"NO NEOTACHAS ALLOWED (everyone else welcome)" Topic

Hello everyone. I have a question that I think the TMP Hive Mind is perfectly suited to answer.

I am looking for Christmas presents for my wife (Neotacha). I have her main present already, so I am looking for secondary presents and stocking stuffers. In general, I am interested in things that fall in the general category of what my brother and I call "neat stuff". Most people are clueless when I use that phrase, but I figure people around here know exactly what constitutes neat stuff, and what doesn't.

Neotacha has promised not to read this thread. Mind you, this is the person who, when she was ten, was busted by her mother for unwrapping her Christmas presents, checking them out, and then carefully wrapping them back up (she says she had been doing it for a couple of years already, and never would have been caught if a brother hadn't ratted her out). Still, there is at least some chance she won't peek…

Anyway, I am interested in websites that sell neat stuff. Potential neat stuff does not have to be gaming/miniatures related, although it can be (but anything that gets much attention around here she is going to be familiar with already).

So, do you have any sites/items to recommend?

Here are a few we are familiar with that I will kick in, since I am hoping others can find some neat stuff on this thread as well.

Bud Plant

link

Archie McPhee

mcphee.com

Design Toscano

designtoscano.com

Oberon Design

oberondesign.com

Thanks in advance, everyone!

Here ya go. I love this stuff. Their merchandise is a hoot:

link
Non-Conformists Union Local 404. "Individuals Unite! There is Strength In Numbers!" "Organize Against Conformity!"

Not for everyone, but a great site is

despair.com

And check out the "made in China" stuff at

orientaltradingcompany.com

Errr

orientaltrading.com

Hmm. I've never really been good at this, but…

Do y'all have a copy of 'Comic Book Confidential'?

link

Or how about 'The Atomic Cafe'?

link

That's all I got….for now. I'm sure I'll think of more after a few hours of REM sleep.

I think this is neat.

shop.webomator.com

euro/celtic jewelry ( good stuff once you get past the pictures of the models )
ortak.co.uk

What about the Order of the Stick boardgame? Or do you ahve that already?

Later,
Markus

Like the non-conformist union, CPBelt – I may well place an order with them.

We love Despair.com, Markus! Definately neat stuff, but a site we have already discovered (I have one of their calendars in my admin office). Will check out the Oriental Trading Company. A couple of years back we received one of their catelogues, but I had forgetten about them. Bookmarked 'em.

Haven't seen Comic Book Confidential. Neither of us are particularly into comic books – would we still like it? I think we have Atomic Cafe at school – will check it out. Thanks, Saginaw.

That IS a neat site, Regiment Games – and she wears a lot of t-shirts, too. Perfect.

Ortek has some nice jewelry, Doctor P. She doesn't hardly ever wear jewelry, though. But I know a couple of friends who will probably want to check out the site for their sweeties, so I will pass it along.

We have the OOTS board game Markus, but have not played it yet. Have you given it a try? Maybe over Thanksgiving we can get a game going.

Thanks for the ideas so far, guys!

For stocking stuffers you can't beat American Scientific and Surplus: sciplus.com

If you'd like to keep her from reading this, disable her supporting membership. Or, you could've just asked for PM's.

Oh well. Hi Neotacha!

I think she'd like the "Hell No, Kitty" shirt here:
splitreason.com/index.php

Fun stuff at ThinkGeek, such as the USB Missile Launcher which she'll have endless hours of fun using upon you
link

Wyatt

I think you two would like 'Comic Book Confidential', mweaver, if you like offerings like 'Mad' magazine and Robert Crumb's work ('Fritz the Cat', "Mr. Natural", etc.). The first time I seen it was 11 years ago on The Learning Channel and I've been hooked ever since.

Extra Crispy, I took a look at your Orientaql Trading site, but there is something shifty going on:

Unit of Measure

* » Dozen(48)
* » Piece(2)
* » Unit(31)

No bloody miracle Chinese stuff is so popular, if you get 48 pcs in a dozen!

The problem with American Scientific and Surplus, Waco Joe, is that Neotacha hangs out there a lot. I may well have stuff from there in _my_ stocking.

I'll check into Comic Book Confidential, Saginaw. It does sound interesting.

Thanks for the Geek sites, Wyatt.

You do know she is going to look at this thread… ;P

But… she _promised_!

Does she like Kaiju, or other Japanese stuff? Clawmark Toys has lots of cool stuff;

This is the woman who reads ends of books first. Why doesn't it surprize me that she peaked at prezzies. I'll look around and see what I can find, mweaver. Much has been noted above already.

Chinee stuff:

maoposters.com

link

shanghaieye.net

er, thinking about it cufflinks probably not best choice-
silk broacade of Chairman mao playing ping pong?
theeastisred.com/silks.htm
unfortunately mango under a dome is sold
theeastisred.com/misc.htm

"Scream for Jeeves". If you have been following thzt discussion, you will know what I am talking about. PLUS, if you buy it, your budgeet will be wiped out, and you won't have to worry about a lot of little things. Think of all the time you will save!

Hobby Link Japan for Gashopon figures: hlj.com

How about obeygiant.com

Love that stuff, so does my girlfriend.

