Cases for mounting butterflies, bugs, rocks, fossils or any other three dimensional collectibles. Known as Riker mounts, these are sturdy cardboard boxes 7/8" deep, with glass glued into the front cover for viewing. They are filled with a fairly firm, white, expanded, synthetic, cotton–like material. The cushiony filler holds the three–dimensional viewee in place without pins or glue. Very handy for the proud trophy hunter. Our smaller is 8” x 12” and the larger 12” x 16–1/2”.

Really. Our each is a 10-foot roll of 1/2” wide, self-adhesive magnetic strip. Flexible, too, so the craft, kitchen, classroom and cubicle uses are limited only by your imagination! (We heard that on an infomercial once--we really don’t know much about your imagination, but we always assume that is it vast and nimble.)

From the U.S. Navy stock of unused Gob hats (no, we don’t know where that name comes from) or more familiarly “dixie cups,” in white cotton twill. We’ll pick from sizes 7 through 8-1/2 if you’re going for the Cracker Jack look, but if you turn the sides down like Gilligan, one size fits every noggin. Upright, it should be squared up for authenticity. Group discount available for drama teachers staging South Pacific.

These 3” tall plastic robots aren’t actually robotic. They just stand there looking like robots, but pull off their feet and there’s a surprise ball-point pen sticking out of their little robot bottoms. We’ll send you one in robot-appropriate silver or gold.

We recommend these zinc-plated steel L-brackets for bracing weak table legs or mounting lesser shelves, but you could also pass out a couple to anyone who asks for your brackets at basketball tournament time. Measure 4" x 5" x 1-5/16" at their widest, with (6) countersunk 3/16” mounting holes.

How big are your locking pliers? This giant pair, in hardened steel, will grip the largest vices in captivity at 14” long with serrated 1-7/8” jaws that adjust from 11/16” to a gaping 2-1/4” ID. Tighten via an 11/16” bolt. Easy to locate, too, in a popsicle-ish lime green.

In Surplus World, it often does. That teensy error on the cardboard tag brings you this snazzy blue-speckled enameled steel coffee mug, the sort that legions of prisoners have dragged along the bars of their cells in legions of movies, at a price that is freeing. Maybe has a cowboy look to it, too. Holds, yes 10 ounces, and measures 3-1/8" x 3-3/16" dia.

From Brinks®, this personal security alarm has an IR sensor that will trip a 120dB siren or door chime when anyone enters the sensor’s 100-degree x 12-foot range. Measures 4-5/8" x 2-3/8" x 1-3/4" in a white plastic housing with a 1-3/4" x 1-3/8" lens. Mounts via a 5/32” keyed slot or an included 1” ball-and-socket bracket. Could also be set on a dresser or desk in a hotel room. You add (4) “AAA” batteries.

For your dog. These thick rubber chew toys will take some serious mastication. You pick: the faux bone has a squeaker inside, is covered with indentations and nodules for for added chew-fun, and measures 6-3/4" long x 1-5/8" dia; or the chewy rubber ring, 7" dia x 4-7/8" ID x 1-1/8" thick. We’ll pick one in either purple, green or blue because dogs don’t care and neither should you.

You need this keychain with a handy 3” long x 1-1/8” wide white plastic compass/thermometer combo on a 7/8” slip-ring. From the “Keychains With Purpose” line of products (our new favorite name), it’s made for folks devoted to being prepared. You know who you are, and so do we.

Got wobbly furniture problems? These black rubber wobble stoppers, in a pack of (4), work like wooden shims, beveled from 1/2” down to 1/16”. Slide the thin side under the short leg until the wobbling stops. In ribbed rubber that’s soft enough to stay wedged where you put them. Restaurateur alert: these will replace all the folded paper your waitstaff keeps shoving under table legs.

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) “AAA” batteries.

Special for bottlesquashers. This collapsible, non-toxic silicone water bottle (In assorted colors) is easily the cutest thing that ever held H2O. 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, comes in four assorted water friendly colors and is rated for -40 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Great for camping, hiking, mom-ing and kid-ing. 

Most likely. Luckily we have just the Brain Teaser to take care of that for you. This 2-1/2" green (or black) and natural wooden puzzle looks like a Rubikish cube but is actually more like a snake made from 3/4” wooden cubes and held together by a pretty elastic elastic cord. Unfolds to a zig-zag snake approx 14’ long and ready for you to reconfigure back into a cube. We’d show you how, but our brain has to remain unteased for copywriting purposes.

The biggest doggie don’t is: don’t leave the do-do behind. To that end, here’s a cute little plastic bone-shaped carrier for the bags, with a clip. Hook it on the leash and fill it with the included (80) standard-size dog-do plastic bags. The bags are printed with dog-related patterns--bones, paw prints, etc., which your dog will find funny. (Yes, dogs have a sense of humor; you just don’t get their jokes.)

