# Tell us about a product that you were pleasantly surprised by its usefulness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838 "2022-09-19T16:15:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/181 "2023-01-17T16:24:08Z")
A cousin who does business in China said something to my mother about how manufactured goods were put in one of three groups based on quality. The first rate stuff would go to the United States, the second rate stuff would go to a lesser market and the third rate stuff would go to a still lesser market. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/182 "2023-01-17T16:44:11Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Went to my local Dollar Tree and could not find any backscratchers. Y’all are making me jealous. Here I am using a fork, or a (capped!) ballpoint pen, like some kind of heathen barbarian peasant. Isn’t that what door jambs are for? Scratching one’s back? Yeah, so you look like Baloo in Disney’s “Jungle Book”. Gets the job done! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/183 "2023-01-17T19:48:34Z")
Rustic artisanal backscratchers. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/184 "2023-01-17T19:49:49Z")
Rusty anal backscratchers? ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/185 "2023-01-17T20:56:38Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Went to my local Dollar Tree and could not find any backscratchers. Found mine at, of all places, my local Ace hardware store. A couple bucks, works _just right_. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/186 "2023-01-17T21:13:29Z")
I have never used or wanted a backscratcher in my life. I’m amused that they are so popular. I am afraid to try one and kick off a habit. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/187 "2023-01-17T23:14:04Z")
Yeesh. Maybe you guys are just exposed to a lot more _quid pro quo_, but my back hardly ever itches. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/188 "2023-01-17T23:40:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I am afraid to try one and kick off a habit. I had a roomie move out and leave a back scratcher. I give it a thumbs up, but it’s the cat that developed the habit. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/189 "2023-01-18T00:45:49Z")
I use a hairbrush or comb. More points mean less need for accuracy! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/190 "2023-01-18T00:58:27Z")
Well, I’ve got no one around to scratch my back for me, so I use the scissors. It’s not so much that my back itches all that much, although it does itch; it’s that the feeling of being scratched is _pleasurable_. It does feel better when it’s a person doing the scratching. One friend scratched my back so long they decided they had to stop because they thought they were close to drawing blood. Yes, my back was bare. As I recall, they scratched for almost an hour. And we’re not talking deep gouging type scratches, the pressure was pretty light most of the time. I enjoyed every minute and was rather sorry it stopped. I had to admit that it might be time to stop after an hour and the possibility of blood, but I was still sorry it stopped. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/191 "2023-01-18T11:37:02Z")
I have two backscratchers, one within reach when I am at my desk, the other when I am on my bed. This thread reminds me of the Seinfeld bit where Kramer, in Jerry’s kitchen, grabbed a spatula and gave his back a vigorous scratching, then tried to return it. Jerry: “You keep it.” mmm ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/192 "2023-01-18T12:26:03Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I’ve got no one around to scratch my back for me My gf back is itchy in the winter. She asks me to scratch her back, and also to apply expensive moisturizer. She gets annoyed with me because I scrub my hands with harsh soap to get the moisturizer off. I always tell her I’m moist enough. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/193 "2023-01-18T14:44:56Z")
Probably the modern ones all do. Mine dates from about 2014 though, and AFAIK it’s the last of the non-backlit ones. (it’s a 7th Generation model, non-Paperwhite). ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838/194 "2023-01-19T01:48:22Z")
I was in the hospital last weekend, and my back starting itching. I was trying to talk myself out of calling for a nurse to come scratch my back, when I remembered that they had given me a short-handled comb (along with a toothbrush and toothpaste). It turned out to be just the right length to reach the itchy spot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-about-a-product-that-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by-its-usefulness/971838.md?page=9)