You know why (3)-ring binders never go out of style, even with all the technology flying around our heads? Because they’re useful. They’re useful like the knife and fork—not much to improve on. This one’s blue, and PVC-free, with front and back panels that fully cover divider tabs and sheet protectors (which you provide). Also has (2) clear interior pockets and 2" round rings. Measures 11-1/2" x 11-1/4" x 3" overall—standard size for your documents, photos, keepsakes and records. Binders line up neatly on a shelf, too, which means you can never have too many.

That’s just how we roll, but you can wear these foldable hipster shades with UV400 protection anytime you want. Not good enough? Did we mention they come with a detachable mini-visor for added protection on really bright days, or trips to the sun? Are these Ray-Bans? Absolutely not. Will you be upset if you leave them at the restaurant or in Suzy’s car? At less than 2 bucks a pair, not a chance. Buy a dozen for the summer, and if you haven’t lost a few come fall, bonus! In black, red or white, but we’ll pick for you.

Not even Todd Rundgren fans will want to bang on this drum, but it’ll keep your food and drinks cool, though, because it’s a foam-insulated soft bag cooler with a double-zippered main compartment approx 11-1/2” dia, (2) deep, double-zippered side pockets with netting-sleeves, and (1) tighter zippered compartment on the front. Stands about 12” tall and 16” wide overall, and comes with a padded, adjustable shoulder strap. We tested it for leakage and it held water, unlike most of our arguments. In festive red with black accents.

No maybes. Our each is a set of matching “YES” and “NO” buttons, a little over 3" in dia, like on quiz shows. When smacked, they recite one of (10) variations on the theme, as in “No, no, no, no” or “Yes, baby.” or “For the last time, NO.” Perfect for arbitrary decision-making at work and excellent for responding to requests from teens. You add a couple of “AAA” batteries and the buttons do the rest.

John Singer Sargent didn’t use crayons for his watercolor paintings, but that’s only because he didn’t have them. He probably would have loved these (15) premium watercolor crayons from Faber-Castell®. The pigment-rich, washable paint is in the crayon itself, and the kit comes with a brush and storage tray. Crayons are triangular-shaped for more control, and their colors span the spectrum. Ages 3+.

This just in! Summer’s almost over, Surpies, and that means fall is coming, which means winter is coming, and if the folks of Winterfell would’ve had these heavy duty, reinforced, gray plastic covers, life would have been much easier for them. They’re rounded (the covers, not the Starks) and measure 34” x 30” with a 72” elastic strap and clasp to keep them from blowing all the way down to King’s Landing, or over into your neighbor’s yard. Use the covers to protect your air conditioner, patio furniture, outdoor cooler or fire pit against the elements.

Calling all gardeners! You can never have enough eco-friendly garden twine, so here’s a nice 400-foot roll of it. From RapiClip® this Jute Garden Twine is in a garden-friendly dark green, which means it sort of disappears visually. The best news is, since it’s made of jute, one day it actually does disappear.

We don’t have gas—at least not for your car—but we do have the Airblaster™ 500 foot-operated air pump from Bell, which means you’ll never have to limp your car, bike or ball to the station again. Has a 0-100 pressure gauge and bonus adaptors for sports balls and inflatable toys. Pumps a max of 100 psi into standard Schrader valves or those skinny Presta valves. Foot pedal is a comfy 3-3/4” square, and the whole thing is only 13” long x 3-1/2” tall when folded and locked for storage.

Keep your nights free of terror with these color-changing, 3D looking night lights with remote control. Light shines through a plexiglass cutout to illuminate the engraved image. All (3) have a hockey puck-like base, approx 3-1/4” dia x 1-1/2” high, and the whole thing stands about 6” tall. Tap the single button on the base to change color, mode and turn off/on or use the battery-included remote to select one of 16 pre-set colors, 4 modes, increase/decrease the brightness or, of course, turn it on/off.  You pick the image: super sports car, triceratops, or heart with the word ”LOVE”. Includes a 37" micro-USB cord, you supply (3) AA batteries for remote terror-free dreams, despite what the box says.

Jarvis says: Don't forget to peel off the cloudy protective film from the back of the plexi cutout.

