Once upon a time, tweeting is what birds did, and also what people calling birds did. Return with us now to those trilling days of yesteryear with this little hand-held Audubon bird call. Measures 2-1/4" long with a cast-aluminum shaft inside a birch barrel. Twist it to tweet, and there’s no limit to how long you go on.

But at an affordable price. For budding astronomers, the Astronomy Lab for Kids is a 144-page book chock-full of facts, and with (52) astronomy and physics activities. Written by Michelle Nichols, Master Educator at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. Local customer bonus: the author is an AS&S customer, and presents Science Nights at our Geneva, Ill., store.

Our each is (1) snap-lid clear plastic storage box with (6) compartments holding (28) 1-1/4” threaded stacking canisters to keep those hard-to-manage beads in. You’ll get (26) containers at 11/16” deep; and (2) containers at 1-3/4” deep. Not a beader? Use them for insects, glitter, colored sand, tacks, fishing flies, diamonds or your collection of homemade flavored lip glosses. Storage box measures 10-3/4” x 5-1/4” x 1-3/4, and the compartment dividers are removable.

It is if you get this set of pocket screwdrivers. You’ll get a pair of pen-like drivers with a double-headed (Phillips-0 and 3mm flat-head) on the business ends, and another (Phillips-1 and 4mm flat-head) stored in the barrels of each. That’s (2) drivers with (4) heads each, hiding in what look like pens, complete with pocket clips.

This storage pouch, in safety-vest-chartreuse, is 9” x 2” x 2” with a 2-step zip-lock and hook-n-loop water-resistant seal. Good for walking in the rain, biking, sailing and triathlete-ing with valuables, either strapped around your waist with the adjustable elastic belt and molle buckle or not. The pouch is gusseted, which means it’ll also open to 4” wide—perfect for a cell phone.

Stainless steel, because it’s pretty clear that it’s not plastic. These 18/8 stainless steel water bottles measure 10-3/4” tall, counting the screw cap, x 2-3/4” dia. Yours will have a tasteful registered college or university logo on it, which we’ll pick. (Get together with our other customers and trade for your alma mater, or customize your bottles with your own stickers!) Bottles hold 26 ounces, and the cap has a 5/8” bore to hang it from something. Cheap, too.

Your long nasal nightmare is over because we now carry a battery-operated nose-hair trimmer. (Also good for another nightmare--ear hair.) The steel blade is recessed so there’s no danger of becoming a latter-day Vincent Van Gogh or Tycho Brahe (just look him up). Easy to clean under the tap, and comes with a blade cover and brush. Runs on (1) “AA” battery (included), and measures just 4-3/4” long.

We’ve got a lovely bunch of clear plastic bottles with black plastic fine mist-sprayer caps. The triggers lock to prevent inadvertent misting tragedies. You pick the small, 4-oz, 6-3/4” tall x approx 1-1/2” dia; the medium 8-oz, at 8-3/4” tall x approx 2” dia; or the large 16-oz at 9-1/8” tall x approx 2-1/2” dia.

You’re not Sloopy? Hang on anyway. Use this 3-pack of 6” steel crosslock tweezers to get a grip on your work. All are approx 6” long with wood-like fiber grips, and you’ll get (1) each with 3/4” long circular, oval and straight upright ends to hold a variety of shapes. Business ends have slight serrations, the better to hold stuff. The round one is approx 3/4” closed and opens to 1-1/2”; the oval is approx 3/4” closed and opens to 1-3/8”; the straight one is 7/8” closed and opens to 1-3/4”. Don’t make jewelry without them.

Hacksaw/bow-saw combo for folks who like to be prepared. The 10" bow-saw has an 8” frame, and comes with a 4-tpi blade for wood and a 24-tpi blade for metal. Has a padded handle, and a hand guard so you don’t saw yer dang hand off.

