Gag gifts are some of my favorites. From old standards like the hand-held joy buzzer to MP3 players, we have some shocking gag gifts to stuff stockings and scare the stuffing out of the people on your list this year.
The joy buzzer is an old favorite that never goes out of style. The beauty of this little Thing is that it can be concealed in your palm until an unsuspecting victim dares to shake your hand. Then: BZZZZT!
Another favorite shocker is the perfectly innocent-looking pack of gum. When a moocher asks you for a piece, you simply extend the pack and wait for the zap! One of my favorites is the shocking stack of quarters. You just put them in a conspicuous place and watch the sparks fly when a greedy hand goes to grab them.
Useful Things can be shocking, too. For example, this flashlight really works—if you know the secret, but it delivers quite a jolt to people who don't. This pen looks like an expensive, high-quality ballpoint pen, but it comes with an electrifying extra feature. My sister, being the notorious pen pincher that she is, always goes for it. I bet I've gotten her with this one at least a dozen times. Her reaction is almost always the same—first she's surprised, then she's mad at me for getting her again, then she's mad at herself for not remembering that I'm always getting her with the very same gag. Sisters are so entertaining sometimes.
You can get the smokers in your life with this shocking lighter. Maybe you could give it to someone who's trying to quit and suggests a little bit of “behavior modification therapy.” Every time they try to light up, they'll get zapped.
The shocking candy jar could work the same way for someone who's trying to cut back on the sweets. But my favorite is the shocking MP3 player because it looks so real. While shocking gum and pens and joy buzzers have been around for a long time, no one suspects the MP3 player. It works on everyone, including the people who know me well, who know my penchant for playing practical jokes and even people who have fallen victim to my shocking sense of humor before. It has never failed me. Not once.
I hope this gives you a few electrifying ideas for gag gifts or even gifts for yourself. Next week, I'll show you some great stocking stuffers you can get for under a buck.
11.29.2007
11.20.2007
classic gift ideas
Tired of racking your brain to come up with a unique gift that people will actually like? Something they might really use? Something they won't throw in the closet? Or even worse, re-gift to someone who doesn't really want it either? Me, too. Thankfully, we have some classic gifts that everyone can use.
Our reproduction of the well-known Fifteen Puzzle™ is one of the most popular games we have, which is amazing when you consider it's over 100 years old. I think it still appeals to people because it's a really tough puzzle to solve. It's also a great piece of collectible nostalgia. The Mystery Top is another Thing we've carried for years that never seems to lose its popularity. It spins at 2500 RPM with no apparent energy source for days on end and it's small enough to fit in your pocket. It absolutely baffles almost everyone who sees it.
Puzzles and toys aren't for everyone though. For a classic carnival experience, our table top version of the Duck Shoot Gallery is a great gift. I bought this one already. (Um...yes, for myself.) You shoot at the duckies with a wireless infrared pistol and watch them topple as your successful hit registers on and LCD display. It even has a Midway barker's voice to guide you through the game and unlike most electronic games, it comes with batteries.
Our Steam Engine is a true classic. It's a powerful precision-made horizontal engine with grooved pulley & balanced flywheel for driving objects. The brass boiler is nickel plated and it even has a steam whistle. The cool thing about this Thing is that it requires no electricity. It runs on inexpensive dry fuel tablets instead.
For people who like to ring in the holidays with a bang, we have Big Bertha, our largest and loudest Carbide Cannon. This type of cannon has been in use for over 50 years and operates on the same principle as a car engine—all it needs is gas, fresh air, and a spark. Believe me when I tell you the Thing produces a big flash and boom. They're great for celebrations all year-round. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I have two of them. I like to shoot them in tandem to keep the party booming.
Well, I think I'll head for the warehouse and see what else I can dig up. Stay tuned for more gift ideas next week. I might just come up with something that will shock you.
Our reproduction of the well-known Fifteen Puzzle™ is one of the most popular games we have, which is amazing when you consider it's over 100 years old. I think it still appeals to people because it's a really tough puzzle to solve. It's also a great piece of collectible nostalgia. The Mystery Top is another Thing we've carried for years that never seems to lose its popularity. It spins at 2500 RPM with no apparent energy source for days on end and it's small enough to fit in your pocket. It absolutely baffles almost everyone who sees it.
Puzzles and toys aren't for everyone though. For a classic carnival experience, our table top version of the Duck Shoot Gallery is a great gift. I bought this one already. (Um...yes, for myself.) You shoot at the duckies with a wireless infrared pistol and watch them topple as your successful hit registers on and LCD display. It even has a Midway barker's voice to guide you through the game and unlike most electronic games, it comes with batteries.