Practice your pick-up lines while playing games! These are good old-fashioned games, though—not the ones you play in singles bars. This Classic Games storage tin contains a set of Pick-Up Sticks and a set of metal Jacks ’N Ball, the timeless pastimes of yesteryear. You’ll get (30) 6-1/4" plastic pick-up sticks in various colors, (10) metal jacks and a bouncy rubber ball. Instructions/game rules included. Pick-up lines are up to you. Ages 6+. ! WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD–Small Parts and Small Balls. Not for children under 3 yrs.

Critter beware! The best thing about these Ultrasonic Pest Reject critter repellers? You just plug them in and let them work their magic. You’ll get (4) of them, each offering 850-1300 square feet of protection (or 80-120 square meters if your bugs are Canadian). Each plug-in draws a paltry 3W of power and looks like a computer mouse that hangs from a standard outlet. Sends out a 22-65 kHz wave that scares away insects and rodents but is outside of most people's hearing range.

A bunch of seagulls is a flock, but a bunch of crows is a murder. Hey, we don’t come up with this stuff—blame the ornithologists. If you’re into black crows, and want a murder of them, these rubbery plastic figurines are nicely detailed, and approx 2” x 1” each, in different poses. You’ll get (4) in a handsome 3-1/2” x 2-1/2” x 1-1/2” box with a nest in it. Black crows only—no flocks of seagulls, eagles or yardbirds.

You could easily stuff any number of things into this orange/black sport drawstring bag and backpack. Measures approx 18" x 15", and light enough for general daily use. Made of sturdy polyester with a large (2)-drawstring main compartment, (2) front elastic mesh catch-all pockets, air-mesh side panels, reinforced corners with metal grommets, and a canvas bottom. Double drawstrings act as straps, and the whole thing packs flat for easy storage.

This stylin’ bag from Buringer is one of our cooler totes, not just because it looks cooler than many of the others, but simply because it’s actually a cooler tote. It’ll keep your lunch cool, and help you look cool. Made of an Oxford vinyl-ish material with a space-age-looking silver aluminium film insulation inside, it’s mint green with white geometric designs and sturdy brown cloth handles. Approx. 10-1/2" wide x 7-1/2 tall x 5" deep and has a dual zipper, too. Lilly, head of our Cold-Storage Excursion Lab says it's really well made and holds "a LOT!" Take it to the beach, work, school, or on a road trip.

K & S makes great tubing and sheet stock for hobbyists and DIYers, but all of those tubes and sheets have ends. Knowing that hobbyists and DIYers are creative folk who love bits and pieces and hate waste, they offer big ol' (and little ol') bags of sheet and tubing end scrap. Two sizes of bag to choose from, for all of those projects you will definitely have in the future, not to mention the countless ideas you'll get when you see the assortment you receive. Please Note: Since these bags are full of cut ends, no two bags will be the same and the included materials will always vary bag to bag. #320 is a smaller sized tubing only assortment and #707 is larger sized flats and tubes in a larger bag. 

Into soldering? Want to get into it? Either way, this Velleman® 60W electronic temperature-control soldering station is for you. Has a ceramic heating-element with a range of 392 to 896 degrees Fahrenheit, a sensor and heater-fail notification and an LED display with a digital temperature scale (Celsius or Fahrenheit). Low-voltage iron draws 24VAC. Measures 8" x 5.25" x 3.75" and is UL listed.

From Honeywell (part #AWM730B5), this medical airflow sensor is a takeout with a range from -300 to +300 SI/min. With a 5V activating current, will give an output between 0.5 and 4.5V responding in <10ms. Pins 1-4 are +15VDC in, ground, 5V in, and output. Unit measures 1-7/8" long x 13/16" dia, mounted on a 1-1/8" x 1-3/4" bracket. We'll include a spec sheet. Made in the USA.

File these 3/4" Acco® No. 3 brass-plated fasteners under “Things it’s always a good idea to have a healthy supply of.” And then call a friend who can teach you how not to dangle a preposition. They’re those things that have the head of a thumb tack and (2) bendable tines below them, like legs. You’ll get a box of (100)—fasteners, not prepositions—and your hole-punch documents will never be loose or unorganized again. Also a favorite item of science projects and crafters.

Then get these actual horseshoes. These are not those Clydesdale-sized behemoths your grandfather used to toss at iron stakes. These are more like the delicate steel shoes you'd tack onto a filly's feet before the Breeders' Cup. Measure 4-3/4” long x 4-1/2" across x approx 1/4” thick. If your horse gets scratched from the race, just hang one of her shoes above a door for good luck. (Remember to put the tips up and the curved side down. Otherwise, all the luck will fall out and you'll be…out of luck.)

