Moving Product Reviews to LilithPress.ca/Shopping.html

Hello Frequent Shopper!

If you are reading this it is because we have decided to move (copy) many of our most popular posts to the following website:

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Shopping.html

Going forward, all new Product Reviews will be posted on the Shopping section of Lilith Press Magazine. Or possibly both PRC and Lilith Press Shopping.

Also to avoid understanding that doesn't mean we are deleting this website. By moving, we really mean we are "focusing" on the new website and "copying" our most popular posts over to the new site.

 

We may also continue to do short snippet reviews on PRC and possibly some longer ones too.

 

So if you want to see more Canadian product reviews, written for Canadians, go visit Lilith Press and bookmark the website for future use.

Plus Lilith Press has separate sections for the following topics:

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Art.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Books.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Entertainment.html (Games, Movies, Television)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Fashion.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Food.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Music.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Sports.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Tech.html (Cellphones, Computers, Tablets, etc)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Transportation.html (Cars, Bikes, Trains and More)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Travel.html

So technically not everything will be in the Shopping section. Quite a bit will be spread around in the Books, Food, and other sections. But we will cross-list anything that fits in multiple topics.

Now please note, we do have over 440 product reviews on here... so it will take some time to copy the old reviews to the new website. We have decided to prioritize the most popular reviews.

Also, if you could be a doll, please tweet, facebook and link about our new website. We could use the extra advertising.

Thanks for visiting and supporting Product Reviews Canada!

Game and Hobby Zone at 2 Bloor St West, Toronto = Racist Owner

Years ago I witnessed the owner/manager of "Game and Hobby Zone" located at 2 Bloor St West, Toronto doing something racist.

He told a black customer to "step aside" so that he could serve white customers instead.

The black customer and the manager then got into a huge argument, which I watched - and should have recorded on my phone, but it was already low on battery.

I did later go back and take the following photo of the manager, on the right, with one of his staff on the left.

Ever since that incident I have boycotted Game and Hobby Zone - for multiple reasons, not just because the owner is racist.

• The products in the store are overpriced. You can find the same products elsewhere for much better prices.
• The shelves are crammed and disorganized.
• The service is sub par. Not helpful.

In contrast there are other stores that make more sense to spend my money at.

Here are a few of my favourites:

• 401 Games
• Hairy Tarantula
• Face to Face Games
• EB Games
• Meeplemart
• Strategy Games
• Mastermind Toys
• The Sword and Board
• Toys R Us

My point is there are plenty of other locations to buy the same products... but with better service, better prices, and you are not financially supporting a racist bigot.

Donna Dolphy Hair Salon, Yorkville Toronto

A few weeks ago, I was preparing for my wedding and decided it was time to seek the expertise of a professional hair stylist for a haircut. Normally, I would have my hair cut by friends, so the idea of entrusting my hair to a stranger made me a bit apprehensive. Seeking recommendations, a friend suggested Donna Dolphy's Hair Salon, a highly regarded stylist with one of the top salons in Canada. This endorsement gave me confidence, so I decided to place my trust (and my hair) in her capable hands.

Upon arriving at the salon, I chose not to mention that my wedding was just a few days away. Throughout most of the appointment, Donna remained unaware of the significance of the haircut. However, I did explain my fear of having my hair cut by someone I didn't know, and any lingering concerns were quickly dispelled by Donna's exceptional level of service, professionalism, and friendly demeanor.

Having previously only had haircuts from friends or my mother during my childhood, experiencing the warmth and expertise of a true professional allowed me to relax and fully enjoy the experience, which felt akin to a spa visit.

It wasn't until near the end of the haircut that I finally revealed my impending wedding to Donna, and she responded with genuine excitement. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

It was clear that Donna truly loves her work; she took delight in "playing" with my hair. At times, it almost felt like being a living Barbie doll as she skillfully shaped and styled my hair. Our conversation even ventured into the artistic realm, discussing the sculptural nature of hair—an enjoyable topic for me, having studied painting and sculpture at York University.

On a different note, my wedding went off without a hitch. While one typically anticipates something going awry on such occasions, the only minor mishap was having an abundance of food at the reception, leaving many guests pleasantly stuffed. It was a relatively minor issue to encounter. Moreover, my hair looked fantastic in all the photos, bringing me great satisfaction.

Oh and just a bonus... Celebrities like Drake sometimes go to Donna. So you never know who you might meet.

Below: Donna Dolphy with Drake.

