Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with goods

What items get better with use?

Earl the Polliwog — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:36:35 -0800

Which products or goods improve with age and use? Most things degrade with time, and a few are built well enough to not noticeaby decline in functionality when used properly. But how many actually get better after they have been used? I'm mostly thinking of items whose improvement requires use, although age can be a factor too.

For example, Chinese zisha (purple clay) teapots are said to improve over time. As tea is brewed in them, the semi-porous clay absorbs some tea particles, and a patina develops on the walls of the pot. This is supposed to enhance flavor when you brew new tea.

Help Me Find This Mug's Sucessor

mccn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:43:25 -0800

Can someone tell me if MiGo still makes this screwtop travel mug (which doesn't leak and can be put into a backpack) with a rubber gasket top? At Christmas, 2002, my then-fiance bought me some coffee supplies, including a black rubber and plastic mug made by MiGo. (I think from Target.) I was gracious about it, of course, but not too excited - I usually hate travel mugs.

But this one was different. The top lid assembled in two pieces. When you screwed the lid onto the cup, it became leak-proof; the seal was tight, and I could throw a full mug of coffee into my overlarge handbag on my way to work. The mug quickly became my new favorite possession.

Sadly, after many moves and a graduate degree, a piece of plastic on the inside broke, and I haven't been able to use the mug for 5 years. I couldn't bear to throw it out - it was the best thing I'd ever found, and that includes the vacuum flask I grumpily use now. But searches were fruitless. I located one website that discussed MiGo's partnership with a company that made industrial gaskets, and I figured that this extraordinary screwtop came from there. But I haven't seen it on MiGo's product pages since - or at least I don't think I have; the travel mugs there now seem to have ordinary push-on lids (the kind where you can't turn the mug upside down).

Can I find a replacement mug? I looked at the thread on recommendations for new ones, and might just try to go with one of those if I can't find this one. But MeFi is my last hope for trying to track down The Best Coffee Mug Ever made! Can you help?

Cheap, online electrical retailers in france?

handee — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:51:44 -0800

I'm in France, and I need to buy a washing machine, and maybe a TV. I am going to need it/them delivered. Can anyone recommend an online retailer? Cheap is good.

Help me find products that are universally considered the best in their category.

tusharj — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:51:32 -0800

I am looking for the best consumer products in its category that is universally recognised, as long as it is in a reasonable price, ie not several times more expensive than the competition. While Mac OSX, the Dyson vaccuum cleaner, Blackberry smartphones, Moleskine Notebooks are obvious examples, Axiom Audio(audiophile speakers at fabulous value for money), Michel Thomas Language learning CDs, or Fujitsu Scansnap scanners are not so well known. Generally, products that get off the chart rating in unbiased reviews, but are not well known in the mainstream. I am listing several categories here of things that I would be interested in knowing about, but it need not be limited to that. What I am interested to know is that one item that once someone switches to using it, it is so superior to the competition that you will not use anything else. Of course, their maybe a premium to the product, but it should not be several times the price of the competition. I am more interested to know of products that are not mainstream, that everyone doesnt know of. for example for toothpaste, I am not interested to hear of Colgate, but some amazing Aloe Vera Ayurveda Toothpaste which is universally recognised by its users as being the best.
I am listing some categories here, but the answers need not be limited to just these categories.
Toiletries: Shampoos, Soaps, Toothpaste, Shaving Cream, Hair Gel, Razors, etc.
Electronics: TVs, Amplifiers, Speakers, Printers, Scanners
Books: Travel Guides, Cookbooks , Language Learning
Stationary: Pens, Diaries, Journals, Paints, etc.
Miscellaneous: Luggage, Underwear, Swimming Trunks, Exercise Machines, etc.

eBay and counterfeit goods.

pdb — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:14:29 -0800

Should I send my counterfeit goods back? About a month ago, I bought something on eBay because the price seemed too good to be true. Which, of course, it turned out to be. Shortly after "winning" the item, I was notified by eBay that the item I had purchased was "under investigation", which along with the fact that my auction was never listed under "my eBay" as having been won, indicated to me that I was probably buying something counterfeit. I paid with PayPal, so I opened up a dispute with them so I could get my money back, since I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to get the item for which I had paid. We went back and forth a bit, during which time I attempted to contact the seller with no luck, but ultimately, I got my money refunded. End of story, or so I thought.

About two weeks after all that, I got a package in the mail from China, containing the item that I had purchased - and, sure enough, one simple glance confirmed that it was counterfeit. I figured, whatever - I got my money back, PayPal considers the matter closed, chalk this one up to experience and move on. I reported the item as being counterfeit to the makers of the real item, and went on with my life.

Fast forward to today. I get an email from the seller which says:

"dear friend:

i am sorry to trouble you.the money have been return to your paypal account. if you receive the items and you like the items.could you pay the money to me again? If you no like please return the items to me."

