It takes a lot of colors to paint a proper coat—or skin. We’ve got (2) great plastic kits for aspiring artists who love creatures and want to make them look like they’re supposed to. You pick: the Animal Kit, including (1) giraffe, (1) elephant, (1) lion, all in need of a good painted coat, a mess-catching playmat with a nature background, approx (10) smaller pre-painted animal models, and bonus decor pieces, such as (4) rocks, (2) logs and (2) trees; or the Dino Kit, including (1) T-rex, approx 10" x 4", and approx (5) small dino models, roughly 3" x 1-1/2" background, and bonus decor pieces, including (1) large rock, (2) small rocks and (2) trees.

Benchtop power supply from Elenco. 1.5-15Vdc with 1 Amp Max output. Rotary knob, with 12 voltage settings and banana jack outputs. Measures 3.75" x 8.25" x 7" and operates on 120VAC. Limited supply.

Motorheads will love this Max Speedometer Car Watch, which comes in a nice, little tin can. The screen is laid out like a dashboard—the speedometer lights up to tell you the minutes, and the tachometer shows the hour. Click the top button to highlight the time, or date, or day of the week. Bottom button controls easy programming of the screen, including brightness. Comes in a nice little tin can, too. The battery is dead, and replacing it requires popping off the back panel, but if Pat can do it, pretty much anyone can. We will include two brand new CR2016 batteries. 

Nothing beats a classic Hot Wheels® car except this, which is (3) of them. From Mattel®, this Hot Wheels® 3 set includes assorted die-cast cars that look fast even when they’re sitting still in the cardboard and plastic-window viewing packaging they come in. Each car is the standard Hot Wheels® size, about 3" long, but larger than life. Each set contains cars that range from standard production models to the wild and fantastical concept cars that Hot Wheels® is known for. Can’t beat a classic Hot Wheels® collection. It’s like baseball and apple pie.

Jumping in the lake doesn’t cut it after a few days. Eventually you’re going to need a real shower like you can get with this (5)-gallon, solar-heated, high-quality Sun Shower from Harbor. Olive green bag has a molle buckle strap for hanging, a temperature strip and a 1-1/2” opening with a screw cap for filling. Hose is 2 feet long, with a controllable plastic shower head. Unfilled, the bag measures 18" x 18" but folds down to fit into the included 13” x 7” mesh drawstring carry bag. Camp, hike and boat with savage enthusiasm, not savage hygiene.

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.)

This extremely cute alien peeks out and waves his arms from the top of his UFO, which spins in circles, but when you yell at him, or make any sharp, loud noise, he ducks back down into his spacecraft, as most aliens would, and goes quiet. Measures 4-5/8" dia x 4-1/2" tall when he's in up-alien mode. Simple assembly required. Includes an 18-page manual with assembly instructions and sonic-movement challenges. You add a trio of "AAA" earth batteries.

You surely have some cool purses but this one’s cooler—because it’s actually a cooler. From Buringer, it looks like a nice, casual purse to us, with gray and white horizontal stripes and thick, comfortable brown handles. Insulated, with a space-age shiny silver inside and double zippers on top, it measures approx 11” wide x 7” tall. Use it to keep your lunch fresh or keep a few drinks cool without being obvious about it.

You don’t chill and guzzle this 4-pack of Lights in front of a game. These are actual light-up lights, in RGB LED color, with magnets on the back for mounting, and a remote control. Lettuce explain. They’re called LUMN8™ lights, which we can appreciate, considering we just wrote “Lettuce explain.” Measure 2-3/4” dia each x approx 1” thick—like little hockey pucks—with (10) super-bright LEDS each, (10) brightness levels and (13) colors, including cool white. They have fade/jump modes, too, and take (3)” AAA” batteries each. You supply those, but the remote comes with its own button cell battery.

Jarvis says: Halloween Alert! Put them into pumpkins to give them that extra glowing feeling.

