# any San Francisco Dopers out there who can do me a favor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326 "2014-12-04T17:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/1 "2014-12-04T17:52:05Z")
Kind of a weird request. Last summer I took my daughter on a very quick trip to San Francisco - less than one day. We did a lot of the touristy stuff, the bridge, the park and of course the cable cars. We took the Hyde St line and ended up at Aquatic Park near Ghiradelli Square. When we got off, right there was a guy selling woven bracelets. I took a look and he had one for the name Toby. This is actually a big deal, since unlike my name, the name Toby is rare enough to never appear on any keychains, touristy license plates, etc. We always look, but never find. So of course, I bought it right away. However, later in the trip, I realized I had lost it. Very frustrating! So I’m wondering if any of you happen to be in the area, and the guy is still there - could you get me his contact information so I could order another “Toby” bracelet? Thanks so much! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/2 "2014-12-04T18:07:08Z")
Damn! I was at that _exact spot_ a couple weeks ago, killing time while my wife was shopping. Wish I’da known then… ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/3 "2014-12-05T05:53:47Z")
Well, if you (or anyone else) happens to go back… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/4 "2014-12-05T06:31:56Z")
I’ll be in San Francisco tomorrow night (I live a little south of SF). I wasn’t planning to be anywhere near there, but if time allows I will swing by and take a look. It’d help if you told me more about the bracelet: How much did it cost? How wide or thick is its cross-section (as if one were to cut the bracelet in half to leave two semicircles, what’s the width of each of the two cuts)? What’s its material? Color? How is the name Toby put on it, is it a woven material, or beads spelling out the name, or something else? Any other key descriptors besides getting the name, Toby, on it? Also, assuming it’s about $20 or under, if I find the guy and he has it, I could front you the cost and buy it right then and there. If you’d like to do it that way. Then you could send me the money for postage and the bracelet and I’d ship it. It looks like you’re international. I could PM my PayPal account to you. Anyway, just a thought but I’d be happy to do that. Or I can also take a pic and send that. Please don’t get your hopes up. Like I said I’m not planning on being near there, and now that it’s no longer the tourist season there are much fewer vendors than in the summer. The guy might not be back there until next summer. Another question: it was a sidewalk vendor, right? Not a store in a fixed building? From your description I’m thinking sidewalk vendor. Did he have his wares on a table, or down on the sidewalk, or on a cart? Anyway let me know. ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/5 "2014-12-05T07:15:06Z")
Excellent questions, thanks for taking the time to write them out. Here’s what I remember - these were those woven bracelets, and probably only cost a few dollars. The name was woven into it. Looking online to show you an example, I found this: [http://www.wovenjoy.com/name\_bracelet.php](http://www.wovenjoy.com/name_bracelet.php) It was certainly something like that. Now that I think about it, I could certainly order from there, but that wouldn’t be nearly as cool as getting something that already said Toby on it. (It would have been certainly better if I hadn’t lost it, but my time machine is in the shop). He was a side walk vendor, selling the stuff outside, on some kind of stand. Again, no need to ask him to make it, but if he happened to have one ready for anyone to just buy it, that would be amazing. I do live overseas, and would be happy to pay by PayPal to you or anyone else who could pick it up. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/6 "2014-12-05T12:35:56Z")
Helpful info. Thanks. Especially the picture. If I go there tonight and see it, I’ll get it. Either way I’ll let you know. I’ll watch this thread to see if any other SF Dopers are nearby and can check. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/7 "2014-12-05T15:31:22Z")
Hoping for a nice happy ending to this thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/8 "2014-12-06T11:38:58Z")
Alas, it was later at night than planned when I got to San Francisco, around 9:30pm. I wasn’t able to go there, sorry. ☹ Another San Franciscan will have to step up. Or, just buy it online. Good luck, **curwin**. ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-san-francisco-dopers-out-there-who-can-do-me-a-favor/706326/9 "2014-12-06T15:57:50Z")
Thanks anyway!