 

 

Canadian Tire Xmas Shopping

Shopping at Canadian Tire is a bit of a holiday tradition for many Canadians.

However when doing so I often find the selection... disappointing.

So far this year I have done roughly 60 to 70% of my xmas shopping at Canadian Tire, but that total will likely change as xmas gets closer.

I also did a good chunk of my shopping this year at Pet Smart and Indigo, but that is dwarfed by the amount spent at Canadian Tire.

Certain hard to find xmas gifts are still on my list of things to get people, but I am admittedly delaying a bit before I go shopping for them - for various reasons.

Theoretically a person could buy all their gifts for every family member at Canadian Tire - but the selection would be a bit dull. For the really nice stuff you need to be going to specialty stores like:

Lee Valley or Home Depot for tools.
Pet Smart for pet supplies.
Sports Chek for sporting goods / clothing.
Marks Work Warehouse, H&M, etc for clothing.
Bed, Bath and Beyond for bathroom / bedroom items.
Home Depot or RONA for gardening tools.

Shopping at Canadian Tire is often more about convenience and price, as their variety is often short.

Why does Amazon not accept PayPal?

By C. Moffat

Amazon is one of the world's largest online marketplaces for ordering pretty much anything you want.

PayPal is basically the world's largest online bank, the preferred way to pay for things online because it is safe, secure and fast. In 2014, PayPal moved $228 billion in 26 currencies across more than 190 nations.

So you would think it would make sense that Amazon would accept payments via PayPal...? Wouldn't you?

It would, except that PayPal used to be owned by eBay - an online rival marketplace, but one that focuses on auctioning off used items to the highest bidder.

Now you would think Amazon, which sells new items, and that eBay, which sells mostly used items, would not be rivals, but for whatever reason they are.

In order to better facilitate eBay's users they started the company PayPal to make it easier for people to pay for things online - and PayPal spread across the internet, becoming one of the best ways to safely and quickly transfer money to pay for things, send money to family/friends, etc.

Below is a Live Chat conversation I had with a "Help Representative" from Amazon. He deliberately avoided the real answer as to WHY Amazon doesn't accept PayPal.

The funny thing is that eBay doesn't even own PayPal any more. They are now separate companies, and have been completely separate since July 18th, 2015.

So admittedly the split was very recent. But still this would be an opportunity for Amazon to finally step up their game by accepting PayPal - and what is more they had roughly a year to prepare for the July 18th split, as eBay announced plans to split PayPal off from the parent company back in 2014.

So will greed finally win out and consumers will finally have another option instead of credit cards (which are notoriously problematic to use online)...?

Only time will tell.

What I will tell you is that I have 6 items in my eBay Shopping Cart waiting to be paid for - and I am not going to bother buying them until eBay gets their act together.

Shoes, Handbags and Free Shipping

Honestly I am not into buying shoes online. I like to try them on in person.

Thus when I see websites like Sole Society I shake my head in disgust. The site in question sells shoes, handbags, jewelry, hats, scarves, sunglasses and accessories - most of which are things you would probably rather try on in the store before purchasing.

For example I have never purchased shoes without trying them on first.

I have never bought a handbag / backpack or anything like that without opening it first and checking out the inside.

Jewelry? Well, if it was a ring for example I need to try it on to see if it fits. Bracelets and necklaces, okay, probably don't need to try it on, but it is still nice to see it in person first. Maybe check to make sure the diamonds are real.

Hats and sunglasses, again, need to try them on and check yourself in the mirror.

Scarves are the only item on the website I would even consider ordering.

In which case, am I that low on stores nearby that sell scarves? I can get to the Eaton's Centre in 30 minutes if I time the buses and subway perfectly. (When I lived downtown I was able to walk there in 10 minutes or bicycle there in 4.)

So I really don't see much benefit in buying shoes/similar items online unless they are ridiculous cheap compared to a store, which I doubt because the cost of shipping must be worked into the price somehow. Or if they are ridiculously cheap, there must be something wrong with them.

For example I know I can go on Alibaba and order lots of super cheap things from China and India. eg. You can buy 100 bamboo arrows from China for $30 + shipping. And the more you buy, the cheaper they are. That is amazingly cheap for a product you can sell in Canada for roughly $5 per arrow. So as long as a person could find plenty of buyers, you could conceivably buy 1000 arrows on there for about $300 + shipping and then sell them here in Canada for $5000.