If there are two things the Swiss military knows, it’s knives and pumps. Here’s a manual water pump—used and surplus, which means it’s authentic, and collectible. Has a 20” long x 1-7/32” silver metal body, 12-1/2” long red wooden t-handle and a rubberish output hose approx 8 feet long x 5/8” dia. that has a threaded fitting and an 18-1/2” x 15/32” metal nozzle with, yep, a red wood handle. An arm with square hole and bolt for locking at desired height on the base’s heavy-duty support beam, depending on water levels, is just below the handle. Base is heavy cast metal approx. 12-5/8” x 11” and is chevron shaped. Probably dates from the early ’80s, back when the Swiss were neutral. Jarvis says: Your whole order will ship by ground with this item.

You might not have a door to hang this from when you’re out hunting or fishing, but a back of a tree works great! It’s a Hunter’s Handy Pack, a 54" x 22" multi-pocket storage unit that is ginormous but rolls up into a duffle-shaped bag when it’s time to move. Think of it like a shoe organizer that hangs there (maybe from the aformentioned tree) with everything you need in (15) see-through 7” x 8” pockets with hook’n’loop closures. No more digging to the bottom of a bag for gloves, binoculars or lures, cold beverages, clothing etc. Folds up to approx 22” long x 10” dia, with straps for carrying and hanging. Weighs less than 3 lbs empty. Also great for the tool shop—or even as an actual shoe organizer if you like a little camo in your closet.

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.

You work hard, just like we do, and you also like to relax—again, like us. Of course you know that sometimes bending over, or even reaching for something, is just not in the cards. In times like those we grab the dinosaur grabber. This plastic, handheld extending grabber has a triceratops head on the end. Squeeze the handle and the mouth closes as the neck extends. Measures 3" x 10" closed, 3" x 12" extended, and it’s kind of addictive.

These gray plastic gargoyles, in creepily authentic detail, are great for cathedral models and graveyard dioramas as long as they’re miniature. Figurines measure about 1” tall. You’ll get (4) of them in an attractive 4” x 3” x 1-1/4” box with a flip-open top and a display window. Great for anyone who wants to add a little goth to a home or office. 

Well, a pair, but that's a lot in the tank biz. This very cool kit has translucent green frames, pre-wired circuit boards and motor harnesses, and all of the steering and suspension parts you could shake a stick at. The result, despite the kit's "Titan Tank" name, is TWO 5" square x 3" tall wireless remote controlled tanks (with separate controllers) that fire invisible infrared shells at one another, and reverse direction when hit. Each controller has (4) channels, so if you buy (2) sets of (2), everyone can join in the action. Each Tank takes (8) AA batteries, that you supply, but remember they light up, shoot beams of IR, make noise, and move around, so you're getting a lot of bang for the battery. Includes a 15 page manual and circuit boards that are pre-assembled, so anyone from your 9 year old nephew to your tank commanding Grandpa should have an easy time assembling them.

Jarvis says: The regular retail on this was $64.95. Pat made a special buy, so don't delay, these won't last long.

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.

Oh, this item is a magnifier? Great—we needed one because the print is so small anymore, and it’s always dark in these places! Did we write that out loud? Anyway, this tabletop 2X illuminated magnifier from Carson® has a crystal clear acrylic lens and a 4X bi-focal spot lens—for when the print is extra-extra small. Just set the 3-1/4” dia lens over whatever you want to read and turn on the (2) super-bright LEDs. Runs on (2) “C” batteries, which you supply.

We’re sure the Italian Air Force drinks vino only when they’re grounded, but those folks know how to live la vida dolce, capish? This glass carafe, in new condition, is etched with the Italian Air Force eagle symbol. Stands 9-1/2” tall with a 4-1/2” wide belly and a slender 3” tall neck. Holds a full liter. Made in France, where they know a thing or two about wine, too. Serve any kind of drink in it, though. It’s all about the sweet logo—and the story. Oh, should we serve it in my Italian Air Force carafe?

Time for some new ballpoint pens? Always, right? This (18)-pack of BIC® Glide™ pens promises smooth writing action and bold lines in (4) ink colors. You’ll get (8) black, (6) blue, (2) red and (2) green pens, each with a retractable 1.6mm point, pocket clip and comfort grip. Our copywriters can confirm that they’re a joy to write with. They can also confirm that it’s sometimes OK to dangle a preposition, regardless of the pen you’re using.