…and it’s really good at it! We know, you saw that coming. You’re welcome. This 6-foot section of 3/16" dia non-sterile suction tubing is latex-free and non-conductive. Package says it’s single-use and sterile, but we’re running a surplus warehouse, here, folks—not an ER, so assume it isn’t. It’ll still be a great, new section of tubing with connectors on each end. You know, for moving liquids. You take it from there.

A culinary version of poker dice for a new generation. These dice games come in replicas of standard spice bottles. The Coffee Break game, for 2-4 players comes with (5) dice with coffee symbols and (40) little coffee beans to keep score of who can shout out a coffee order first; the Sugar Cubes game, for 2-6 players, has (8) dice and an hourglass timer, the object being to make the longest sentence in 20 seconds or less. More fun than this sounds like, actually. We’ll pick one because we know best.

A gallimaufry of gags, the prankster's pantheon. Our seven-day selection of sophomoric stupidity includes a joy buzzer, a fake ketchup spill that is perfect for a laptop or tablet, wrapped candy thats more bug than treat, a pack of gum with a mousetrap inside, a nice fake nail to put through a finger, a fly-in-the-ice cube, and the American classic whoopee cushion. Add some rubber vomit and you've got enough gifts to get through Channukah.

Our best and prettiest-ever slices of polished agate, showing concentric rings of natural and dyed colors. The slices range from 3" to 4-1/2" across and from 1/8" to 3/16" thick. We've seen samples from milky white to blue, purple, red, yellow and brown. No two alike, by definition. We'll choose. Think scientific specimens, framed art, coasters, trivets, paperweights, or skipping stones for rich kids who don't want to search the beach for flat stones.

Sure, our crystal whiskey decanter with rose gold highlights and a luxury gift box is beautiful and elegant. Sure, it’s weighty and classic-looking, and sure, it’ll give your living room, home office, den, man cave or she shed an extra air of sophistication. But the best thing about it is, no matter what kind of booze you put in it, suddenly the booze looks better. With no labels in the room, nobody will know that you’re pouring the cheap stuff. Holds (34) oz of your favorite (or most affordable) Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Bourbon or Rye—and go ahead, tell ’em it’s all top shelf.

Our seriously oversized #2 pencil is perfect for someone taking really important notes, or anyone who's tired of misplacing pencils. Also good for that big test. Measures 14" long x a 1-1/8" octagon, with a working eraser. Really thick graphite runs about 2" into the pencil, which will be plenty since we couldn't find a pencil sharpener to fit it anyway.

Hey, nothing wrong with a big ol’ flashlight, but sometimes you need one that you can easily carry in your pocket or slip into a bag and still have room for a bunch of other stuff. This mini LED flashlight is approx 4” long, with an on-off push button on the end, and a knurled metal handle. Comes in silver for the most part, but a small amount of our stock is actually blue. You’ll get the one that comes out when we reach into the box, and it won’t matter because you’ll be using it in the dark anyway. Takes (3) “AAA” batteries, included.

Need a gross of laces for shoulder pads for under 14 cents each? You got 'em because we got 'em. Not a coach? Maybe a fabric artist, sneaker restorer, or clever crafter? Macrame wizard? Whatever--these are thin-ish white nylon (we think) round laces, 48” long with white aglets, which crossworders know are the little plastic tips for ease of threading. Our each is a bag of (144) laces which will have some yellow discoloration, (we'll call them yellow/white) but that's surplus!

What do submarine commanders and kids spying on their parents have in common? That's right—periscopes!—like the one your kid will make with this excellent kit from Smartivity™. Made with sustainable materials, including wood and child-safe mirrors, it has (42) total parts and will measure approx 12-1/2” x 11-1/2” x 2” when assembled. Includes illustrated instructions. Also includes a little sailboat among the waves to practice on. No glue or tools needed. For ages 6+.

From Conair® (the personal care products company, not the prison airline of movie fame), these ordinary-looking bedroom slippers are black with white plush trim and interiors, but have hidden heating elements and vibration massagers. The International Electric Slipper Association credits them with saving over 2.8 million marriages and relationships in this country alone in the past year. Size small/medium, which the box says means women's 6 - 9 or men's 4-1/2 – 7. So no Bigfoots, please. Includes an 8-foot power cord with a splitter that you plug into a wall socket, and into each slipper. Warmth and vibration are controlled by an in-line switch.