That is the big trick about Alibaba. Everything is in bulk orders. eg. 50 pairs of shoes, or 120 pairs of shoes - everything is a minimum order of a relatively large amount.

But you won't find reputable brand names on there because you have to purchase those from the manufacturer's distributors. eg. I tried looking for Nike shoes, but the only thing I could find is display cases for selling Nikes on.

So in this case, yes, you can find things for ridiculously cheap prices online. But they won't be brand name and you have to order it in bulk. And the shipping isn't free.

Toronto's Eaton's Centre

Toronto's Eaton's Centre is one of the best places to shop in all of North America - but sadly it is largely limited to clothing.

It is great for example if you are a woman and you want to buy lingerie at say La Vie en Rose, Victoria's Secret, or any one of the approx. 10 different lingerie stores inside the Eaton's Centre.

It is not so great if you are a person who likes shopping for power tools - in which case you need to walk to the Canadian Tire down the street because there is no other tool stores in the area.

It is also good if you want to buy books, because then you can go to the Indigo, the World's Biggest Bookstore further north, or the 4 used book stores north on Yonge Street which sell a variety of books on all topics.

The photos below of Toronto's Eaton's Centre were taken in February 2014, during the Winter Olympics in Sochi - shortly before Valentines.

Mark's Work Warehouse issues apology

As way of an apology, Mark's Work Warehouse has sent me a $25 gift card because Mark's didn't honour their sale on men's outerware. Their sale said "all men's outerware". Apparently they couldn't fathom the idea that "all" meant "all", including men's outerware vests.

Proof that the squeaky wheel does get the grease. (And why it is worth it to squeak once in awhile so you get the sales you are entitled to.)

I will note they don't actually use the words sorry, apology, or apologize - but hey, I will take it as such.

Mark's Work Warehouse doesn't honour its sales

I just bought an outdoor work vest which was SUPPOSED TO BE ON SALE but instead was not.

The sale was "save up to 50% off all men's regularly priced outerware."

An outdoor work vest is obviously outerware. It is basically a sleeveless jacket.

And judging by the price it was definitely "regularly priced". No discounts whatsoever.

So why was it not on sale? Because it is a vest? Because Mark's Work Warehouse doesn't consider an outdoor vest to be outerware?

Rubbish!

They just don't want to honour the wording of their sale.

So now they get this negative review and I will be back on Sunday to return it / demand a refund. Or maybe they will be tempted and shamed into giving me the sale price.

Subscribe to find out what happens next!

UPDATE - Yesterday I argued politely with the staff (I have been through this before and know you never get anywhere with staff if you are rude to them), they admitted the wording could have been better, but they still refused to honour the wording of the sale. Returned the item for a full refund. Staff was very rude and snarky about it even though I explained the problem in a calm and evenly toned voice (although I might have sounded a bit condescending, like I was talking to a little kid who can't do basic math). Not much Christmas cheer there either.

If any Mark's executives read this, it was the Mark's Work Warehouse located at the Eaton's Centre.

So word to the wise, if you want a place to honour their sales, don't shop at Mark's Work Warehouse.

For future reference here is Mark's Customer Service info if you have a complaint about their service / lack of honour.

customer.service@marks.egain.net

Mark's Work Wearhouse Customer Service
Po Box 2000
Welland, Ontario
L3B 5S3

Phone		1-800-663-6275
Fax		1-800-452-0770

New Business Cards from Staples

Today I picked up new business cards today from Staples for my personal training business.

Since a lot of my personal training clients come from word of mouth and online, having business cards is kind of 20th century these days. In a world of twitter, facebook, youtube, social media the old fashioned business card is likewise an old fashioned and obsolete form of advertising.

Lets face it, websites are essentially online brochures for whatever it is you are promoting. They get a much bigger audience if you promoted with Search Engine Optimization, etc.

Yet sometimes people ask for them and I procrastinated about getting them for waaaaaaay too long.

Anyway, I got a discount on these cards from Staples. 250 cards for $29 roughly. Total would have been closer to $49 under normal circumstances.

Which proves a point. You can get a great deal on business cards if you time it right and buy them on sale.

For me getting 250 was a smart choice. In the past I have always purchased business card in 2000, 1000 or 500 units. And I never used them all. If I was lucky I used half of them. I only got them in such large numbers because my mentality was that I didn't want to run out of them. Which is backwards now that I think of it for a variety of reasons.

