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We are often asked about the customary shop for various wedding anniversaries. Would that we could tell you the following list evolved in some romantic folkloric fashion. But to our knowledge, it was assembled by merchants and others with commercial interests. Nevertheless, here it is if you wish to use it. (Modern gift motifs are indicated in parenthesis.) We've also listed some gift ideas to get you thinking out of the box. 

• First: Paper (clocks). A newspaper from the day the couple was married; the services of a paperhanger to wallpaper a room

• Second: Cotton, calico, straw (china). A handmade or heirloom quilt; a weekend at a romantic bed-and-breakfast in the Cotton Belt

• Third: Leather (crystal, glass). A Montana cattle drive; leather flight jackets and flying lessons

• Fourth: Books and/or fruits and flowers (electrical appliances). A customized romance novel (see Romantic Presents); a backyard greenhouse filled with flowers

• Fifth: Wood (silverware). A rowboat; wooden shoes and tickets to Holland; a redwood fence or deck; stock in a lumber company

• Sixth: Sweets, iron (wood). A weekend of total indulgence in Hershey, Pennsylvania; a trip on the Iron Horse (railroad)

• Seventh: Wool, copper, brass, bronze (desk sets, pen and pencil sets). Sheep futures; art reproductions from the Bronze Age; Coppertone tanning lotion and an island vacation

• Eighth: Rubber, electrical appliances, bronze (linens, laces). Tires—complete with a new car; racquetballs and court time

• Ninth: Pottery, willow (leather). A potter's wheel; a willow tree; Blue Willow chin

• Tenth: Aluminum, tin (diamond jewelry). A matching set of lightweight bicycles; a canoe

• Eleventh: Steel (fashion jewelry, accessories). A steel sculpture; a new steel-framed house; stock in a steel manufacturing company

• Twelfth: Linen, silk, nylon (pearls, colored gems). A trip to Ireland to shop for Irish linen; silk apparel

• Thirteenth: Lace (textiles, furs). Lace curtains, table runners, or bedspreads; a trip to Belgium to shop for lace

• Fourteenth: Ivory, agate (gold jewelry). A piano on which to tickle the ivories; a trip to the Ivory Coast

• Fifteenth: Crystal, glass (watches). A crystal ball with your predictions for a long and happy future together; 15 crystal goblets

• Twentieth: China (platinum). China reproductions from museum exhibits; a trip to China

• Twenty-fifth: Silver (sterling silver). A visit to the jeweler for a custom—designed piece of jewelry; a beautiful silver picture frame and an appointment for a portrait sitting

• Thirtieth: Pearl, personal items (diamond). Matching pearl-handled umbrellas; an oyster diving adventure; a collection of books by author Pearl S. Buck

• Fortieth: Ruby, garnet (ruby). A ruby red sports car—what else?

• Fiftieth: Gold (gold). A compact disc player and a collection of Golden Oldies; a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge in romantic San Francisco
   

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