If you are a young person who is visiting a friend who is newly married and moving into a new home, you know some things are going to change. No doubt, the lady will take charge of the main house and your friend will be relegated to moving his favorite decorative items and sports posters and memorabilia to a garage or separate utility house on the property. To avoid the embarrassment of committing a fatal faux paux and becoming persona non grata in the man cave as well the main house, follow these simple suggestions to be the best buddy you can be and have the best possible game day experiences with your friends.
When visiting a friend in his man cave for the first time, it is of the best possible man cave etiquette rules and custom to bring a cave warming gift. One of the best gifts you can give that is affordable as well is an a custom engraved wall sign like the ones you see in your favorite bar. There are a few good places you can drive to acquire one, but why bother when you can order one right off the internet from the any number of great online stores? They have a selection of hundreds of custom man cave signs that can be engraved and dozens of dozens of unique themes.
Another thing you need to be aware of before you show up at your friend's man cave is the capacity of his refrigerator. Many men are short on space when constructing their man cave and have only a dorm refrigerator. If he only has enough room to store his own beer, you need to either bring the same brand of beer as your friend, or bring you own cooler with your own ice in which to store your beer. It is a major breach of man cave etiquette to replace one of your friend's beers with one of your own, and this can be grounds for ex-communication from the premises.
Another major mistake you can make when in a friend's man cave is grabbing the remote control without express verbal or written consent from the owner. Yes, you may control the remote at home, but a get a grip! You're not at home, and you have no right to make any adjustments to your friend's TV, lest you run the risk of being run out of the cave. If you must, make gentle suggestions but do not expect a man to relinquish control of the ultimate man accessory, the remote control of his TV, especially on game day.
It is also in the height of bad taste to come to a BBQ at your friend's man cave without some kind of food item to contribute, or at least a 6-pack of your friend's favorite beer in lei of food. If you're short on funds, bring a bag of chips but the bottom line is, bring SOMETHING! If you can afford it bring a pack of steaks and surprise your friends by taking your turn at the grill.
By using all of these suggestions and using your own common sense, you'll be a valued member of your friend's circle and have a front couch seat for all of the very best ball games all year long. Just remember that a man is master of all he surveys when he is in his special man cave and remember, when the party shifts to your man cave you have all of the same rights and privileges that your friend has when you visit his, so show mutual respect and you'll always have a place to crash and party.
Simon Johnnson is the director of marketing for Executive Gift Shoppe. They specialize in business card holders for men and flasks for men. Executive Gift Shoppe offers quality products for young professionals at discount prices.