No, this isn’t some kind of joke; your eyes do not deceive. There exists such a thing as Justin Bieber trading cards. I accidentally clicked onto the TicketMaster merchandise store while looking for some tickets and found this little gem. A quick google search proved their authenticity. Available in classics such as “Spiderbieber,” “Bieberhulk,” and my personal favorite, “Superbieber,” they’re sure to please anyone with a slow and painful death wish. In case the image seared into your retinas from the card wasn’t enough, a free sticker is thrown in with every pack, allowing for plenty of masochistic fun to go around. These are sure to be a huge seller this holiday season, so be sure to pick up your pack before the spring brush fire rush. Head over to Amazon, where there seem to be quite a few used packs on sale.

In a day and age where almost everything is produced entirely by automated machine, it’s nice to find something that has a bit of a human touch to it. As previously mentioned, a few months back I attended a local craft show here in Boston. There was a lot of great stuff there, from furniture, to jewelry, to some odds and ends. Perhaps one of the more popular, and interesting, booths at the show was a man who produced wooden objects. Items, such as spoons, forks, glasses, etc, that were typically made from various metals, had been crafted, largely by hand, from hardwood. I picked up a set of utensils, and went home to see what else was out there (as every great purchase starts out by).

Despite not really drinking coffee or tea, coffee cups are my weakness. It’s only natural then, that I’d be drawn to a wooden coffee mug. The problem with this is that, while it sounds like it would be a popular item, it apparently isn’t. There are only a handful made, and most of them are either poor quality (mass produced), look like crap, or not for sale. Luckily, I found one that had none of these issues. Read more

A free year of Amazon Prime, what more could you really ask for? For those of you who don’t know, Amazon Prime is a paid service (~$75 a year) that basically gives you free upgraded shipping. It’s a great idea; you pay a little up front, and have the potential to save a ton on an otherwise costly service. I wouldn’t mind paying yearly fee for it except A) Amazon gives you free shipping on most orders anyways and B) I don’t really need $75 worth of rush shipping a year.

I was clicking around looking for some present ideas and came across something interesting: Amazon Student. In essence, it’s a free year of Amazon Prime offered to anyone with a .edu address. You fill out a short form, basically name, school, and email, and click on a confirmation email sent to your school address. They add on a year of Prime for free, and you’re done. I still had access to my old .edu address, so I took advantage of that with no issues. I get free two-day shipping and $4 overnight shipping, with some other minor benefits.

Link: http://amazon.com/student

You’re never too old for Legos. Never. I payed a visit to my local Lego store to kill some time and came across a couple of keychains (I’m a sucker for Star Wars stuff). As I was paying, got asked if I was interested in becoming a Lego VIP member. You get points for shopping in store or on line, and can redeem them for cash off or various items, with membership being completely free. Got some bonus points for signing up on the spot, and I’m already more then 50% of the way to my first reward.

In other news, is there a reason why buying a toy in otherwise generic pieces that you have to assemble yourself through some complicated means direction is MORE expensive then just buying the finished made product? You actually have to pay to do more work.