The fishy thing is, the name on the email matches the seller's name, but the email account is totally different. What is my obligation here? I still have the item, but since what I received is not what I paid for (the ebay ad claimed that it was a genuine item, and it clearly is not), do I still have to return it? I'd just as soon throw the thing away and forget all about it, but I want to make sure that there is no recourse for the seller here if I ignore the email that was sent to me.

It should be noted here that I understand that a line on an eBay sales item screen is by no means a guarantee. I'm not upset, I don't feel like I was taken advantage of, I just want to know how much attention I need to pay to the person that wants me to send back their cheap knockoff goods.

Towels should last x months.

backseatpilot — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:21:02 -0800

What's the typical usable life of common household items? I was thinking specifically about textiles when I was mulling this over - how often should one replace sheets, towels, pillows, etc? My question is more along the lines of, "At what point does a towel simply not dry you well enough to warrant getting rid of it?" rather than "How long will a towel last before it disintegrates?"

As I don't own my own home, I'm sure there are other household items that also need to be replaced on a regular or semi-regular basis - air filters? water heaters? windows? What about more mundane things like undergarments, sponges, dish rags, sneakers? Anything you could think of that is household-related, I'm interested in what its typical lifespan is.

What do we need before the little guy arrives?

zardoz — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:59:15 -0800

Me and the Mrs. will be having our first child in late March. We've already bought a few clothes and miscellaneous items, but I'd like to know what should we get now? Parents, what are some things (like bottles, strollers, bouncy seats, etc.) that you wish you had had on Day One but didn't? The baby is a boy. Here's what we have so far:

-About 15 or so linen diapers. We'll use them as much as possible, while the kid is still more or less homebound, before moving onto disposables. Do we need a lot more of these?
-A baby carrier/shoulder carrier. We live in a large city, and this will be handy when walking around crowded city streets.
-A crib. We just bought this online, hasn't arrived yet.
-A few shirt/bodysuit(?) things.

We are thinking about buying but don't know much about:

1) Baby bottles and hot water warmers. What else is crucial with baby bottles?
2) A sort of ring pillow for my wife's sore back after the delivery, one that can also help when breastfeeding (actually I dunno what the wife is talking about here; maybe someone else does)
3) A baby bathtub...is this even necessary? When I was a baby my mom would wash me in the kitchen sink.
4) Clothing...how much should we get?
5) A bouncy seat. I hear the ones that vibrate are a lifesaver...are they worth it?

I should point out there will be no Western-style shower, so we don't expect to receive much in terms of gifts.

Thanks!

Retails sales are down, so where are the bargains?

abdulf — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:06:34 -0800

If retailers are being hit hard with a recession, then why am I not finding bargains? If retail sales are falling, and businesses are posting losses or cutting forecasts, then why am I not finding great bargains?

I guess a "bargain" is a subjective term. But surely there are deals to be had in this economic environment for the people who can spend?

For example - I am looking to buy/rent the following:
1. winter coat, boots (anything suitable an icy/windy winter)
2. point and shoot digital camera (Canon SD 750 or similar)
3. blackberry/smartphone/new cell service (currently with Sprint)
4. new apartment (Amarillo, TX)
5. car maintenance (timing belt/waterpump for 2000 Camry)

None of these good or services seem significantly discounted compared to when I saw them years ago. I've casually looked through sites like slickdeals.net and Black Friday ads. It looks like the same kind of stuff I've seen before.

So maybe I'm not buying the right kinds of goods and services in this economy?

Perhaps the discounts I seek don't come from business cycles but from events like seasonal changes and clearing old inventory.

Or maybe the items I'm buying have prices built in from before the financial crisis?

What realiable durable goods wouuld you recommend?

lpctstr; — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:54:45 -0800

This week a lot of things I own have worn out or have broke, and many of my other belongings will probably "expire" in the next year or so. No big deal, but what I'd like to do is purchase high quality durable goods that will last 5+ years. I'm also concerned of possible hyperinflation so I don't mind spending. What realiable durable goods would you buy? The past few weeks, a bunch of things have needed replacing:
- wallet
- speakers
- laser pointer/flashlight
- pepper mill
- ups battery backup
- sneakers
- laptop
- external hard drive
- umbrella

Most of my other possessions are nearly worn out as well, and I even have some new things that I know will not be working in a few years (projector bulb). Another example, I opened up my tin of about a hundred various pens and most of them don't write.

Some things I own have lasted a long time and still work great:
- hard anodized cookware, abused over and over
- medium-expensive casio watch, worn every day
- silverware, corelle plates/bowls, pedrini waiter corkscrew

I live in Seattle, if that affects anything.

What other consumer goods have "premium" versions that are identical to the budget version?

andrewzipp — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:43:26 -0800

The only difference between regular vodka and super premium vodka is the price. Double shielded, gold plated speaker cables work just as well as cheap ones. What other consumer goods have "premium" versions that are identical to the budget version? I'm not really looking for a debate on cables or liqour, just examples where packaging and price tag determine the difference on bulk goods.

