These (3) different Blokko building block sets are compatible with you-know-what, including a (117)-piece candy machine, a (109)-piece ATM (candy of a different kind), and a (111)-piece desk organizer. Each will be approx 3" x 2" x 2" when assembled, and will give a kid a nice sense of accomplishment. We’ll send you (2) different ones. Ages 6+.

No, not you. We meant whatever you attach this nifty Pinkerton motion-sensor alarm to. Measures 4-1/4” x 2” x 1-1/8” on a 4-1/2” cord. When armed, any motion will set off an 80dB alarm. We like it for purses slung over chair backs in restaurants, left luggage, hotel doors, rental cars, like that. Easy on, easy off, and sounds for (20) seconds, then shuts off. You add a 9V battery.

Dead-center at the confluence of cute and useful, this mini digital panel-mount thermometer has a suction cup on the back for mounting pretty much anywhere. Has a probe on the end of a 10-foot cord, a range of -58 to 158 degrees F and -50 to 70 degrees C. Measures just 1-7/8" x 15/16" x shy of 1/2" with clips and the suction cup, and has a 1-3/4” LCD screen. Includes an AG13 battery.

Ecosmart delivers on this 6" diameter dimmable downlight. 2700K (Soft White) with a standard medium base so it can fit into can lights. It has a trim that extends out to 7.5" and has clips to hold it in place. The bulb is a 65W Equivalent and only draws 12.5W for some super savings. Buy more and save!. Not available in our stores.

Build your own plywood superheroes with these Build and Grow® models from the unlikely partnership of Marvel Comics® and Lowe’s® Home Improvement stores. Kits have plywood pieces, stickers, brads, a cartoon vignette on the back, and an iron-on patch. Finished heroes will be approx 10” tall on a triangular base. They include The Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Falcon, Black Widow and Thor, and you’ll get (2) different ones because nobody wants superhero twins.

These plastic luer lock syringes will take a needle, but they're not sterile, so we’d suggest craft, woodworking or general squirting uses only. Measure 7” long (3-3/4” for the fillable section) x 1-1/8” ID. Will hold 0.3 oz /10ml and has graduated markings. Our each is a bag of (50).

Your better scissors, like these from Clauss, are made from titanium-bonded® steel and have serrated blades with a slip-joint fulcrum. Measure 8” long overall with 3-1/2” blades and recycled contoured plastic handles. Includes a black nylon carrying pouch with a belt loop for traveling crafters or gardeners.

This set includes (32) hex drive CR-V security bits at 2-1/2” long, including a 6mm slotted; PH1 & 2; T8 through T40; tri-point 1 through 4; spanner heads #4 through 10; pozi 1, 2 & 3; 6-point from 2 through 6; Torx #6, 8 &10; plus the ever-popular rubber holder so you do don’t lose them.

If you, like most people, are a little directionally challenged, you’ll surely benefit from this little compass. Really, it’s tiny. Smaller than a nickel. At 3/4" dia and 5/16” thick this compass has cardinal and ordinal directions marked, and markings every 12 degrees, too. Drop it in your pocket every time you leave the house, and hand the others ones we send you to your directionally challenged friends!

Well, not give, but we’ll be happy to sell you one cheap. This bench-top helping hand has a magnifier with a 2-5/8" dia 2.5X glass lens on a ball-socket clip and a pair of 1” alligator clips. They’re also on ball-socket clips, and both on a 9-1/2” gooseneck attached to a 3-1/4" x 1-1/4" x 1-5/8" clamp that opens to 2” to grab onto a desk or bench. Your third hand!

These round tins with black enameled finish and silver edges are so understated and elegant, they’d be at home at any black-tie affair. Measure 3-3/4" dia x 1-1/8" tall and come with a matching lid. They’re 1" deep inside--perfect for party favors, or home storage of jewelry, craft supplies, loose change, paper clips, rubber bands and countless other essentials.

Our all-time favorite misprint-special featured thousands of pencils marked “Pensil.” We don’t expect to top that, but we do have beaucoup black-ink gel pens with rubber-coated barrels and caps with mangled, mistaken, or over-printed promo messages. They’re yours for a song--or a half-buck each, whether you can sing or not.

