My son is turning 18. Gifts?

My son is turning 18 as the title says. I want to get him a nice gift but I am unsure what a father should do here. My 18th birthday was nothing special as far as my father was concerned so I didn't get a feel for what to do from that source.

I already got him a hard to find copy of one of the very first books he learned to read when we used to go to the library in his early years. I should have bought him a copy back then when it was still in print...

He most likely will be going to college next fall so I thought about a nice bag to hold his stuff. I have been seeing things like knives and watches but he isn't really that type of guy. He is quite into lego and hotwheels/matchbox cars. He also plays the upright bass and trombone. His favorite games are the Forza Horizon series.

I could get him anything that fits into his personality or interests but I was hoping there might be a "special" father to son type of gift that I just am not thinking of due to a blind spot in my experience. If anyone has an experience turning 18 that their father really knocked it out of the park I would love to hear it so that I might be able to give my son a nice surprise.

BTW...I feel OLD.

Eviction notice?

It depends on the child. My son, who is turning 19 next week, doesn’t want anything, he will take cash, but mostly feels like he doesn’t need much and doesn’t want the extra stuff.

One idea would be to give an experience, not a gift. Take your son to a game, or a play, or a day trip somewhere- somewhere he wants to go

Father son vacation to Washington DC, the pacific coast (maybe even rent an expensive sports car depending on how much you really trust his driving), a national park, NYC, or some other locale of mutual interest.

Get something that will last decades, and get it engraved. This is why people recommend things like a Leatherman.

Hip flask was always a winner where i grew up with a drinking age of 18.

Jonman's got it. Engraved ftw. Maybe a small pocket knife or a not so expensive engraved watch.

Or carve his name into a PS5.

I will spend some time tonight looking through etsy swords now. He took some senior photos with a rapier I received as a wedding present so this might make a lot of sense. Thanks for the ideas.