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.

Steampunk alert! Also…model and jewelry maker alert! This pair of 10X acrylic doublet loupes is mounted on black eyeglass frames and flanked by LED lights powered by (2) included CR1620 button cell batteries. These are for close work only, from 1" to 1-1/2", and can focus only one lens at a time (not both on the same object) so if you’re a steampunker looking for a new accessory, plan on perching this rig on your pate or chapeau.

These big, 4" long steel safety pins are practically jewelry in their own right. You get a 5-pack in assorted colors--gold, black, metallic pink, blue, green or others. Perfect for closing buttonless sweaters and tops or securing scarves in fascinating configurations.

OK, maybe it’s not cage-free, but this bar soap is handmade on an Amish farm in Springfield, Missouri, using Abraham Graeber’s family recipe, which contains “no cancer-causing chemicals,” according to the package. Because this soap is made by people and not machines, it’s good for the earth, too. Our each is (5) giant 5-ounce bars, approx 3-1/2" x 2-3/4" x 1-1/4". (For you youngsters out there, bars of soap are what humans used to use to get clean before there were liquid soap dispensers.)

Can't beat a classic. These uncoated ceramic donut magnets have a 1-lb pull, which makes them dandy for classroom or refrigerator use. They measure 1-1/4" dia x 3/8" ID x 3/16" thick and are polarized on the faces. You get a wrapped roll of 29 donuts.

It doesn't get much cooler in the robotic-arm-kit game. The assembled STEM educational arm is 15" tall x 9" long x approx 3-1/2" wide. It's 2-pronged hand opens to 1-3/4", lifts up to 3.5 oz (100g), swings 120 degrees at the wrist, pivots 300 degrees at the elbow, and sits on a base that swings 180 degrees up and down and rotates 270 degrees, like, well, an arm. Controlled by (5) 2-axis joy-sticks and powered by (4) D-Cell batteries that you provide. Includes a hand-mounted search light and over-torque and gear-breakage alarms, which is more than your arm has. Requires a diagonal cutter and Philips screwdriver for assembly of its 200+ pieces and is made for ages 12 and up.

This all-purpose scissors is the favorite of everyone at A.S.&S.: Pat uses his to cut and strip wire. C.J. uses his to slit the tape on packages. Mary Ann uses hers to open bags of pretzels. It's 6-1/4" long overall, with a very sharp 2" stainless steel blade and large, comfortable handles. It would sell for $9.95 retail if it was new, but it was used for one day to cut cloth in the assembly plant of a major car company, then discarded. Quality control is a wonderful thing.

Walking sticks have moved into the space age! This walker's/hiker's friend has futuristic features and the look of an inter-galactic weapon. The high-quality collapsible aluminum stick extends from a packable 27" to a full 43", and has a carbide tip with a rubber cover, a removable 2" dia disk to keep the stick from sinking into soft ground, and an internal shock absorber that can be turned on or off. At the top, a 5-LED flashlight with a 90° pivot is embedded in a molded-plastic cane-style handle to light your way. For mountain trekking, lengthen the stick, slip the adjustable canvas wrist strap over your hand, and clutch the stick by the padded foam section below the cane handle. Directions, diagrams, and 1100mm to 1350mm gradations are marked clearly on the 3-draw pole. We'll pick a black or anodized red, blue, or silver version for you.

Pick up this 1-3/4" x 7/8" x 3/8" ceramic pick-up magnet while we still have it. It's in a heavy metal housing and has a stationary metal hoop, about 1/2" i.d., on top. The manufacturer tells us the magnet will grab up to 5 lbs of metal, however Pat and Magnet Testing Team #3 have repeatedly lifted 10+ lbs, so it's very strong. Especially if you're going to dangle it on the end of a cord to gather spilled nails or to fish your keys out of the lake/pond/sewer/drain!

Too many of your wacky marble-run contraptions are tiny and made to stick on refrigerators, we think. Herewith, the solution: a 60-piece kit with ramps, tracks, funnels, stops, gears, levers, cups, animals and steel balls. Create your own endless versions of wacky contraptions and stick them on the free-standing, 28” x 12” hook-and-loop board. Includes a tip sheet. For ages 8+.

Try flashing this small, keychain Bat-signal projecting light. Cleverly marked “BATMAN™” on the side--and licensed by DC comics, Warner Bros., and, we assume, Batman himself, it’s 3” long x 1/2” dia on a split ring with a short chain. Won’t light up the night sky exactly, but if you need him and Robin to come to your bedroom, it’s big and clear on dark ceilings. (And like the original, it can also be seen as a set of bad teeth for spooky parties.) Includes (4) button-cell batteries.

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.

Looks like a cheap kid-sized tennis racket, but brother, this ain't for the kids. It's actually a fine way for adults to work on their upper-body strength and kill bugs at the same time. 18" long, with a 6" wide paddle lined with metal grid. A coil in the handle sends high voltage through the paddle when a button is pushed, hit a bug with it and the bug will bug you no more. We've seen these in other catalogs for about twice the price, so buy it from us.  2 AA batteries, not included.

Don’t stick cotton swabs in anyone’s ears, even your elephant’s, although the largest of these will be tempting. Our each is a giant 325-piece pack of single-tip cotton swabs on wooden sticks and in (6) different sizes. The smallest is about what you’ve got in your medicine cabinet, and the rest range on up to the elephantine, 8-1/2” long with 3/4” dia swabs on the end. Were thinking artists, art restorers, auto detailers, electronics techs, gunsmiths and fussbudgets of all sorts will love them.

And we did it ourselves with this self-healing cutting mat. It's hard rubber and no, we don't know how it heals itself, but it does. Measures 11-3/4" x 8-3/4" x 1/8" thick, it's marked in 1/8" and 5mm increments and 1/2" squares, with lines for 45° and 60° cuts.

About 30-40 highly polished stones, all shiny, translucent, or brightly colored, ranging from 3/4" long to 1/8" long. Great for mosaics, jewelry, or aquariums.

These are the split rings with the beveled profile, the good ones. The bevel and the largeness of these rings translate to fewer chipped fingernails and blurted-out obscenities. Measure 1-1/2" dia x 1/8" thick, in steel, and hold a bunch of keys.

Our newly updated wireless motion-sensing light now comes with COB LEDs for brighter and more energy efficient 120 lumen white light in a 3-1/8" dia mirrored face that throws light approx 15 feet. This makes it great for small rooms, large closets or gigantic doll houses. Housing is 4-3/4" x 4" x 2-1/8" in white plastic on a pivoting turntable that rotates 360 degrees. Detects motion within 10 feet, stays lit for approx 60 seconds, but also has an on-off switch. Battery housing (you add a quartet of "AA"s) is gasketed for water resistance. Includes mounting hardware. Made by i-Zoom®.