This Velleman® microprocessor-controlled advanced battery charger works with up to (15) NiCd or NiMH cells, up to to (6) Lithium-ion, -iron, or -phosphate cells, or lead batteries up to 20V. It can balance, charge or discharge rechargeable batteries. You’ll need an 11-18VDC 5A power supply (think: car battery for field use). Outputs via banana plugs and multi-pin connectors. Comes with (6) assorted sets of leads to mate with a variety of battery packs. Also has input voltage protection to protect your power source.

This is no joke, because even we can’t think of any multimeter puns. This one has auto and manual ranges for DC or AC 200mV to 600V +/- 0.8%, DC or AC current from 200u to 200mA +/-1.5%, and 2-10A +/- 3%, resistance from 200-20M ohms +/-1.2% and 20M ohms +/-2%. Also has a type K thermocouple with Fahrenheit or Centigrade readings. (The package is mismarked, but the range should be approx up to 392 degrees F or 200 degrees C.) Tests diodes/continuity and transistors via an access socket that will accept any standard K-type therm. Has a 2-1/8" LCD display, max and data holds, a backlight, and a battery test with load. Comes with (3) “AAA” batteries. Measures 6” x 2-3/4" x 1-1/8". IEC Cat III rated.

Then you’ll need one of these polyester ear bands with an opening for the bill of your baseball cap. (Yes, our worst joke of the catalog so far this year, but it’s early.) And these are nice ear warmers and people do wear baseball caps in the winter, but if you don’t, these will keep both your ears and nose warm while you look through the slit for the bill. Really.

Just like our famous cow popper, but this guy is a 5-1/4” tall rubber axolotl with a mouth big enough to take a 1-1/8” dia foam ball and spit it 20 feet when you squeeze it, as you will want to do. And if you’re axolotl-ignorant, they’re neotenic salamanders, the world’s cutest amphibians, and they also answer to “Mexican walking fish.” Ours come with (6) foam balls for your axolotl-squeezing convenience. For ages 4+.

We’ve got some excellent, snazzy glass-blown pendant necklaces here, each of them nice enough to wear out on the town on a Saturday night. You pick: vipers in assorted colors and in curled postures, between 3” and 3-1/2” long on 20” triple neck cords with clasps; or tusks/horns, which are curved to approx 2-1/4” dia, with polished steel end caps, and on very thin 17” snake chains. All come in assorted colors, and we’ll pick (1) that we think will go best with your eyes.

10" Diameter x 3" wide pneumatic steel rimmed wheel. Size is 4.10/3.50 with a knobby thread, 5/8" bore and each handles loads uptp 300 lbs. 30psi and weighs in at 3lbs.

These nice, soft microfiber towels at 23" x 14-1/2" x 1/32" come (3) to a pack, (1) in solid forest green, (1) in solid hunter orange, and (1) with a green-brown-white forest scene on the front and solid green on the back. Keep a few packs in the camper, in the truck, on the boat, in the deer stand or at home. Don’t forget--you need microfiber towels at home, too.

The illumination oxymoron: bulbs don’t need to be bulbous in a world of LEDs. These LED bulbs from Philips have a traditional bulb profile but are 1” wide when turned sideways and still cast a 360-degree light. Draw just 10.5W but shine a 60W equivalent. 800 lumens with a 2700K color temp, which is “warm white.” Standard medium base and yes, they’re dimmable.UL.

It’s always hot somewhere. Stay cool with a hyper-evaporative towel. In a sports-jersey-ish fabric, you wet it and wear it--around your neck or head--and the evaporative quality keeps you cool. Measures 40” x 12” in a flattering blue, and comes in a plastic bottle with a carabiner-like clip on top so you can wet it and hang it on your belt until you heat up.