Washable, non-toxic water-color poster paint. Can you say kid-safe? How about furniture-safe, too? That’s what the bottle says. In 2-oz squeeze bottles. You pick the regular water-color paint, and we’ll send you (3) different colors from our selection of white, green, blue, black, yellow or red; or pick the extra-fancy glitter-infused paints, and again you’ll get (3) different colors: purple, silver, green, blue, red or yellow.

at the house of blue light. Little Richard Penniman said so. But good golly, now you can turn your car into the house of blue light with this pair of 3-1/2” long CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) tubes connected via a 28” lead to a control unit, and then to a cigarette plug. Has a 2A fuse with a power switch, and includes self-adhesive mounts for the tubes and control box.

This submersible 12VDC water pump is rated for 360gph flow, and up to a 6-foot lift. Draws approx 1A at full power. Input is 13mm ID/17mm OD with a slight lip. Housing measures 1-11/16” square x 2-1/2” on a 3” x 1-5/8” plate with a pair of 5/16” mounting holes and 7-1/2” leads. Also available is the compatible 12VDC 1.5A power supply with a 12+ foot cord with an inline toggle switch approx two feet off the 5.5mm (2.3mm) center-positive female plug. UL.

This Rechargeable 1000-lumen floodlight/Phone recharger from iZoom® has the power to be a real retina-scorcher. Throws a warm white light from the 1-1/2” COB LED inside a 2-7/8” x 2-1/2” reflector that draws 10W. Its powerful Li-Ion battery will last (3) hours on a 5-6 hour charge. Housing is 6" x 3-5/8" x 1" with an easel that separates, so you can hang it on a pipe or rod. Comes with a USB adapter and a 3-foot cord. As a bonus even has a 3600mAh USB-out to charge other things like cell phones and tablets! Includes a high/low/off switch, and is listed as weatherproof. Yours will be red or yellow, not that it matters.

You don’t have to be a cowboy or cowgirl to carry one of these, but it helps. You’ll get (10) 6” long leather fobs with double 3” long tassels on the end in two colors. (We’ve seen red/white, leatherish/white and blue/white, but there could be more.) The other end has a 3/16” ID clip, to attach to a key ring, jacket zip, light pull, saddle, earring, pooch or anything else that needs a little tassellating.

That watch on your wrist won’t save you, no matter how smart it is, but this survival timepiece might. In black with a 1-1/4” dia luminescent face, the quartz movement runs on an included AG4 battery. The adjustable hook-and-loop strap closes with a molle buckle with a compass, magnesium fire starter and whistle on one end and a tiny steel blade (for the fire starter) on the other. The strap is wrapped with 12+ feet of #550 nylon paracord.

Drinkgrabs. Beerbandits. Whatever you’re imbibing, they’ve stolen your old fashioned for the last time. These dry-erase acrylic coasters let you identify your cocktail in a room full of negroninappers. Measure approx 4” square x 3/16” thick. You pick the Voice Bubble or Name Tag version, and we’ll pick a pair for you in a fetching color combo. Our each is (2) coasters. They’ll come with a little dry-erase marker that will probably be dried out, but if you shop here you’ve already got markers.

Best get this non-slip matting to line your drawers and tool boxes. In textured blue rubber, our each is a mat 58” long x approx 16” wide x 1/16” thick, easily cut to size. Made by GRIP®--Grand Rapids Industrial Products, our current favorite company name.

These Kooties™ are impish little trademarked critters, and in this case they’re on the hardboard covers of these mini-notebooks. Measure 3-1/4” square, top-spiral bound with (71) sheets in each with little Kooties and Kuotes in the Korners. We’ll pick from the (7) assorted Kooties™ on the covers, but they’re all kute. Kinda.

We’ve got a lovely bunch of sanding sponges. And they can be yours for less than you’d drop in a fast food drive-thru. Most are from 3M and Norton Abrasives®, and they range from coarse to fine grit in sizes from 4" x 2-3/4" x 1" to 4-7/8" x 3-1/2" x 1". We’ll pick a couple for you, OK?

