Fender: Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty Fenders

I've always liked Fender. I'm not the biggest Hello Kitty fan on the planet, but this famous kitty logo has been around for ages and has come a long way, and it looks neat. I was delighted when I first knew about these guitars and bass guitars (currently the bass is the Badtz-Maru brand) a couple of years back.

The Hello Kitty Fenders come in pink or black. Those two colours always make a cool and rocking combination. These are some of the specs of the Hello Kitty Stratocaster --

* script Hello Kitty logo artwork on back of pink body
* collage Hello Kitty logo artwork on back of black body
* white knob on pink guitar
* black knob on black guitar
* pink dot position inlays on pink guitar (a tiny but sassy detail)

The site also has a "Fender Players Club", where you can learn the basics of guitar playing. There's a lesson on playing the riffs from "Just a Girl" by No Doubt, and "What's My Age Again?" by Blink-182 for bass players.

Sidenote: Now I know Gwen Stefani is a fashion icon and all, but I really miss her during the No Doubt days, and if you or anyone you know thinks that Blink-182 is what real punk is about, please listen to The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, to get started ;).

The website also has wallpapers -- including a gorgeous closeup of the back of the Hello Kitty black guitar.

Martial Arts Supplies

Black Display Samurai Sword Set

KarateDepot.com has a huge collection of goodies for the martial arts practitioner and/or enthusiast. This samurai sword set can be used for actual practice, or as a decoration for one's home.

The set comes with three beautifully crafted stainless steel "sharp" swords -- they are crafted to look and feel like authentic samurai swords. The scabbards are polished black lacquered wood, and the gold coloured handguard against the black handle catches even the smallest glimmers of light.

The swords included are the Katana (general term for single-edged sword), Wakizashi (similar to but shorter than a katana), and Tanto Black (has a thick pointed blade) Display Samurai Swords.



A real Wakizashi-style sword mounting, Edo period, 19th century


There are also gift items like the really cute Karate Bear. The plush bear from Boyd's Bears stands at 8" (20cm) tall and is dressed in an authentic karate uniform with a black belt. The bear is of the same quality and attention to detail that Boyd's Bears is famous for.

KarateDepot's whole range of martial arts supplies includes uniforms and sparring/training gear, to exercise equipment like leather jump ropes and deluxe exercise mats.

Guitar Collectibles

Flying V Style Black

Baby Axe manufactures miniature guitar collectibles. The range includes the Stratocaster (by Fender) and the Rickenbacker. The guitars are associated with the world's most famous musical artistes, including Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, John Lennon, and Noel Gallagher.

The Baby Axe guitars look extremely realistic. I didn't even know they were miniature collectibles at first. The guitars are approximately 10 inches (25.4 cm), and come in a simulated aluminium case box. The guitars are made from the finest quality material -- such as high-quality fibre -- which makes them feel a bit heavier than they might look.

In the 1960s, the Flying V style (featured in the above picture) became a statement of individualism and creativity. More recently, it has been used by Lenny Kravitz.

There's also a cool Harley Davidson Fender. Each retails for about £23.

These are droolworthy gifts for music lovers, or people who are into rock music.

You might want to include a note though, that the guitars *are* miniature instruments, and cannot be physically played.

Shakespeare's Den

Smart Gifts for Intelligent People

I absolutely love this huge website (their storefront header is spiffy too!).

Shakespeare's Den can easily boast about having the largest collection of Shakespeare related gifts and merchandise, available on the internet.

Classics and hot favourites include The Shakespeare’s Quips, Cusses, and Curses Quiz Deck, and in fact, there's an entire section of products devoted to Shakepeare's Insults.

Here are some of the insults featured on the Shakespeare's Insults T-shirt:

* You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian!
* False of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand
* Idol of idiot-worshippers
* I do desire we may be better strangers

The food products (like mints and teas) come in very attractive, charming packaging that any Shakespeare fan would appreciate.

You can even search for gifts based on the plays - Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, and so on.

Gifts like the hilarious "To Pee, or Not To Pee" baby bodysuit is a simplified version of the epic quotation, suitably so for the much younger crowds.

Celtic Attic

I've always loved the products on CelticAttic. I also really enjoyed playing chess as a kid, and probably still would if I actually did have a chess set. It's just not the same playing it online (though it makes a just barely suitable substitute)!

The chess sets available on this website are exactly what I'd like a chess set to look and be like. This is the Mandarin Ivory chess set which features detailed pieces in both ivory-like and Hong Tze finishes. It's priced at US$55. They also have a drop-dead gorgeous medieval dragon chess set which is going for US$106.

Hong Tze is a special stone found in the Sou mountains of China. It has a deep red color. Sculptures and items made of Hong Tze are polished to further bring out the intense, deep red.

Book Wyrms

Book Wyrms 1: Tender is the Knight

These fine gift collectibles would make a lovely gift for bookworms, that are fantasy/dragon lovers too!

The one in the picture is by Andrew Bill, a sculptor of dragon figurines.

His Book Wyrms I series, which features four very nice dragons, were actually made to fit together in a row. Book Wyrms II follows this pattern as well. The brilliant, colorful dragons are made from a cold cast resin, and hand painted with much attention to detail. Each order comes packaged in a neat box that looks like a pile of books.

The dragons are cleverly named. In Book Wyrms I, they're called White Fang, Drakes of Wrath, Lord of the Wings, and Tender is the Knight. The dragons in Book Wyrms II are Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger, Gone with the Wind, Black Beauty, and My Friend Flicker.

There are many more products found at IBelieveCollectibles.com.

Fairy cards and tins feature the mystical artwork of Nene Thomas, Amy Brown, and Jessica Galbreth. 2008 Calendars are available in limited quantities as well, so it'd be best to order early to avoid heartache at a later date.

I Believe Collectibles was created to provide a retail outlet for high quality collectibles where magic could be created everyday. They sure are meeting their goal of bringing joy and enchantment into the world, by offering unique items from all over the fantasy realm.

Hello Dolly

These dolls are really collectors' items. Beautifully sculptured by Jan McLean of NZ. You really have to look at them all at her website. http://www.janmcleandolls.com/

Those Good Old Days

If you thought coin operated dispensers are something recent, think again. Just look at this 1 cent, (that's right - 1 cent) coin-operated machine. And guess what it dispenses - cigarettes! At that price you'd lose a lot of money operating such a machine today. But the machine itself is a collector's item, and maybe you know someone who'd like one of these to add to their collection. This would really make a unique gift! Available at http://www.decospirit.com/