The Junior Scientist™ series brings you the staggeringly clever wind beasts from Dutch artist Theo Jensen. These mini versions of his giant contraptions come with detailed instructions and history of the projects. You pick the Strandbeest (strand as in beach because it was made to walk on sand), an 8" x 6-5/8" x 4-1/4", 117-part wind-powered automaton; or the Rhinoceros Mini-Beest, a 3-3/4" x 6-1/2" x 6", 128-piece wind-powered automaton. For ages 8 and up, the only tool you need is a scissors.

Gas masks from the Polish military. They’re a compact 9” tall x 7” wide with glass eye-pieces, a filter and a 6-way adjustable head-strap. Also come with a 8-1/2” x 6” x 4” pouch in an interesting dappled green pattern with adjustable shoulder straps. They look good, but they’re not for actual use--just for excellent costumes and home displays.

The only hose you'll ever need! The incredible expanding Xhose has made its way from your favorite TV commercial to our warehouse. In a lovely darkish blue, it’s approx 25 feet long, but expands to 3 times that length, to 75 feet, when it feels water coursing through it. Rolls up to a minuscule 18" dia. Save space, reach farther. Has standard sized reinforced hose fittings, plus a shut-off valve. Durable, easy to use and easier to store because it’ll fit in a bucket. Connect two or more together and you’ll be able to water the flowers in your neighbor’s yard! But don't borrow it to them, they might not bring it back.

Himalayan, Heralayan, what’s the difference? The difference is, Himalayan rock salt is pink, and this 5-lb hunk of it has been repurposed into a very cool lamp with a 5-foot power cord and an inline on-off switch. Includes a socket for a 110V 15W incandescent bulb (included), and the hunk itself measures approx 7" tall on a 3-7/8" dia wooden base. Just plug it in and feel the Himalayan difference.

Or gear down-for the science fair or for any number of hobby projects. This hard-to-find set of (3) combination spur/beveled gears-for when you want gears set either straight or at 90° to one another-also has one small spur gear, plus three bushings. All in red, green, or blue plastic (we'll pick). The combo-beveled gears are 1-5/8", 1-1/4" and 27/32" dia with 3/16" bores to accept the bushings, which are 3/16" OD, 3/32" ID. The straight gear is 17/32" dia with a 1/16" half-bore. All are 24 pitch.

Forget that the 6-3/4" long body is festooned with Latin phrases and old maps. The stones/beads/glass inside the tube would make designing windows in cathedrals a snap. And hey, that's good work if you can get it. A nice gift for Rosetta window fans, and a must for that special bishop in your life.

High tech comes to Am Sci & Surp!! It is here in the form of a Peltier junction, a thermo-electric device that translates electric power into heat, and perversely, into cool. Apply current at 15VDC to the gizmos and they extract thermal energy from one face, thereby cooling it. The heat is dumped onto the other face, thereby heating it. Please note: you must use a heat sink on the hot side or the junction will fry itself, since it can quickly create a 65° C temperature differential in a no load situation. Stack two, or build a cascade to increase the thermal differential created. Or run it backwards. Apply heat or cold to the relevant face and produce a current. Amazing for science projects and experiments. Practical for coffee warmers, beer coolers and mini-refrigerator or warming oven applications. They come with a datasheet. Large is 1-9/16" sq. x 3/16" thick and draws 6A and small is 1-1/4" sq. x 3/16" thick and draws 3A.

These clear plastic test tubes hold 10ml and measure 101mm (4") long x 16mm (5/8") dia and come with matching #5 corks. You'll receive a handy package of (10) which is enough for a ROY G. BIV optical display which includes the lesser known colors of not-quite-right green, Monday-morning-blue and plaid. Made in USA.

If a snow globe and a powered speaker had a baby it would be this tornado light show that whirls to the music, with Bluetooth technology. Makes us proud to know there are electronics engineers out there designing this sort of thing. This 8W unit has a rechargeable battery and USB charge cord, a 1-5/8" dia 70-18KHz speaker and an impeller. Inside the 3-1/2” dia globe is, yes, snow and red, green and blue LEDs that react to sound in a whirlwind effect. Has a micro SD card, a standard 1/8” jack, and 32-foot Bluetooth 2.0 capability. The whole shebang stands 7-1/4" tall on an approx 3-1/2" square base.

