The catalog is from my favorite “toy” company-Hammacher Schlemmer, Hammacher Schlemmer - The Unexpected Gifts -Hammacher Schlemmer. I have been a fan of this place for many years, because they always come up with fun stuff you never knew yow wanted…until you saw it for the first time there.
What one gift from that catalog would you like to get as a gift? What item would put a big grin on your face?
My choice would be the Helicycle, I think.
And you?
The Authentic Pac-Man Arcade
The long reach hedge trimmers. Coincidentally, my gf has been looking at them form various sources to trim a beautiful weeping willow we have. We have a long pole chainsaw already. When can I pick this up?
I’ll take the $10,000 aqua-gym. Work and play!
I almost went with the rechargeable mini chainsaw, only because it would have been useful when I pruned my tree recently. But that’s boring, and at under $100 I can just buy one for myself if I really want; I don’t need to receive it as a gift.
So if you’re getting it for me as a gift, and I can have literally anything from the catalogue, I’ve got to go with the Flying Hovercraft.
I wonder how quickly that goes through gasoline. A friend has an amazing fast speedboat. He gets a support crew together once a year to survey sections of the river. He speeds along a 5 mile course, turns around and returns.
It’s breathtaking, but then he has to throw a party for his crew and work on the (antique) boat’s engine for a few days, then bed it down. He burns a couple hundred dollars of marine gas in a few minutes.
That device will “easily cut through branches up to 5/8” diam.".
To which I say, Diam!
First I wanted the baseball glove chair, then I saw the baseball chair, and I couldn’t decide. The glove looks a little more comfortable (it’s $2000 more comfortable!) so I’ll go with that, please. PM me for my address.
The references to the “Hammacher Schlemmer Institute” are hilarious. We’re supposed to imagine some sort of think tank full of nerds evaluating potential products, while it’s more likely someone looking through the Alibaba website for products that they could sell.
Up until yesterday the Five Person Exploration Submarine looked like a good choice.
I almost went with this (who didn’t dream of owning a flying hovercraft as a kid?) but then I saw the London Taxi:
What a great commute car! And then, after retirement, if I want to pick up some extra cash, what Uber level is this, Uber Platinum?
But I also have some questions:
Is the Pepperphile’s Peppermill designed to be used as a bludgeon when guests laugh at the Pepperphile during dinner?
Is the Celebrity Robotic Avatar Tom Hanks or is it Paulie Shore?
Does the Killer Whale Submarine run on seals?
Finally, is the Self Contained Hootenanny a whole lot of hoot and just a little bit of nanny, or vice versa?
I actually almost picked the London taxi, but… hovercraft! And it flies!
I always thought it would be fun to use an old Checker taxi as in Uber, although I’m pretty sure in reality Uber has rules about how old your vehicle can be.
Don’t those ride shares have a limit to how old your car can be? Be funny to be rejected because your authentic London taxi is from the 80s.
[Edit: Semi-Ninja’d!]
That peppermill caught my attention as well. In a world full of many stupid things, it manages to stand out. Where does one store a three-foot-tall peppermill? And I don’t care how much you love pepper, unless you are running a restaurant you can’t possibly go through two pounds of the stuff so fast that it won’t start to lose its potency and fresh aroma before you empty it. Also, it’s got to be incredibly awkward to use. The thing weighs 7 pounds empty!
It’s hard to believe that one isn’t an April Fool’s joke, but … I guess it is for real?
Huge catalog that I haven’t had time to thoroughly search, but after a quick browse I’m torn between the practical
and the less practical
Because I also arrived at that same conclusion before reading the replies, I think we came up with the correct answer. I can’t wait to see my wife’s reaction upon seeing it (and the receipt)!
The two-person transparent kayak looks good.
The massive massage chair. I’ve wanted one of those for decades.
The realistic flying RC Eagle looks good and on sale for $149.95!
I’ve requested a paper copy of the catalog for more leisurely drooling.