Orienteering fans will appreciate these compasses because no one likes being lost and helpless. You pick: the map compass has a mirrored sight, inclinometer with adjustable declination, graduated bezel, 3” x 1/8” and 9cm x 1mm rulers, 1:25000 and 1:50000 map scales, a 2X magnifying window, (3) stencils and a lanyard cord, all in a 4-1/4” x 2-3/8” x 11/16” package; or the 2" dia lensatic compass with adjustable bezel, sighting hairline, adjustable marching line, luminous cardinal points, scales in 0-360 x 5 degrees, 0-64 x 0.2 mil-radians, and a belt clip.

His name is Tobbie II, and although he stands only about 6-7/8” tall, he does sport (6) actual feet, which is why he has such an agile, 360-degree, free-rotation body. You build him yourself (easy-peasy if you’re over 10) and program him on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Comes out of the box pre-programmed with Assembly Checker and Program #1, so the fun starts right away. Use him as a light tracker or thermometer, or to play rock-paper-scissors or bowling, or as a notice board, calculator or compass, or as a pet who will follow you. He’ll do other things, too. Includes a 36-page manual, and all you add is a quartet of “AAA” batteries and some common hand tools.

You know the problem with most terrariums? Can’t see them at night! That’s why we’re offering this Glow-In-The-Dark Terrarium Kit from Creative Roots™. Comes with a 4-5/8" x 3-1/4" dia plastic jar with a vented screwcap, two polyresin figures, woodland and glow-in-the-dark sticker sheets, a spray mister bottle, 2-1/2 oz of glow-in-the-dark pebbles, a 3 oz bag of glow-in-the-dark sand, 18g of wheatgrass seed, 3g of chia seed, and a coconut husk puck. Made in the USA.

Sometimes you need to screw around corners, and we feel your pain. Try this flexible extension shaft for your drill or driver. Accepts 1/4” bits. Measures 9” long over all with a flexible portion that’s 4-1/2” long and will bend 180 degrees.

These in-line battery holders, from we know not where, have a pair of Duracell® AAAs with 1-1/2” leads and a 4mm polarized Molex connector. The positive lead is soldered to (1) battery, not the holder (but easily removable to use the batteries alone), and the whole shebang measures 3-3/4” long x 1/2” square. You’ll get (3) shebangs, all of ’em made in USA.

Tired of the same old predictable nightlights? Be the first on your block to have one of these 120V 7W beauties, with a stained glass lampshade and the face of an eagle, bear or wolf poking out of it. Shades measure approx 2-1/2" at their widest x 2-1/2" tall. We’ll pick (2) different heads because we know you love all animals. UL.

These assorted colored balloons come in packs of (25), and they should inflate to approx 9", which in our eyes is the perfect size for a balloon. You’ll get (3) packs for a total of (75) balloons. In case you forgot, balloons don’t go bad, so it’s always a good idea to have a supply on hand.

Special for bottlesquashers. This collapsible cup collection brings together your two favorite hydration intake problems for people on the go. Your cup of morning Joe and exercising on the go. Both are non-toxic silicone bottles. (In assorted colors) The water bottle starts out like a little squat barrel approx 5-1/2” x 2-3/4” dia, but pull up on the top and it rises to a full 9” tall. Flip cap has a screw-down lock, and there’s a carabiner near the neck to hang it from. Holds approx 17 oz. Our squishable silicone coffee cup looks like the takeaway cups you get at coffee shops, complete with the slide-up cuff that keeps your fingers from burning or freezing. Holds 10 oz and stands 5” tall x 3-1/4” dia at the top. Push on its head and watch it sink to just half its size. Must have for people on the move.

Our squishable silicone coffee cup looks like the takeaway cups you get at coffee shops, complete with the slide-up cuff that keeps your fingers from burning or freezing. Now you can drink your frappalattes or milkshakes out of reusable silicone instead of paper and save the planet. Our cup handles freezer temps down to -40F, and hot temps up to 446F. Squash the cup when you’re done, and put it in your pocket to use again later. Holds 10 oz and stands 5” tall x 3-1/4” dia at the top. Push on its head and watch it sink to just half its size. We’ll send you one in white and aqua, navy, red or lime green to match your eyes.