Extra-good quality disposable masks: Latex- and fiberglass-free, with a PVC nosepiece, 95% bacteriological and particulate filtration efficiency, and fluid resistance. Measure 7" x 3-3/4" with elastic ear straps and 4-fold, cone-shape construction. We'll pick a box of 50 white or pale blue. 

Crystals are for pointing toward you or away from you, depending on what you believe or want, or for polishing, or just for looking at. You get a 3-pack of quartz point crystals, approx 1" to 2-1/2" long, ready for psychic healing, jewelry, or plain old-fashioned lapidarian fascination. Your hunks of point crystal might have an actual point, might not: nature's like that.

Our special Little-Fans-R-Us offering. All these muffin fans are square and all have mounting holes at the corners. Pick and choose the one you want or take a chance on the takeout assortment. (Assortment will not have fans listed in the table above) Please note that the assorted fans are takeouts and will have at least have least two different fans from different manufacturers but maybe the same size. It will be a crap shoot as to what you will receive. 

Forget watchmaking, you could write the "A Tale of Two Cities" on a piece of tortellini with this triple magnifier visor. Magnifies from 1.8X to 4.8X. Has a permanent and flip-down 1.9X lenses, and a flip-down 4.5X loupe. Dual white LEDs in a pivoting mount, powered by (2) "AAA"s each which aren't included. The whole thing is in a black plastic visor, 7-3/4" wide x 5-1/4" deep with a flexible plastic strap with adjustable dial control. Opens to 9" max dia and has coated acrylic lenses. Now then: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…..

This pocket-sized mini-flashlight has (9) 405nm ultraviolet LEDs and myriad uses, from checking U.S. currency to working the door at your ultra-hip downtown clubs, spotting radiator and transmission fluid leaks, mineral identification, and (yes, it's true) locating lost scorpions in the dark. Measures approx 3-3/4" long x 1-1/8" dia with knurled sections so you won't lose your grip, and a wrist strap in case you do. You supply (3) "AAA" batteries and the scorpions.

It’s faux hurricane season here in Chicago, and time to break out our faux hurricane lantern. Regardless of the season, though, it’s great as an accent light in any room, back yard or camper. Stands approx 10” tall x 5” wide, in steel with an antiquey copper finish. Has a carrying/hanging handle, and a push-button turns on both a 25-lumen flickering LED flame and an 80-lumen bright-white LED. Comes with (4) “AA” batteries.

You want to see a kid’s eyes light up, hand him or her a spotting scope. They’ll know exactly what to do with it, and they’ll thank you forever. Ours is made of tin that looks like brass at both ends with the center body having a wood or map design on it. This 10 x 36 scope extends, pirate-style, from 7-1/4" to 9-3/4" with acrylic lenses. And yes, it’s a working toy. Don’t take it on the high seas--give it to a kid or work it into a costume.

Actually, your chickens, plural, since our each is multiples of lovely, plucked and naked chickens in full chicken color. And unlike the real thing, these are small enough to carry in your pocket, because you never know. In molded plastic, you pick the dozen micro-mini pullets at 1-1/2” long, or the 3-pack of 3” long birds. Either way, you’re prepared for any chicken emergency you’re likely to encounter.

Have a blast at the family picnic or your next traffic jam -- or when boating, coaching the soccer team, or calling the kids for dinner. This lightweight megaphone is only 8-1/2" long, with a 5-1/2" dia horn and a fold-down handle, but its 5-watt power output lets you project up to 165 yards. Volume control, on/off switch, voice/siren option, hi-impact ABS body that's shock and weather resistant. Use the nylon strap to hang it from your wrist or around your neck. Uses (4) "C" batteries (not included).

Diamond files never wear out, hardly, unless you file diamonds with them. This 10-piece set of diamond files has an assortment of wedges, flats, points and triangle files, all 6” long overall and up 5/16” wide. If you can’t find the one you need here, you probably shouldn’t file the thing in the first place.