Welcome to the science of fun, in which you make your own bubble gum. This kit from Edu Science includes gum base and confectioners’ sugar, a little flavored corn syrup and citric acid plus extreme mint, watermelon and blueberry flavoring. For ages 8 up to however old bubble gum blowers get.

These translucent plastic three-ring binders have 1” rings and measure 10-1/4” x 11-5/8”. You pick the aqua color; the frosted white with a transparent sleeve on the outside front for a title/contents sheet; or the textured translucent white with clear sleeves on the inside of both front and back covers.

We feel your pain. Nothing says first-world tragedy like camping with no way to make kale/bacon/acai berry smoothies. You’ll need this rechargeable travel blender. Holds 16 oz and has a 4-blade rotor on a 15K rpm, ice-crushing motor. Charges via an included USB/Micro USB cord. Measures 2-3/4" dia x 9-1/4" tall, and includes a safety cap for the blades, and top and bottom caps for the bottle. BPA-free and dishwasher safe, and runs for (3) hours on a charge. Non-smoothie drinkers can use it for making brandy alexanders.

Just 3” tall x 1-3/8” wide x 1-5/8” deep, it’s in an acrylic case so you can see your work after you assemble it. Using Arduino®, it’s open source so you can make your own games, but it comes with an SD card with (3) games--Flappy Birdz, Tiny Shooter and Tiny Tris--with more available for download. Parts include pre-cut acrylic and all circuitry, including a 1-1/8” OLED (organic light-emitting diode), 3/16" joystick, (2) momentary push-button switches for control. Powered by a 3.7V 290mA lithium battery. The 1/2” x 1/4” speaker can be turned off for surreptitious classroom play. Also comes with decals. Requires just a screwdriver for assembly, no soldering.

We’d call it the Scent of a Woman pack, but we don’t deal in gender stereotypes, so we won’t. What it is, is a pack of (6) 7ml (1/4 oz) amber glass, screw-cap bottles, 3-1/4" long x 3/4" dia with 3/8" steel roller balls in nylon sleeves in the mouths. Pop off the roller tops and use the included glass dropper to fill the bottles with perfume, essential oils, gin or anything else you’d like to roll on.

These watertight aluminum screw-top canisters are gasketed, lined in nylon and come with a 1" slip ring to attach to whatever. Measure just over 2-1/2" tall x 1-1/8" dia, so they're suitable for a lot of pills or any number other things you need to keep dry or safe. We'll pick one in black, red, gold, blue or green.

We feel your pain. Nothing says first-world tragedy like camping with no way to make kale/bacon/acai berry smoothies. You’ll need this rechargeable travel blender. Holds 16 oz and has a 4-blade rotor on a 15K rpm, ice-crushing motor. Charges via an included USB/Micro USB cord. Measures 2-3/4" dia x 9-1/4" tall, and includes a safety cap for the blades, and top and bottom caps for the bottle. BPA-free and dishwasher safe, and runs for (3) hours on a charge. Non-smoothie drinkers can use it for making brandy alexanders.

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.

You don’t have to move to Mars to have a rover. And this Snap-Circuit Rover Kit is cooler anyway. No soldering required--you just snap (doh!) the parts together and you’re ready to try the (40) experiments or build over (60) projects. Includes a foam disc shooter (you can’t do that on Mars), music sound generator, digital voice recorder, red and blue side lights and sound effects. Roves forward, back, right and left via a wireless  3-channel remote, which means you and two friends can have rover wars right here on earth. Includes a full-color assembly manual. Check out Elenco video. 

Or on your pack, or wherever. This single-walled stainless steel mug holds approx 8 oz (not the 10 on the package) and has a 3/4” ID x a 3” long working red carabiner for a handle. Measures 3-1/8” tall x 2-7/8” including the carabiner. Safe for use over an open flame, but watch your fingers.

These momentary SPST push-button switches are normally open and measure 11/16" dia x just over 3/16" thick and have a 15/32" shaft with a steel lock-washer & nut plus a pair of 1/8" solder terminals on the bottom. Rated 3A at 125VAC or 1A at 250VAC. You pick red, green or yellow.

Yes, your desktop is made of atoms (you, too) but this is a 7" dia chrome and black model of an atomic structure (Boronish, Paul says) that keeps on turning via the magic of electromagnetics, at least until the 9V battery you put in it wears out. Stands approx 9" tall on its base.  Ignore that "perpetual motion" on the box, unless you have a perpetual battery. Minimal assembly required, but a maximum person like you won't have a problem with it.