From Engino®, this 180-piece robotics teaching kit includes instructions for building (8) robots (4 included; 4 online) using their ERP (Engino® Robotics Platform) software for control, with pre-recorded and manual programming. Includes (2) 23-page manuals to get you started, plus (2) motors, (2) infrared sensors, a controller, interface cables and a slew of snap-together parts and pieces. Works with Windows Vista, XP, 7 and 8, but not Mac. You add a trio of “AAA”s. Designed for teaching ages 8-16+.

Attention robotics boffins: Here's a nice, powerful 12-24VDC Mabuchi brush motor with a gearbox and pulley attached. At its nominal 24DC, it spins 45rpm, draws 280mA no load, and stalls a 750mA. 7.5 in-lbs of torque and is rated for continuous duty. Has a 3/4" long x 5/16" flattened shaft with a 4-5/8" dia x 5/16" wide (3/16" ID) single-sheave pulley attached, with a matching O-ring. The gearbox measures 2-3/4" x 3" x 9-1/16". The motor measures 1-1/16"dia x 1-5/8" long and comes with 7" leads and a 2-pin Molex connector.

This isn't a book, but it's definitely book-ish. Looks like a leather-bound volume from the Bodleian but it's just a little wooden box, approx 8-1/2" x 5" x 2" (7" x 3-7/8" x 1-5/8" inside) that's perfect for stashing the jewels, cash, or whatever you need to stash in plain sight on the shelves.

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.

with our best selling electronics kit. Build 100 or more electronic projects from a Reflection Detector to a Simple Salt Water Alarm with Snap Circuits Jr. The Elenco kit, a Dr. Toy Winner, has a grid base and a selection of conductors, resistors, switches, integrated circuits and more, for a total of (30) color-coded snap-in parts. For ages 8 to 108, the easy-to-use components and well-designed instruction manual make this a perfect way to spend some quality time with a bright young child! AWARDS: The National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products.

See our full line of Elenco Snap Circuits here! Click 

3-1/2 digit LCD electrical multimeter with a max reading of 1999. Measures (5) ranges of DC, (2) ranges of AC voltage both to 500 V, (5) ranges of resistance to 200K ohms, DC current to 10 Amp., diode test, transistor and battery test. A pocket sized 2-7/8" x 5-3/4" x 1-1/2", it comes complete with test leads and 9 volt battery. The best value for this size we have seen.

"Laser" safety lights each with super bright LEDs run by (2) "AA" batteries that you supply. It's square and has a flashing or steady LED lamp visible up to 2500 feet (distance may be exaggerated). A 2" x 2-1/2" red plastic reflecting lens covers (3) lamps. Hook it on your belt or pack with the belt clip, use the included elastic strap for arm or leg mounting, or the included aluminum flange to attach it to your bike.. It's great for general use as a warning device or as an emergency signal for roadside breakdowns.

The possibilities are endless. You get a set of (4) stuffed rubber chickens, 8" long and in (4) different, but chickenlike, skin tones, plus an 8-3/4" dia target to toss them at. Throw the target on the ground then fling, roll, or bounce the chickens toward it. Sort of chicken bocce, or poultry petanque. Includes game ideas and a score pad! In between chicken-throwing seasons, they make a mighty nice display lined up on the mantle.

Let's cut to the chase here -- buy these the first time you read this, or they're going to be gone! There aren't that many of these flexible chopping mats, and the versatile 15" x 12" x 0.024" thick mats are not only ideal for small kitchens where every inch counts, they're great for any kitchen, and for cookouts, camping and picnics. Our each is a set of (2) of the translucent Euro-look mats that protect countertops from sharp knives and fresh-from-the-oven cookies, and protect food from outdoor surfaces. They can be lifted and slightly folded to funnel chopped food neatly into a pot. They're dishwasher safe, and roll up for portage or storage.