Sounds like a pretzel order from the von Trapp kids, doesn’t it? Yeah, we know there were seven of them, but one of them didn’t like pretzels. These are scrub brushes, meant for your cordless drill—a set of (6) with nylon bristles and 1/4” hex shafts. Brushes include a flat 4” dia for large even surfaces, a flat 2” dia for finer control in smaller areas and a 4-1/4” long x 3-1/4” dia bullet shaped one for all the curved and uneven spots, (3) with firm black bristles and (3) with soft white ones. Tim, our high-speed rotary cleaner aficionado claims his tub and grill have never looked cleaner and with the time he’s saved he’s finished reading War & Peace.

Once upon a time, Billy threw his favorite sweater in the dryer and now it's a perfect fit for his troll doll. He could have just hung it out to dry, but then it would have come down to his knees. Be smarter than Billy and save your sweaters with this microfiber sweater-drying towel. Measures 34" x 22" with a textured waffle pattern that wicks away wetness when you roll a wet garment up in it. Material is 100% polyester and machine washable. Air dry.

Sit-ups don’t cut it. They’re hard on the back and neck, and few things are as boring. We like our brand new Ab Roller for sculpting the six-pack in our belly (or simply toning up), strengthening our core and improving flexibility. It’s an approx 7” dia x 2” wide plastic wheel with non-slip rubber tread, with a 12” stainless steel "axle" running through it, with padded grips on each side. We have rollers in light blue and black, and we’ll pick the one we think will make you roll the most and go with your outfit. Fits in your gym bag and rolls on any flat surface. You’ll be wearing half-shirts before you know it.

Does anyone need to be told what a Slinky(tm) toy is?? Okay, it is a very slack spring, 2-7/8" dia x 2-1/2" long, compressed. It will stretch out to about 5 or 6 feet long without deforming. That's the boring part. The interesting part is that it "follows" itself. Slosh it from hand to hand. Put in on the top step of stairs, flip the end down a step, and watch it walk down stairs, or down an incline. Believe us, no childhood (or adulthood) is complete without an original steel Slinky(tm). It was hard for us to find it, but we are glad we did. You should be too.

From the workshop of the omnidexterous Carver Dan, these literal letter boxes are handmade from recycled, exotic hardwoods. Pull the secret pin and they open to reveal a velveteen-lined compartment for secret stuff. On top, each one has a carved letter--an initial if you will (and why wouldn't you?). Each box measures roughly 6" x 3-1/2" x 2-1/4" depending on the consonant. No paints, no stains, and no vowels. You pick: H, P, or T. Feel free to snag more than one; these don't come around too often.

The Shape of Cool™ is trademarked. Really. And its owner is Lava® brand lamps. Accept no substitutes, we always say. Usually. Sometimes. Certainly in this case. This Lava® Lamp is 14-1/2" tall with a silvery aluminum stand and tip. It may have clear liquid with red lava; purple liquid with pink lava; or blue liquid with either yellow or purple lava. All classic Lava® colors, so we know you’ll like the one we pick out for you! All include a 25W bulb in the base. UL.

But science teachers can't work without them. Experiment with this good-quality manual vacuum pump made of durable polychloroethylene plastic. Works with a pistol-grip action and pulls up to 2" Hg. Includes a 17" length of clear vinyl, 1/4" ID tubing, and a release valve.

From 3M comes this extra-festive packing tape because we heard you’re bored stupid with that brown stuff. You’ll get a (6)-pack of tape, 1-7/8" wide x 40 feet, in pink, aqua, red, lime-green and other colors, in stripes, zig-zags, polka dots and other festive patterns. Even the folks at the Post Office will appreciate the change.

No, O-rings. Get ’em here, because we got ’em. These black rubber (neoprene, we believe) O-rings are nominally 1-1/2” ID and 1/8” thick, and made in the USA. Use them for crafts, tiny ring toss games, in dioramas or dollhouses, as vibration pads, or in actual O-ring applications. Because, after all, they’re O-rings.