This XL magnifier measures 3-3/8" dia with a 5" long handle, all rubber coated. Glass lens is 1.5X and surrounded by (12) bright white LEDs that run on (2) included "AA" batteries. Tap-on, tap-off switch. Good for everything from reading to looking at bugs and such.

Environmental Science teachers, how about showing your students how to test water’s visibility and hence turbidity--or its opposite, clarity--with our freshwater Secchi disk? (We thought you’d like the idea.) The disk is just under 8” dia with an integral weight and alternating black and white quadrants, attached to a 72-foot nylon cord marked every foot with a hash mark. Just lower it into water and you’ll have your results, and teaching points.

Nothing really stops extraterrestrials, of course, but you can use this one to keep your leftover wine sealed, especially if you’re drinking in Area 51. Stick the green head in the neck of the wine bottle, push back on his little alien forehead and the bottom expands to keep it tight in the bottleneck.

Take care of them all with this monster, grounded and surge-protected wall tap with (6) outlets plus (2) USB ports--and everybody needs USB ports. Converts a standard double outlet to an 8-way source that will support up to 15 Amps. USB puts out 2.1 Amps. Measures 5-5/8" x 3-1/2" x 1-5/8" in a light gray/beige color. ETL listed. Even includes the center screw (most don't) to anchor it to the wall plate so it wont pull out!

Nice big, 60cc/2+ oz, polypropylene syringe is graduated in 5cc and 1/2 oz increments. Plunger has a black rubber gasket and a thumb ring at the top. Measures 6-1/2" long overall with a 1-7/16" x 5/32" ID nozzle with a cap. Handy in the shop, kitchen or craft room for gluing or decorating.

And shake it all about, or not--we don’t care, as long as the glue has set. Our right foot skeletal model from Lindberg Science Kits™ is 11-1/2” long (which is pretty much a foot) with (18) pieces, plus assembly instructions, a fact sheet and a stand. You add the glue. For ages 10+. Made in the USA.

If not, you need this modern accent light. In brushed aluminum, this one’s a circular light diffuser with (3) dozen 3-headed fins. Measures 3-1/2" dia x 1-5/8" below a 2-3/4” x 1-3/16” solid housing. Housing has 2” leads and a bar mount. Operates between 85-265 VAC, so standard house current works but the light needs to be hard-wired. Draws just 1W for a warm-white LED. From Lumicon.

Whip any number of small things into shape with our set of (30) assorted diamond burs and bits-cylinders, ball-tips, cones and points in graduated sizes. All with 1/8" shanks and all 180 grit, in a black-plastic case with a clear top. Not the super-expensive grade 3 quality, but these are definitely grade 2 and-are you ready for this?-better than the average bur!

This bright headlamp has a 45-lumen LED (which is bright!), and comes with an elastic strap to put it on your noggin when you’re biking, spelunking, mining coal or fixing that leaky pipe under the sink. Measures 3” x 2-1/2” x 2-1/4” with a pivoting mount. In orange and black plastic, and you add (3) “AAA” batteries.

No, no, wait--this is good, but it’s literally not so hot. It’s a battery-operated low-temp glue gun, like Martha would use for crafting on airplanes. No, wait, that’s probably not a good idea, either. Look, it’s a really good quality glue gun, takes (4) “AA” batteries, uses 1/4” x 4” glue sticks and measures a portable 5-3/8" long with a 4" handle. Runs approx 170F, perfect for Coffee Shop Crafters (which should be an HGTV series if it’s not already). No plugs! No cords! Great for hobbyists, tinkers, DIYers, teachers, model-makers, crafters and a bunch of other folks. Sticks are not included but try our 4" long low temp sticks. Works on wood, metal, glass, cardboard, paper, card stock, synthetic materials and more. Non toxic, clear drying and non yellowing. Bonds in less than 30 seconds...just ask Billy.

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 

Yet another great Snap Circuits® kit, this one based on lighting and optics, with a bonus 3-dimensional circuit board. Includes (50) parts and over (150) projects. Special components include an infinity mirror; red, green, blue and white LEDs; 6-way gel wheel; photoresistor; and a diffusion lens. Parts compatible with all other Snap Circuits® kits, too.

A smaller version of the monster flood lights most of us can’t afford, this one’s rechargeable from iZoom with a 600-lumen 10W COB white LED with a 2-3/4" x 1-3/4" reflector in a water- and dust-resistant 4-3/8" x 3-1/4" x 4-1/4" with a padded 3-5/8" handle and adjustable 6-1/2" x 5-1/4" H-shaped base plus an adjustable mounting bracket. Includes a cigarette-plug charger and wall plug. Runs a little under 2 hours on a full charge.