The best Father's Day gifts under $50

It's that time again, and this year you don't have to rely on delivery to send dad (or any special person in your life) some love. These local gifts are the best buys in Melbourne.

When is Father’s Day in 2023?

Put it in your diaries – Father’s Day will be on 3 September in 2023. Don't be fooled by some Northern hemisphere countries, which celebrate Father's Day in June!

Quirky socks - $10

What’s a gift guide without socks? Bruce Goose at Queen Victoria Market makes pairs covered in colourful stripes, polka dots and, yes, with kangaroos. A gift box from Happy Socks is always a winner too, with Disney themed items and sets that look like pizza boxes. More laid-back fashionistas will love single colour merino socks.

Spicy grill master pack - from $11

Melbourne's coolest new restaurant Mabu Mabu has brought First Nations' food to Fed Square – and now it's coming to dad's pantry. Their small batch sauces and spices are made with native ingredients right here in the city. Think fermented chilli sriracha, pineapple hot sauce and saltbush meat rub – all found in their extensive pantry range.

Rare LEGO sets - from $15

If you’ve got a LEGO nerd on your hands, Brickville needs to be your next port of call. This local Kensington gem deals in hard-to-find, decommissioned and retired LEGO sets. So if there's a particular Simpsons minifig or pre-loved Star Wars set they're after, this brick-loaded wonderland has it all sorted.

Pop Vinyls - from $20

From Star Wars to Dragon Ball Z, there's a perfect Pop Vinyl figurine for everyone's interests. Pop culture paradise Minotaur sells stacks of the little statuettes. That includes four different Yoda iterations to choose from. Critical Hit also has a huge range of these cuties, with a focus on Japanese characters.

Artisan gin from a tiny distillery - $26

Little Lon has been making some of the city’s best gin for nearly four years. From right inside a 140-year old heritage listed building, no less. Grab dad historically themed flavours like Ginger Mick and Little Miss Yoko. The single serve gins with a couple of mixers will only set you back $26.

Ultimate beard grooming pack - $45

If you’re shopping for more of a set and forget kinda guy, Men’s Biz has made skincare extra simple for them. Treat your dapper dad to a dynamic duo of spicy, woody scented beard oil and beard cleanser. It comes neatly packed in a cute metal gift box, ready to go.

Baby Yoda Monopoly - $47

From Fortnite to Friends, Melbourne's oldest game shop has a Monopoly board for every super fan. Swing by the Mind Games Melbourne store to find capitalist adventures with Care Bears, Baby Yoda, Sailor Moon and Elvis! Give the team a buzz if the board you want is out of stock – they're always happy to order in.

Life-changing key finder - $50

This Orbitkey bluetooth tracker is the ultimate buy for gadget-obsessed dads. The tracker’s slim design means it can be slipped into a key organizer or clipped to a key ring with ease. Set it up to connect to his phone, and with the touch of a button the lost item is located in seconds. Available from Milligram.

Koko Black caramel chocolate pack - $50

Premium chocolate purveyors Koko Black have brought the goods again with a bumper selection of Father’s Day gift packs. The ‘nuts to caramel’ gift box features 18 delicious praline chocolates. From salty dark choc drops to milk and white chocolate delights. All perfectly presented in a signature blue gift box.