Our each is a set of (12) assorted, stainless steel, double-ended, wax-carving tools. So you’ll really have (24) tools, such as picks, spatulae, spades, points and a bunch more. Each measures approx 6-1/2” long with knurled handles for a sure grip. In a roll-up canvas storage pouch. We won’t tell if you also use them for carving clay. Made in India.

Long nose, like Cyrano. Unlike Cyrano, these pliers measure 6" long in nickel-plated steel with mostly serrated jaws and a cutting edge near the pivot, where it ought to be. Handles are dipped in rubber to help prevent electrocution.

intro Price Alert! Remember when your mom told you not to bring the radio into the bathtub? She was right, but that was before this (10)-liter capacity floating dry bag with a Bluetooth® speaker, recharging solar panel , cell phone holder and a multi-color LED light. Made of rubberized material with a gusseted bottom, a roll top with a molle buckle and an adjustable shoulder strap, ours is from Sungear. Great for the beach, pool, hiking, camping, rafting, kayaking, boating and outdoorsing. Compatible with Android and IOS phones. Measures 12” x 20”.

Jarvis Says: From the manufacturer.

500D Coated tarpaulin polmer

Cell phone case

2000mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery

Waterproof IP67 Speaker

Full Solar Charge in 10-12 Hours, USB to C charge in 2-3 hours

Multi-colored LED lighting

Battery indicator. 

Or under it, or somewhere. These 1/4" thick cork rubber sheets are approx 22” x 16”, and they’re surplus from a gasket manufacturer. They make great vibration dampers, and can be cut to fit for furniture and floor protection. Also good to deaden sound in the storage of tools, and pots and pans. Various black streaks through the brown cork may militate against bulletin-board use, but then again maybe not since the bulletins will cover that anyway. And, yes, they're perfect if your hobby just happens to be gasket-making.

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.

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. Styles vary very slightly, but both have a carrying/hanging handle, and either a push-button or knob that turns on the 25-lumen flickering LED flame. Comes with (3) “AA” batteries.

Step on a rake one time and you’ll know why gardeners don’t leave their tools lying in the grass. Our portable garden tool stand with canvas pouch will keep all your tools up and at the ready. Secure it by stepping on its pegs and pushing it into the ground, just like you’d do with a shovel. It’ll keep all your long-handled implements vertical, and you can easily move it with you, which means the tools you put in the pouch will always be within reach. Measures 17" wide x 35" tall, and the roomy pouch attaches at the top. Use that for hand tools, gloves, seeds or what have you. Simple assembly required, and instructions included. Slotted screwdriver and pliers are all you’ll need. Then, you can store them in the pouch.

These satin-finish zipper bags have a vinyl interior and measure 20” long x 10” tall x 4” wide when you open the gusset on the bottom. Sort of the proportions of a giant pencil holder. Made for some specific purpose that nobody has shared with us, but think giant clutch bags, travel organizers, dressy briefcases or cash deposit bags to impress your bank. We'll pick one in red, black, lime green or royal blue.

Great little 12VDC oil-less diaphragm style air pump. For you techies out there it draws 40-300mA, 2.0 Litres/min, 350mm Hg max pressure. These are takeouts and in great condition but the leads on yours may vary in length or even be clipped off (Just solder to the connection points like the leads were.) Outlet port is 5/32". Overall size 2-3/4" x 1-1/16".

Our each is a package of (2) steel tech rulers. One is 6” x 1/32” for the first 2-1/2” then 1/64” for the next 1/2” then 1/16” for the last 3”. The other is 150mm x 0.5mm. Both have sliding markers/pocket clips, and both have mm:inch tables on the reverse side. You’ll need excellent eyesight.

What would you use to fill in those little circles? You’d use this extra-wide Scantek™ test-taking mechanical pencil? You passed! The lead in this beauty is the famous #2, and is .9 mm wide, like an italic pen nib. Comes with refill leads, a pocket clip and a large eraser. If our Tech Whiz Billy had had this pencil when he was younger, he'd have made double 800s on the SAT and wouldn't be working here today. Also great for doing calligraphy in pencil, which makes teachers swoon.

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.