Make a nice start at constructing your very own universe with this excellent molecule model set. You get (24) 3/4" and (25) 1" plastic balls in assorted blue, black, yellow and orange colors with varying numbers of holes for connectors; (26) white ball/rod combos to stand for hydrogen; and (27) connector rods in (3) lengths for valency bonds. Includes a chart explaining the system and a periodic table inside the sturdy storage box. Great classroom tool for ages 13 and up.

Whenever we drop in on our tailor for a fitting, he's got a tape measure hanging around his neck. So much more attractive than wearing a metal on his belt, we think. More useful too, when measuring humans. Now you can be a tailor too, with our tailor's tape measure in a soft fabric-like PVC material. Measures 60" (152cm) x 3/4", marked in 1/8" increments on one side and 1mm increments on the other, with metal tabs on each end. You'll get (3) in some combination of white, light blue and yellow.

You’ve heard that a trillion times, and it’s true, but you don't listen to your mother anyway, do you? Especially since she’s the one who made the dinosaur cookies in the first place. Our each is set of (3) dino cookie cutters—a T-rex, triceratops, and stegosaurus—plus stamps to imprint their skeletons. Measure approx 5-1/2” x 3” in PVC. Set includes instructions and (3) cookie recipes, because dinosaurs didn't all taste the same.

This little black rubber foot fits canes with 5/8” or 3/4” dia bottoms, and serves to stabilize them. Has (4) little legs, approx 3-1/2” across, but the fun part is that above the foot is a 1-3/4” blue plastic tube that flashes an LED each time the cane hits the floor. Not a safety light, just a way to add some pizzazz to a utilitarian necessity. Runs on a button-cell battery that the manufacturer says can't be replaced and may be dead, but Pat thinks a tech-savvy grandchild might be able to work around that. Besides we like the stabilizing feature of the foot.

A plastic pistol shaped toy that shoots slugs of raw potato. Push the barrel into a potato, break off the slug, aim and shoot up to fifteen feet. Loads of fun, environmentally harmless, and about as safe as any "projectile" toy can be!! Pulls apart for cleaning. For kids ages 5 and up.

Sunprints (or cyanotypes, or photograms) are everyone's favorite photo-sensitivity experiment, from third-graders to graphic artists and fine artists. You pick: The Sunprinters are a dozen 3-15/16" square sheets of photosensitive paper, an acrylic backing sheet and instructions. The large Sunprint Kit has (15) sheets of 12" x 7-3/4" photosensitive paper plus a clear acrylic sheet of the same size. Great for classroom demonstrations, and can be used to make prints from photo negatives as well as interesting effects from opaque or translucent objects. All you add is sunshine and water.

Life will never be dull again if you carry this pocket-sized diamond knife and scissors sharpener. Comes with (3) 2" long diamond encrusted rods, (2) medium coarse and (1) fine. The 1-15/16" x 2-3/8" x 5/8" holder is also a frame with slots that hold the rods at the correct blade-sharpening angle. Even though it's made as a pocket tool, with a short keychain, it would abrade its way right out of any pocket. We recommend you just hang it above your workbench.

This is the opposite: Angry Putty™. Turns your frustration into innocent amusement and relaxation. Through some kind of ingenious science formula, the putty builds resistance as you knead it, thereby absorbing your tension. The putty gets more tense with each stretch, and you become all loosey-goosey, like a bowl of blissed-out tapioca. Our each is a 4” dia tin. Rated five stars by the AS&S Anger Management Department.

Stick this magnetic organizer on the back of your locker door and you'll be the neatest and most organized, if not the fairest, which is in the eye of the beholder anyway. Measures 11'' tall x 7.5” wide and includes a mirror, a trio of elastic pen holders, a pair of pockets and a clip to hang keys from. (Try to remember not to hang your locker key from it.) Works on any ferrous surface.

To heat what is anybody's guess, but it's a U-shaped heating element, 8-3/8" x 2-5/8" x 1/4" dia with a 107 Ohm Resistance and rubber grommets above the 3/16" wide power terminals. When CJ heated it up to 120F, those grommets got gooey, so he says use lower voltage DC.

This small stainless steel fine-mesh filter is 2” dia x 1-1/2” tall. It has fine mesh sides, a solid plastic bottom and slight lip around the top. Nice for small filtering jobs, but would also make a passable basket for a gerbil hoops game.