Some spin-off titles demand a genuinely long playing time; for children under eight, dexterity games are the safer bet.
Explore the Mario universe
This page is part of a series of guides covering the whole Mario universe. Here they are:
Frequently asked questions
A plush toy or a pair of pyjamas: no small parts, an instantly recognisable character, and an item that gets used every day. Figures are a better fit from age 6 onwards.
Count on under 20 € for a keyring, a pin badge or socks, between 20 and 50 € for a T-shirt, a mug or a figure, and above 50 € for a large plush toy, a LEGO set or a duvet cover.
Watch which names the person brings up on their own. Mario and Luigi are safe bets, Yoshi is a big hit with the youngest, while Bowser and Wario appeal more to teenagers and adults.
Not always: part of the clothing range follows Asian cuts that run one size small. Every product page shows a size guide with the real measurements in centimetres.