Can I give them money?

jimmy0x52 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:07:13 -0800

Can I donate proceeds of the sale of something to a presidential candidate? If I sell a good and/or service can I legally donate a portion of what I make to a presidential candidate and also ADVERTISE that I am doing this to potentially increase sales?

I wouldn't see why not - but didn't know if the MeFi's knew if I could do this?

Makeup lessons for my girlfriend

bobadoci — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:17:22 -0800

My girlfriend admittedly struggles with makeup, so her routine is quite simple. Can anybody in the New York area recommend a great place to learn how to apply makeup, get makeup tips, and purchase makeup in person with a stylist. I am looking for a business, stylist, or salon in Manhattan. Excellent customer service is key and somewhere they will take the time to teach (willing to pay for lessons) here how and what makeup to apply and not something like going to Macy's to the makeup counter. Open to paying for lessons, makeovers, etc. Any ideas?

Help me find shoes!

jujube — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:39:20 -0800

Help me find durable, comfortable, wear-to-the-office women's shoes in a style that won't look dated in a few years. I don't enjoy shoe shopping, but I don't mind investing the time to find a good pair of shoes. But what drives me really really nuts is that the shoes last only about a year or at most 2 years and then I have to start all over again. Help me find some durable office shoes please! I prefer shoes that have a little bit of a heel (2-3 inches) in a classic style that won't look dated the next season--something like this or this.

I've also looked at this post about classic styles and this and this, and other similar posts that are helpful for finding specific styles or comfort, do not address the durability issue.

By durable, I mean shoes that will last me at least 5 years. I know it's possible because I have some shoes that are more than 10 years old and still look great (with a few re-soles and re-heels in between). I know, you might think, hey, why don't I buy more pairs of those shoes that have lasted me long? Well, I bought them in either Europe or Asia, and they aren't the famous brands that sell here in the Northeast US. The one pair of durable US bought shoes that I own were bought back in the 1990s, and are made by a company that's changed their profile in terms of the type of shoes it sells.

So, hivemind, it's up to you. Recommend some shoes!

A British Bed Bath & Beyond?

awesomebrad — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:19:30 -0800

I'm moving to London, and need to find a home goods store. I'm going to be landing in London on Saturday morning, at which point I'll need to pick up some essential home goods that I'll be needing that night (pillow, towels, etc.). Whenever I've needed such things in the past, Bed Bath & Beyond here in the states has done me very well. Is there something similar in the UK? So many bonus points if it's within reasonable walking distance (I'm a walker) or easily accessible via public transit for this jet lagged and disoriented foreigner; my postcode is WC1V 7AA, pretty much directly between the Holborn and Tottenham Court Road tube stops.

And I'm on a budget.

Also, I know Oxford Street's right there, but for the life of me I can't find any info on any such shops around it. Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Is there anywhere to buy counterfeit goods in Portland, Oregon?

cmonkey — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:30:10 -0800

Are there any stores that sell counterfeit goods in Portland, Oregon? Not counterfeit DVDs and CDs that are often sold at "swap meets", but larger consumer items like watches or home electronics. I know that intentionally buying counterfeit items is illegal, so I won't actually purchase anything, but this post made me curious.

Yet another Seattle tourist question, but this time involving parking and recreation equipment.

johnstein — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:19:58 -0800

So one of my buddies back East is flying out here to Seattle tomorrow on business (he's an apparel designer looking for cool inspirational ideas that he hopes Seattle can offer). Where should I take him? I know this question has been asked several times already, but I have a couple specific questions.

1) he is doing research for his apparel company. Basically looking for cool outdoorsy gear, shoes, clothes. He's already planning to hit up the big REI store downtown, but where else might he be able to pick up some cool inspirational stuff with an outdoor, modern, even xtreme sportsy feel to it?

2) I live 20 minutes North and will be taking the 358 South bus into downtown while he's staying in a hotel in Renton. Where is a really easy place to meet up on a Saturday morning. That is, where is an easy parking spot for him near a easily recognizable location? oh, and since I haven't entered the 20th century and got myself a cell phone, we can't "cheat" and call each other when we get close.

Thanks

Food safety for canned goods and extreme temperatures

wildblueyonder — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:12:02 -0800

Is well-canned food that has sat around in extreme temperatures safe? I recently bought some canned goods, let them sit in the back seat of my car in 100+ degree temperatures, and when I went to pick them out, they were painfully hot to the touch. Would this alter their safety for consumption?

Looking for a trade-board web solution

gren — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 05:07:55 -0800

I am looking for a web-based solution to use as a community services/goods trade board *other* than phpbb, something more akin to ebay...my google skills are failing me... The things I would like to have are:

User profiles/services/goods sorting by user
The ability to show images
Showing things as done/taken

Does anything like this exist in a php/sql like form? Your help is greatly appreciated!!

From China

Napierzaza — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:03:05 -0800

I have a friend coming in from China in a few weeks and they offered to get me anything I wanted (cheap of course). But I'm stumped, what is really good that is made from China that I can ask for?