Low prices, high quality!

Some businesses quietly raise their prices then have 'sales' - we haven't raised the prices on most of our items in over four years. People appreciate honesty in pricing and real bargains, not false savings.

Combine this with our flat-rate *Shipping (same price to ship one or 100 items) and this affords you a great way to get more for your money.

We stock a large variety of hard-to-find, high quality items: magnifiers and loupes, microscopes, micrometers and calipers.

Many of the items are used by schools for crafts and science projects (check out our As-Is section).

Collectors and hand-crafters find our magnifiers and microscopes quite useful to see minute details or check for markings.

Professional printers will find a wide range of magnifiers - some designed to keep in their pockets thoughout the day to check print registration and dot patterns as well as many press and pre-press items.


*in the continental U.S.

National Business Media (NBM); Long Beach, CA; July 30 - Aug. 1, 2009

More information: http://www.nbmshows.com/

From the expo producers:

The Sign Business & Digital Graphics Show, The PrintWear Show, and The Awards & Engraving Show – all under one roof!

For anyone involved with awards and recognition products, custom gifts, promotional products, screen printing, digital textile printing, heat-applied graphics, signs and banners – this is THE place to go this summer to focus on your primary market while also researching complimentary products.

Three days of exhibits and a four-day Education Conference with seminars and workshops.

From us:

Don't forget! When it comes to handing out a promotional item, you want something your prospects and customers will keep and use – something of real value! Refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs (the ordinary advertising specialty products) simply don’t cut it anymore.Our custom imprint magnifiers and production tools are sold exclusively through our distributors. Call your advertising specialty distributor or contact us for a referral to one in your area.

Unique Stereoscope (3-D) Viewer

3-D is back! Movies, TV, comic books - you can even use Stereoscopes to view images on the Internet! These are sometimes known as ‘3-D viewers’ – and as a children’s toy ‘View-Master.’

One inventive customer called us to see if we had any loose lenses – he wanted to make his own Stereoscope. He was extremely happy when we were able to help him with his project – so happy, in fact, that he sent us one of the homemade wooden stereoscopes he’d made. We thought it was pretty impressive and decided to let other people know how to do this.

Instructions for making your own stereoscope viewer: http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/stscp/stscp.htm, http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Stereoscope. Please contact us to see if we have any loose lenses available and you too can make your own Stereoscope!

There are Stereographic clubs all over the world and competitions for those interested in making their own Stereo or 3-D images: http://www.stereoscopy.com/isu/memberclubs.html

Stereoscopes have been used and enjoyed by U.S. Presidents and British royalty - in 1851 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert observed one at the London Crystal Palace Exposition and were later presented with one for their own personal use. They come in many shapes and sizes and have developed over the decades to include ones that now can be used to view 3-D images on computer monitors: http://cprr.org/Museum/Ephemera/Stereo-Viewers.html, http://home.centurytel.net/s3dcor/sgraph.htm, http://www.ignomini.com/photographica/3dhandviewers.html

If you would like to know more about this unique hobby there are lots of web-sites but these will help you get started: http://www.stereoscopy.com/, http://www.bitwise.net/~ken-bill/stereo.htm, http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/stereosc.htm, http://www.arts.rpi.edu/~ruiz/stereo_history/text/historystereog.html, http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/r_virt_mm5.html, http://www.cinti.net/~vmmasell/Viewers.html

Need an easy way to find a conversion?

Here's a super easy way to figure out inches to centimeters, mils to microns, points for paper thickness and lots of other measurements - our Measurement Converter.



Bookmark this page so you can find it when you need it! Saves time and effort - and eliminates guesswork.

Print 09, Chicago; September 11 - 16, 2009

More information: http://www.print09.com/

From the expo producers:

This year's show aptly themed "myPRINT" is like none other with an expanded focus on new market segments and the latest technological developments from leading industry suppliers.

See all the latest Show Press Releases:
April 30, 2009: GASC ANNOUNCES "ECONOMIC STIMULUS" PLAN FOR PRINT 09 EXHIBITORS
March 16, 2009: PRINT 09 ANNOUNCES MEDIA DAYS FOR INDUSTRY EDITORS
March 3, 2009: EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK 09 TO PINPOINT BIGGEST TRENDS, TECHNOLOGIES AND STRATGIES TO PREPARE FOR A RECOVERY ECONOMY

Along with the regular session series, this year there are double-session series where highly focused seminars run twice as long as a regular seminar because the nature of their topic simply demands it. Instructors will cover the topic thoroughly.

This year MFSA has produced a special series of seminars focused on helping solve issues faced by mailing and fulfillment centers as well as how to get started in offering mailing and fulfillment services.

There will also be Computer labs, Print Buyers Boot Camp, ideal for Entry-Level to Junior Level Print Buyers, and Print Buyers Forum, designed for the high-end, ultra-experienced print buyer interested in the latest technology and new media—and how they will affect them.


From us:

Don't forget! When it comes to handing out a promotional item, you want something your prospects and customers will keep and use – something of real value! Refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs (the ordinary advertising specialty products) simply don’t cut it anymore.Our custom imprint magnifiers and production tools are sold exclusively through our distributors. Call your advertising specialty distributor or contact us for a referral to one in your area.

PrintSynergy 2009 & 2009 IADD/FSEA Odyssey, May 6 – 9, 2009

More information: http://www.piag.org/public/150.cfm

From the expo producers:

These two industry-specific events are in the same location and their dates will overlap to bring the best value and benefits for many niche areas. Traditional and digital processes including label printing, wide-format, package printing (among others), and diecutting, diemaking, foil stamping and embossing will be presented.

Come explore the latest technologies, discover answers to operational challenges.


From us:

Don't forget! When it comes to handing out a promotional item, you want something your prospects and customers will keep and use – something of real value! Refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs (the ordinary advertising specialty products) simply don’t cut it anymore.Our custom imprint magnifiers and production tools are sold exclusively through our distributors. Call your advertising specialty distributor or contact us for a referral to one in your area.

ISA International Sign Expo, April 15 – 18, 2009

More information: http://www.signexpo.org/default.aspx

From the expo producers:
Pre-Conference Interactive Workshop, April 15 - “Manage and Grow Your Sign Business in a Challenging Economy” with a panel of seasoned industry executives will provide proven tips and tools to help you stabilize and grow your business in these lean times. Presenters are Troy Crocker of Sign Faces, Mike Lauretano of Lauretano Sign Group, and Scott Gardner of Gardner Signs Inc.

Keynote speaker on April 17, Jim "JT" Tatem, United Franchise Group Brand Director - Learn the “5 Thrive Strategies” which equip you to: Focus on doing impactful things first. Go forward by letting go of the mistakes of the past. Build an unstoppable team of individuals who strive to take responsibility. Break free of limiting beliefs that keep you constrained to your current results.

From us:
Don't forget! When it comes to handing out a promotional item, you want something your prospects and customers will keep and use – something of real value! Refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs (the ordinary advertising specialty products) simply don’t cut it anymore.

Our custom imprint magnifiers and production tools are sold exclusively through our distributors. Call your advertising specialty distributor or contact us for a referral to one in your area.