So you don't have a gas jet in the garage? You don't think Margie and Ted are old enough to handle the high temperatures of a Bunsen burner? Our alcohol lamp is the answer. It burns alcohol (available at the hardware store), and is hot enough to boil water, to soften glass tubing for bending, and to generate the chemical reactions generally called for in science projects. The lamp is shaped like a long-necked ink well, 3-1/2" tall x 3" dia at its widest point and comes with a wick assembly and a handy little glass lid/extinguisher.

Inflatable air loungers are all the rage, and we’ve got ’em! Ours, by Drenched, weighs just a smidge over 2 lbs, and when it’s folded and stuffed into its bag with shoulder strap, it measures a mere 14” x 8” x 6”. No pump required! Just swing it around to fill the pockets with air (or use the wind), snap it shut and plop down. Great for the pool, beach, concert, game, picnic, campsite or living room. Hey, it’s your life. When inflated it’ll look like a 20” high x 30” wide x 70” long hot dog bun. Sit in it longways, for a hammock pose, or the other way, where it becomes a single lounge chair--or a love seat if you’re willing to share. At this price they won’t sit around here for long.

Lovely to look at, delightful to make jewelry out of. Our (25) piece set of polished gemstones includes: amethyst; howlite; tiger eye; hematite; amazonite; carnelian; sodalite; turqurenite; plain and rose quartz; rhodonite; unakite; snowflake obsidian; orange calcite; lemon jade; four varieties of jasper (serpentine; red, brecciated, picture and blue dalmation); and more. All approx 5/8" across.

That’s what they call the hooch just out of the still in Kentucky, but this version is a white dog on a stick. Dog head, anyway. Looks like a plain white polyresin Labrador retriever, and as such, it’s ready to paint. (Tan dog? Green dog?) Measures approx 7” x 6-1/2”, and sits right up on a 3” long, 1/4” rod on a square, black painted wooden base.

And then give us a little tweeze, and a couple more for luck. Our 4-piece stainless steel tweezer set includes: 4-5/8" long bent tweezers; 4-1/2” fine point; 4-5/8” cross-locks; and 4-1/4” blunt-tip stamp tweezers with 1/4” wide tips for you philatelists.

Get creative with a half-dozen soft, cuddly, 4" tall stuffed kitties, cute as the dickens and with heads held on with hook-and-loop patches. Devise your own creative game to play with them (Pin the head on the pussycat.) or just ingeniously stick them around to surprise your friends and family. The label calls them "Stress Kittens" because, of course, having the option of changing your mind is a relief, even for a cat. You get (6) in black with a white belly, purrfect for rubbing.

Able to stand up to the infamous Helsinki Miasma, this brand new gas mask hails from the Finnish military (it's the standard NATO M61 model, although Finland isn’t in NATO) but we sell them for decorations. Don't depend on it for self-preservation. In gray rubber with the filter on the side and adjustable straps, it measures approx 8" tall x 5-1/2" wide and is very similar to the U.S M-9A1.

Turn any flat surface, from old blackboards to ordinary walls, into a dry-erase board with our white dry-erase sheet material. Just peel the self-adhesive backing off and apply to any smooth surface to create a conference room anywhere. From meeting room to playroom, it’s easily removable, reusable, and safe for painted surfaces. And the price of this 18” wide x 6-feet long x .003” thick, is a real bargain when compared to the retail price.

Blank dog tags, ready to punch. Each set measures 2" x 1-1/8" x 1/32" thick in matte stainless steel with (2) ball chains, one 24" long and one 4-1/2" long. You get (2) sets of (2) tags, with (4) chains altogether. Made in the USA.

You get (8) fine point Sharpie® markers: black, blue, green, red, yellow, orange, purple and brown. Great for posters, labels and just general notes around the house. No charge for the pocket clips on the caps.

Grow a beautiful garden full of plants that love your soil! It's easy if you know your soil's pH, and we have a gauge to help you! Stick the probe into moist soil for the pH to register in a separate 4" x 2" x 1" gauge box on the end of a 26 inch cord. That lets you read the gauge without having to lay on the bug and worm covered ground to see it! A needle indicates the pH on a scale of 3.5-9, and you get a list of which plants like which pH levels.