Our Steam Engine is a true classic. It's a powerful precision-made horizontal engine with grooved pulley & balanced flywheel for driving objects. The brass boiler is nickel plated and it even has a steam whistle. The cool thing about this Thing is that it requires no electricity. It runs on inexpensive dry fuel tablets instead.
For people who like to ring in the holidays with a bang, we have Big Bertha, our largest and loudest Carbide Cannon. This type of cannon has been in use for over 50 years and operates on the same principle as a car engine—all it needs is gas, fresh air, and a spark. Believe me when I tell you the Thing produces a big flash and boom. They're great for celebrations all year-round. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I have two of them. I like to shoot them in tandem to keep the party booming.
Well, I think I'll head for the warehouse and see what else I can dig up. Stay tuned for more gift ideas next week. I might just come up with something that will shock you.
11.16.2007
rush, rush, rush
Everyone is in such a rush to get ready for the holidays. I went to the mall on Saturday and it was a nightmare. First, I had to park like eighteen miles from the entrance. Then, after my trek across the parking lot, for which I should have packed a snack or at least a bottle of water, the people inside were so stressed and hurried. They rushed past me like I was standing still. The whole experience was a blur of anxiety and pressure. Believe it or not, I left without buying a single thing. It's unlike me, I know, but I just couldn't stand that frenetic energy for a minute longer.
On the hike back to my car, I decided to go downtown and see what the smaller shops had to offer. After twenty minutes of wasting precious gasoline, and getting flipped off by a guy who front parked into a space I was clearly backing into, it was clear I wouldn't find a parking spot anywhere close to the shopping district. On the way home, I made up my mind: mail order shopping is the way to go. Okay, so maybe I'm more than a little bit biased, but I look at it this way: either you curl up on the sofa with a stack of freshly minted catalogs or you hang out at the computer surfing for cool new stuff. Either one beats the heck out of fighting the crowds. Plus, with gas prices the way they are, who needs to be driving from store to store or mall to mall when all it takes is a click of the mouse to visit the same stores?
The season is busy enough without adding extra aggravation. Shopping at home is relaxing. No crowds. No crying children. No salespeople talking on their cell phones and working harder at avoiding making eye contact with you than they do at actually selling products. No piped in music with canned versions of songs you used to love that somehow now seem to grate on your very last nerve. Instead, you can put on the music you want and shop in your PJs.
Of course, you have to order a bit earlier - planning is key, especially if you want to pay only standard shipping. Still, for my money, paying expedited shipping is worth not having to go to the mall or drive around downtown competing for metered spaces that the meter readers watch like hawks at this time of year. Plus, most online stores offer gift wrapping now and they'll ship everything directly to the person you're buying for. So you even save a trip to the post office – we won't go into how much I hate going there.
Between Saturday night and Sunday, I got a lot of my shopping done. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet. It's so unlike me to be prepared this early that when I told my sister, who is always way ahead of the holiday curve, her jaw dropped and she looked at me like I had three heads. I think I'm going to like my new tradition.
I'll see you next week. In the meantime, I strongly recommend relaxing with a stack of catalogs and/or pointing and clicking your way to a less stressful holiday.
On the hike back to my car, I decided to go downtown and see what the smaller shops had to offer. After twenty minutes of wasting precious gasoline, and getting flipped off by a guy who front parked into a space I was clearly backing into, it was clear I wouldn't find a parking spot anywhere close to the shopping district. On the way home, I made up my mind: mail order shopping is the way to go. Okay, so maybe I'm more than a little bit biased, but I look at it this way: either you curl up on the sofa with a stack of freshly minted catalogs or you hang out at the computer surfing for cool new stuff. Either one beats the heck out of fighting the crowds. Plus, with gas prices the way they are, who needs to be driving from store to store or mall to mall when all it takes is a click of the mouse to visit the same stores?
The season is busy enough without adding extra aggravation. Shopping at home is relaxing. No crowds. No crying children. No salespeople talking on their cell phones and working harder at avoiding making eye contact with you than they do at actually selling products. No piped in music with canned versions of songs you used to love that somehow now seem to grate on your very last nerve. Instead, you can put on the music you want and shop in your PJs.
Of course, you have to order a bit earlier - planning is key, especially if you want to pay only standard shipping. Still, for my money, paying expedited shipping is worth not having to go to the mall or drive around downtown competing for metered spaces that the meter readers watch like hawks at this time of year. Plus, most online stores offer gift wrapping now and they'll ship everything directly to the person you're buying for. So you even save a trip to the post office – we won't go into how much I hate going there.
