Our ability to pick out thoughtful, appropriate, and selfless gifts is one of mankind's noblest abilities — it's what separates us from the animals (and from Don, your extremely rude sophomore-year roommate). But while the goodwill behind a gift lasts forever, the gift itself does not.

Not that there's no room in one's stocking for novelty candies, gift cards, or remote-controlled hats, but why not make this holiday season the one you give presents that will last almost as long as your love for the giftee? Much like the unlimited data, talk and text offered by the Sprint $60 Unlimited plan, the below gifts won't go bad, randomly fall out of fashion, or break after a few weeks of use. These classic items don't need to be conserved or handled with a care, either — their long-lasting functionality is pretty much unlimited. Which, frankly, is what makes them classics (not that we're knocking your remote-controlled hat, of course).

Cocktail Gear

Trends pass, fashions change, and lives transform completely — but odds are, you're going to appreciate a nice stiff drink through it all. This gold-plated Usagi cobbler shaker by Cocktail Kingdom is durable enough to last from "I graduated college!" toasts through "birth of my first grandchild" toasts, with plenty of "what am I doing with my life?" tipples in between.

Will outlast: every high-profile celebrity marriage you read about this year.

Chess Set

You may have spent years playing with plastic sets from the toy store (or one of those novelty ones where the "king" is actually a Han Solo action figure), but a well-crafted chess set can last for decades and become a treasured family heirloom. A Mark of Westminster Ebonized French Staunton Chess Set, which combines a durable walnut-and-maple board with hand-carved chess pieces, is not only beautiful but also qualifies for regulation play — just in case any of your future offspring decides to go all Bobby Fischer on you.

Will outlast: your enthusiasm for those "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters

Pruning Shears

I hear you: you think you're going to get laughed out of the room if you gift someone pruning shears. But gardening is exactly the kind of long-term commitment we're talking about here. Building a beautiful garden season after season is all about belief in the long game — and a pair of high-quality pruning shears, like these steel-and-aluminum Felco 2 pruners, signals that you understand the appeal of something that lasts.

Will outlast: your interest in your favorite reality television star.

A Phone Plan with Unlimited Data, Talk and Text

Communication is key to maintaining every relationship in your life — so what better gift than one that screams, "I want to keep the conversation going"? The Sprint $60 Unlimited plan has unlimited data, talk and text while on the Sprint network — so it can handle an infinite amount of stay-in-touch phone calls, in-joke texts and I-miss-you GIFs featuring sad baby pandas.

Will outlast: your passion for pumpkin spice-flavored foods.

Kitchen Knives

A serious home chef needs some serious knives. And because they're not vulnerable to trends, a great knife stays a great knife forever. This set of carbon steel knives by cutlery masters Wüsthof — created using the same traditional methods that the German company has been using for 200 years— are living/chopping proof of that.

Will outlast: the joke Twitter account you started where you imagine what various crime procedural TV shows would be like if they starred dogs (e.g. Law & Arf-er).

Wristwatch

Though many of us gave up wearing wristwatches the second cell phones became ubiquitous, the classic G Shock GW 6900 — a men's watch specifically designed to bounce back from all sorts of tortures, like drops of up to ten meters and underwater trips as deep as 290 feet below the surface — has a few things on your smartphone. It's solar powered, so it won't ever die after just a few hours because of a weak battery, and it won't crash because you downloaded too many games to it. And you can count on this watch to last for at least ten years — something you probably can't do with a phone that became obsolete ten months after you bought it.

Will outlast: your interest in juice fasts.

Binoculars

When you're pondering gifts with long-term potential, you may not immediately think of binoculars — but these durable, waterproof Nikon Monarch binoculars come with a 25-year warranty, guaranteeing you a solid quarter century of stargazing, bird-watching, or checking out a football game from the really, really cheap seats.

Will outlast: your interest in whatever social media platform you are most wildly passionate about right now.

Do you love your friends and family, always forever? Want to tell them ASAP (or whenever you get together this holiday season)? Learn more about the Sprint $60 Unlimited plan here.

Gabrielle Moss has written mostly funny stuff (but also some serious stuff) for GQ.com, The Hairpin, Nerve, etc. You can follow her here.

This post is a sponsored collaboration between Sprint and Studio@Gawker.