There’s power all around us. Surging like crazy. In many media. This is why we all need a multimedia surge protector like this 125V 15A 6-outlet surge protector, which will take up to 1500 joules with a max surge voltage of 6kV and a max spike current of 75kA. Has 400V protection between hot and neutral, and neutral to ground, and 500V protection between hot and ground. Also has inline coax protection and EMI and RFI filtering. The (2) sets of (3) outlets each can be tilted 45 degrees to the side. Indoor use only. UL.

With a taste for tarpaulins. These thick plastic tarp clips are the best we’ve seen, tooth-gripping-wise. Measure 2-1/2” long x 1” wide with 1/2” ID eye-hook, and have toothed 7/32” jaws that grab on as tight as an angry toddler via an adjustable locking clutch. Unlike a toddler, though, these have an easy, push-button release, and they won’t tear a hole in your tarp.

From Totally Cool Toys, this metal toy construction set Intelligent Truck front-loader-type tractor has (186) pieces and comes with a tiny screwdriver and wrench. Your assembled model, with big plastic tires, a front jaw-scoop, operator’s seat and steering wheel, will be about approx 5-3/8" tall and 8-3/4" long. Instructions included. For ages 8+.

Your long boring cable-tie nightmare is over. Celebrate with these novelty zippees. All come in six-packs and are 5-3/4” long x 3/32” with an 18-lb limit. You pick: the dinosaur ties feature (2) each of blue brachiosauri, green velociraptors and purple pterodactyls; the Star ties have 1-1/4” stars on the ends--(2) each in red, white, and blue.

This official Harry Potter lanyard is stretchable, to foil the evil lanyard snatchers we all encounter at wizard conventions. Licensed by Warner Bros., it’s approx 20” long x a scant 1” wide, printed with the seals of the Hogwarts houses, and has a 1-1/2” clip at the bottom.

Whatever it is. At a price that will make the House Depot people look like hardware bandits, we’ll send you (5) packs of small nails, brads, tacks and upholstery nails. How many total? Depends, but the official count is a whole bunch more than you’ll need for quite a while.

Just the one, actually, but it’s been sliced in half so the pair is perfectly symmetrical and mighty pretty. Although ammonites have been extinct for 65,000,000 years, we’ve got their approx 1” dia fossils for you. Our each is a book-matched pair of polished ammonites fossils of a single critter halved and polished to a bright symmetrical shininess. The colors vary from light tan to dark brown and we’ll pick because we have impeccable ammonitical color-shade taste. And yes, they’re just screaming to become cuff-links or earrings.

Aren’t all machines kinetic? Pretty much, our copywriter equivocates, but we won’t quibble. This 108-piece kit from Thames & Kosmos uses rubber-band power to create (5) models: a desert racer, motorcycle with launcher, catapult, wind mobile, and balancing dragonfly. Includes a 24-page instruction booklet. For ages 6+.

Santa and Tiny Tim? No. Rudolph, maybe? Not a chance. These are the delightful characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, 2-1/2” tall hard rubber figures including Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, Mayor, Oogie Boogie, Lock, Shock, Barrel, Scary Teddy and more. They’re all on 1” chains with a split ring, and we’ll pick (1) for you because then opening the package will be more like Christmas morning (but still the nightmare before). No one knows what you’ll get in this blind pack because the surplus gods will be choosing, not us.

From Nite Ize®, these extra-light NextGlo™ Visibility Markers and ID Tags have S-biners (double-headed carabiners) to hold your keys and clip them to something (like a pack or belt loop) while you’re on the go. No more fussing with split rings; these quick-change clips save your fingernails and your time.The NextGlo material charges in minutes under any light and lasts for hours so you can find your tent zipper, backpack or last piece of pizza at night.  You pick: the set of (2) ellipsoidal ID tags that you can write on, 1-1/4" x 5/8" with one orange, one yellow; or the single larger 2-1/4" x 5/8" glower in an extruded X shape, our choice of orange or yellow.