Between Saturday night and Sunday, I got a lot of my shopping done. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet. It's so unlike me to be prepared this early that when I told my sister, who is always way ahead of the holiday curve, her jaw dropped and she looked at me like I had three heads. I think I'm going to like my new tradition.
I'll see you next week. In the meantime, I strongly recommend relaxing with a stack of catalogs and/or pointing and clicking your way to a less stressful holiday.
11.09.2007
toys, toys, toys!!
One of the best things about the holiday season is it gives me an excuse to buy new toys. I even buy a few for the kids. :-) This year our buyers have outdone themselves finding cool new toys as well as some blast-from-the-past Things. I can barely walk through the warehouse without finding something I want to buy!
First off, I had to get this animated T-shirt. It has a glowing equalizer display that reacts to music or any sound. There's a hidden pocket inside for the remote control that has both an on/off switch and high or low intensity options. You just flip it on when you're close to the music and watch the shirt dance. Check out the movie clip to see it in action. I already got a Light-Up Moon for my niece. She's totally into astronomy, which I think is amazing since she's only in grade school. You hang it on your wall and it matches the moon phases outside. She's going to love it. Since, like her uncle, she's a science nut, I think she'll also like this digital microscope that connects directly to your computer.
If you're into electronic Things, you'll have to check out these new radio controlled toys. The Laser Megabotz Tanks come equipped with laser cannon and shields. Once your tank gets hit, it can't move for four seconds, leaving you vulnerable to more and more hits. After ten hits, you're out. You can either play with a friend, against the computer or just let the two bots fight it out with each other. And this radio controlled Spaceman is totally cool. It comes with a jet pack and propeller and has LED lights so you can fly it around in a dark room for that total spaceman effect.
Remember Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots™? Well, we have them! They came out in the sixties and we used to play with them endlessly. I remember the thrill of watching my opponent's head pop up with the big power punch. I also remember getting my own block knocked off by, of all people, my sister. And speaking of nostalgia, we have two tabletop versions of the old classic arcade games, Frogger and Space Invaders. You play them exactly the same way, with joystick controllers, and even the sounds are just like you remember them. I'm trying to figure out an excuse for why I need both of them in my house.
Our 3-D Tic Tac Toe game is a high tech version of the old pencil and paper game. The pieces actually levitate by the magic of magnetism. And our Laser Strategy Game is the first-ever board game with built-in lasers. The object of the game is to take out your opponent's pharaoh while shielding your own pharaoh from harm. The laser beam bounces off of the other mirrored game pieces, so you have to plan each move carefully to put your pieces in position to make a perfect laser beam to the enemy pharaoh. Let me just say this: it's more challenging than even chess!The toys just keep piling up in our warehouse, so watch this space for more. As for me, I can't wait!
11.01.2007
military things
"Being a soldier, fighting for this country, is neither Republican nor Democrat."
--Max Cleland
--Max Cleland
As the holidays approach, I can't help but think of our service men and women stationed away from home—whether it be overseas or out-of-state. As my uncle says, “No matter what you think of this or any other war, the men and women who fight and die for us deserve to be honored.” I couldn't agree more. Here at Things You Never Knew Existed, we've done our best to honor the brave people who serve or have served. From organizing care packages for the relatives of our own employees to searching for items to offer that help families pay tribute to their loved ones in the military, we try. As a salute to the military, our buyers have done a great job of finding good quality Things to honor all four branches of the service.
Things To Wear
I guess you could consider our Mascot Watches Things to wear, but since they're pocket watches, I think of them as Things carried or displayed. They showcase the official mascots of the U.S. Armed Forces. I know several people with kids in the service—I'm thinking these would be great Christmas gifts for both parents and kids. Our Insignia Flags are faithfully reproduced and since they're made out of polyester, they can take a beating outdoors.
Both of these items could fall under the “display” category, but they do more than just sit there: they bugle you out of bed with that old standard, “Reveille”. Our Jeep Alarm Clock is a faithful reproduction of the classic military jeep and even has working headlights and horn. You can choose a civilian beeping alarm instead of “Reveille” (but why?) Check out the sound clip to find out why the Drill Sergeant Alarm Clock is my favorite of the two.
If you're planning to send a Christmas gift to a friend or loved one in the military, please remember Armed Forces mail can be slower than regular mail, so it's best to shop and ship as early as possible. To all of our service people at home and abroad: We salute you.
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