Neotacha has promised not to read this thread.

Wouldn't this be a good occasion to use that little "P" button to the right of your name?

check this out – bathsheba.com – pricey- but intriguing!

Hey Michael – haven't picked up the OOTS game yet. I'm waiting for it to go OOP so I can add it to my list of OOP boardgames I'm questing for on eBay and at the HMGS flea markets. ;-) Still looking for a reasonably priced copy of the old Squad Leader supplement, GI:Anvil of Victory.

Anyway, if you have the boardgame I assume you have the OOTS books?

How about a personal guest appearance by Pete Murray and Rich Johnson, the minds behind "Gloire" and ".45 Adventures"? I'm sure they can be persuaded to make the trip to Texas for a nominal fee…

:-)

Seriously though, thinking bigger. Any dream vacations you guys have been putting off you can surprise her with?

Later,
Markus

Interesting sites, LeiFeng. At the moment shanghaieye.net is loading very sluggishly, so I will have to check it out more fully later.

HLJ has some interesting stuff for me, Pete. What is a "Gashopon" figure?

obeygiant.com is kinda weird, Alex!

Balin, you have a point. But I thought other people might be interested in checking out some of the responses.

bathsheba.com – perfect for her, Dr. P. However, she already knows about them – one of her brothers gave her a couple of crystals two or so years back. However, I don't think she has checked them recently, since they have the DNA crystal keychain again, and last time she checked it had been discontinued (she has one, but she wanted a back-up). So I will probably place at least a small order with them – thanks. bathsheba.com is loaded with classic examples of neat stuff.

Thanks again everybody! I am getting lots of good ideas.

Personally, I am glad that mweaver isn't inviting us to P, as I have found some of these links fascinating. Mind you, I have now mentally committed my entire disposable income for the next eight months to buying novelty mugs.

Sadly, I am entirely parasitic on this thread: I have no neat stuff sites to suggest.

Dream vacations… lots! But finding the time is so hard…

How bout a 1967 VW….8*)

No thanks – we've already got one. Itza verra niz.

(Bad Monty Pythonish fake French accent aside, we do home repairs on her bug can commence soon).

link
Maybe not her style, but an interesting idea-

Gashapon figures are little (1-5") action figures or collectible figurines, sometimes called "One Coin" models because you buy them from the vending machine with a 500Y coin. Usually big stompy robots, but if it can be a toy, it's probably been a Gashapon.

Attention otaku: If there are differences between One-Coin models and gashapon, I don't care and you needn't correct me.

This is "special"
link

I always thought it would work nicely into a diorama with these guys:

link

An LED belt buckle? That is neat, Dr. P.

The Jesus Sport Statues are weird.

I always wanted to field an all Jesus "Blood Bowl" team, and now I can!

How about the Anti-Barney Jihad Role Playing Game?

jihad.net

I wear this one a lot:

link

And if you're looking for neat stuff, go to the namesake:

neatstuff.net

No Neotachas allowed!!!

What is a Neotacha? Is this racism on TMP?

Must be some tribe of people you are trying to avoid.

Heh – I have a pile of links for this very occasion..

For true geek shoppers, you have to start with thinkgeek.com

There's also Firebox – firebox.com – but I doubt they've got much that Thinkgeek doesn't.

Really nicely designed housewares and other stuff. Dig around the site, but the item at this link would be great for storing paint brushes:

link

This is a site for some guys that do some *really* nice bags out of lorry canvasses. Choose from one of the ones they have already made, or design your own:

freitag.ch/index_frames.php

If she has an iPod, one of these would be really nice:

link

More really nice design work:

greenergrassdesign.com
link

Intersting t-shirts:

Great designs, and a big sale on at the moment!)
threadless.com/?from=guinny

Nice designs, some comedy shirts, and a regular limited-run scheme
glarkware.com

Shirts for Geeks and Gamers:
jinx.com
I really have to buy this shirt one day: link

Of course, if all else fails, there's always chocolate:
cybercandy.co.uk/aaasmt

The Jesus Sport Statues are weird.

Sure, alone.
But put Jesus (or Hey-Zuess for you an Neo) in the mix with the Hanson brothers, all of the sudden it becomes "cool" or at least moderately "special"

Would be better if they had a "Jesus Saves" statue (either a Goalie making a save, or a Volley Ball Player "digging" out a slam)

Thanks for all those links, Guinny – it will take me awhile to explore them all fully. jinx.com looks like it has a couple of good t-shirts for her.

pphalen, one of the sites above (I forget which) has a "Jesus Saves" t-shirt – that said in smaller letters "and only takes half damage"

Have you got something weird/unique you'd like on a mug/T-Shirt etc?

I've never bought from them but there is a web site
cafepress.com where you can have your own graphic put on damn near anything (like link the tile box which would look good as a dice box)

Something with a picture of one of the cat's maybe?

BTW Hello all. I think this is my first post here. Friend of mweaver from Alabama. Doubt if he even recognizes the name :-)

And "Hi Stacey!!!"

How about a season of MST3K on DVD?

Hey, Cujo. I for one recognize the reference…