Metal ammo box originally to hold one hundred linked 50 caliber machine gun shells. These boxes have a rubber gasket and a positive latching handle that makes them favorites for keeping everything from sandwiches to shot gun shells dry under adverse outdoor conditions. Like sitting at a football game or in a duck blind. 5 1/2 wide x 11" long x 7 1/4" high, and they are top-loading. The lid is hinged and fixed at one end. Let's discuss condition. A little rusty. Not bad rusty, but they've been stored outdoors, and you'll need to do a steel wool and oil trick to bring them up to your normal high standards. Great storage boxes for organizing damp garage hardware collections. Not so hot for mountain climbing though, as they weigh better than five pounds a piece.

Not eligible for free or expedited shipping. 

Give the poor beast an ice pack, just like in the movies, but in a zippy zebra print. We miss ice packs, frankly, and so should you. These are the classic design. You pick: the medium one at approx 9” dia when flattened empty; or the double-trouble set with (1) large at 10” dia and (1) small at 6” dia. All have 1-7/8” ID mouths with gasketed screw caps, so they should also work with hot water.

Neon strip cardboard spectacles with diffraction gratings as the lenses. You can see the regular world, but all light sources and bright objects appear in multiple rainbow hued images. The effect is a little as though the whole world were a giant hologram. Great stocking stuffer or birthday party item for grade school ages.

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. Ages 8+.

See our full line of Elenco Snap Circuits here! Click 

Think Mogwai-ish grey and brown critter, a furry, bug-eyed Gizmoesque guy with a missing front tooth, ready to pop out of his 4" x 2-3/4" x 1-1/4" black plastic box to scare the bejeebers out of the unsuspecting. And their unsuspectingness will be enhanced by the fact that his spring-loaded sudden appearance can be activated by a switch, a mechanical timer, or a 21” nylon cord. Put it in your pocket, or attach it somewhere with the little blob of putty that comes with it, and watch someone you love scream. Great for kids' parties.

You don’t have to be a medic to appreciate this rubberized medic’s bag from, we suspect but aren’t posilutely sure, Uncle Sam. In deep olive drab, 8" x 5" x 4-3/4", with a hook-and-loop closure on top, an adjustable 64” shoulder strap and 1-3/8” belt loops on two sides. We like it for toting lunch or anything else you need to keep dry (your powder?) in the woods.

From ET Tech, this series 23 liquid micro-pump draws less than 300mA at 4-6VDC (5VDC nominal) with a liter-per-minute flow rate and up to a 3-foot lift. Not submersible, but suitable for hot-water apps and continuous duty. Measures 1" x 1" dia with a barbed 1/4" right-angle outlet and a 3/8" OD inlet on top. Great for fountains!

As part of our continuing series of whimsical underpants products, we're happy to present Handerpants, the underpants for your hands. These fingerless gloves are modeled on traditional tighty whities, complete with a classic elastic band, and fit small to medium hands. And no, the fly doesn't open. And yes, you put them on under your regular gloves, unless you're trying to be outrageous. Our each is a pair.

We’re out of red; you’ll have to make do. These fluorescent yellow paint markers from Krylon® have a 3/16” wide wedge tip. Paint dries within 15 minutes, the same time it took the Music Man to meet Marian the Librarian at the footbridge, so be patient. Can be used on fabric.

Like the one the monkeys used to hold for organ grinders? No--a much handier thing, and no monkey business involved. This collapsible tumbler starts life as 1-1/4” tall x 3-5/8” dia disc, sort of hockey puck-ish, but pull (or push) the bottom (or top) and it expands accordionishly to a 5” tall, 14-oz translucent plastic tumbler. And, as is so often the case, microwaves and dishwashers are not its friend.

Beat those wet-dog blues with this canine-couture red polyester raincoat for petite pooches. Measures 13” long x 11-1/2” wide with a faux fleece lining (because dogs don’t chase faux sheep), a pair of hook-and-loop straps, and a snap-on hood with a see-through visor so the pooch can see the other dogs’ envious looks.

Riffler files are most prized by sculptors, wood carvers, model makers and similar fashioners of precision objects. They come in a variety of flat, round and triangular shapes. They are usually pointed and always have a delicate curve toward the point which makes them particularly useful for working in tight and curvy spots. We have a set of (10) in an attractive red plastic case. They are 3 x 180 mm size (about 7"), and were made in China for the King Manufacturing Co. Very nice quality at a very nice price. They can cost as much as $4.00-$5.00 apiece in regular outlets.

From Robotikits™, these nifty kits are solar-powered (or halogen bulb-powered on cloudy days), which means: no batteries required. You pick. The ATV is a lunar-rover type buggy on steroids, with (6) wheels and a planetary gear assembly so it will climb up and over obstacles, powered by a simple pager motor. Finished model will be approx 4-1/8" x 3" x 3-1/8". Bring a pair of side cutters and be age 8+. The other option is the 7-in-1 modular solar-powered kit that lets you create (7) space-related contraptions, including an astronaut, space dog, explorer, rover, shuttle, space mechanic and space station. They’ll range from 2-1/2” cubes to 8-1/2” x 4-1/2” x 3” for the space station. Powered by the included micro-rechargeable battery, charged from the solar panel, or by (2) “AAA”s, but you don’t have to use them. You will need scissors and side cutters.

Life too dull? You need a whetstone, and this one, while it's not a stone at all, is a big improvement. It's a 4-sided diamond sharpening block, 6" long x 2-1/2" on a side, sitting snugly in a wooden holder with slip-resistant rubber feet. The sides are 200, 300, 400 and 600 grit, so you can work your way up to a razor's edge on knives, chisels, or anything that needs a little edge.

Not fishnet stockings, but netting for actual fish, direct from the U.S. Army (you'd think Navy, wouldn't you?) in olive drab. It's a survival thing. You get a 10-foot x 5-foot net made of 3/4" squares individually knotted from twisted cotton/nylon, so the net won't unravel if torn. Might have a slightly musty aroma (but definitely not fishy) that a little sunshine time will fix. Great for maritime-theme decoration, bible-camp plays (filled until breaking, walking-on-water background prop…) or, we suppose, fishing. And perfect if you want to go to a costume party as Poseidon.

Meet the STEM-friendly hydraulic gearbot. The completed, syringe-driven device will stand a foot tall and involve a completely unnecessary but fascinating series of gears and levers to hurl a projectile from the basket on the top arm. In dye-cut plywood, it takes an hour or two for an 8+ year-old. Includes all parts. All you add is patience and water.

If so, you might understand this circuit board originally from an HVAC controller. Maybe better to have an artistic brainstorm and repurpose this pretty little thing. Might be fun to use as a part on a faux robot. (Fauxbot!) Measures 2" x 5-3/4" with a 2-digit alphanumeric display, (14) green LEDs, (9) push-button switches, a 12-pin connector with multicolor leads, and, because it is true surplus, no wiring diagram.

Each has black lettering stenciled on bright yellow plastic tape, with the message repeated over and over. They are 3" wide by 200 ft or 1000 ft long. All are the real thing, made for sale to police and other serious users. Some have an obvious industrial application, some will work in the school playground, some seem appropriate to cordon off the kids’ rooms.

This extremely good quality folding jeweler's loupe is in polished aluminum and folds into a protective cover. It measures 1-5/8" x 13/16" and is teardrop-shaped when closed. Doublet lens, 18mm dia, 10X, lit by (2) very bright white LEDs, powered by (3) button-cell batteries that are included. It has a small loop for a chain, and comes in a plastic case with a small tool for accessing the batteries.

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.

We don't believe we've ever uttered that phrase before, but here it is, the world's lightest non-plastic spork, which matters, campers, when you're toting your flatware, along with your bed, in your backpack. This spork is corrosion-resistant titanium, weighs 1/2 oz, is 6-3/8" long with 3/8" dia hole to hang it from, and sports (4) tines. And you'll never need a plastic spork again.