Another problem I have run into in the past is I would sometimes design a new / better business card... and then what do I do with the old cards? Just toss them out? Now when I run out of business cards I can just commission better new ones.

Same thing happens if my phone number changes or something like that. The old business cards then become a waste.

Thus I lucked out when Staples had a sale on 250 glossy paper full colour cards on the day I went in to order them.

Bo De Duyen Vegetarian Products

What is funny is that this store opened smack dab in the middle of Toronto's fur district north of Queen and Spadina.

That is just ballsy.

I mean you're right in between fur stores on the left, fur stores on the right, fur stores across the street. Talk about marketing in the enemy's front yard.

Toronto's Fashion District

I arrived this morning in Toronto's fashion district (Queen Street West, west past Spadina) to buy fabric for a project I am working on only to discover many of the fabric stores aren't open on Sunday.

Almost all of them are closed Sunday. And those that do open today open at 11 am according to their signs - but when you show up at their doors at 11:15 they're still not open.

Arg! I am now waiting down the street at Java Jive having breakfast while I wait for the one store to open.

There are probably better places in Toronto for me to buy fabric (with better Sunday hours too) but I have yet to find such a place.

My Xmas Wishlist 2013

Now you might wonder I am working on My Xmas Wishlist 2013 in August.

August 6th no less.

It is 4 months and 19 days until Christmas Day.

Well let me explain.

My mother likes to start xmas shopping in September so that she can avoid the lineups during xmas time and capitalize on the back-to-school sales, thanksgiving and halloween sales instead on the lead up towards the Christmas shopping season.

Thus she starts asking her three children for xmas lists around the end of August / early September.

And now you understand why I am working on my xmas list now. In August.

Now to be fair it is often just a rehashed list from the year before wherein I try to mesh together things that I "need" and things that I "want". And I frequently re-use this same list whenever my mother starts asking about ideas for my birthday.

Thus if I don't get a particular item for xmas or my birthday during the previous year I either... buy it myself or it gets held over to the following year.

And now the list...

My Xmas Wishlist 2013

Tools

Asking for tools for xmas is a no-brainer. It is implied that they are a need as opposed to a want and thus you are more likely to get what you asked for.

Leather toolbelt - To be fair I am thinking about getting this myself so I can get the exact type of belt I am looking for. Or I could be more specific by telling my mother the exact model type, price, where to buy, etc.

I found one on Canadian Tire that I like. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/ToolStorage/ToolHoldersBelts/PRD~0570082P/Mastercraft+Suede+Leather+Tool+Apron.jsp?locale=en

Wheel Truing Stand for Bicycle Wheels - If you are not a bicycle mechanic then you wouldn't really know what this is. The company I like is Park Tools.

Spoke Tension Gauge for Bicycle Spokes - Honestly most bicycle mechanics don't even use a tension gauge because they're too cheap and not that picky about how perfectly circular their wheels are. Myself however, I can true a wheel to within 0.2 of a mm margin of error (which is what professionals bicycle mechanics do in competitive bicycle racing because the more circular the wheel is the better the wheel can rotate slightly faster). But I can only do that when I have a tension gauge, spoke wrench and a wheel truing stand.

Clothes

Again clothes is often a need rather than a want. However I don't actually NEED socks. I have tonnes of socks. Three drawers filled with them. I have reached the point where when they go holey (Is that spelled right? I know it isn't holy, because that would be sacrilegious) I use them as rags for my bicycles.

Blue Socks (not navy or sky blue, just plain blue) - During the past 3 - 4 years I have kept asking for red socks. I knew I was going to get socks anyway, because I ALWAYS get socks for xmas, but in recent years I find it is more interesting to ask for a specific colour so my mother has a challenge finding them. (She enjoys a shopping challenge.)

Black Dress Shirts - Honestly, black dress shirts just looking better than white ones. Look great with black dress pants, black tie and black suspenders.

Grey Suspenders - Because suspenders rock. I still use belts regularly, but any chance to look extra spiffy calls for suspenders. Having a grey pair of suspenders will allow me the opportunity to change it up once in awhile.

Plaid shirts with snaps instead of buttons - Honestly, I just like ripping the shirt open quickly instead of having to unbutton them slowly. Takes less time. Shirts with snaps (in my experience) typically cost about $5 more than shirts with buttons because snaps are more expensive and difficult to install in the factory. But they're well worth it. A good place to buy such shirts is Mark's Work Warehouse.

Archery Winter Gloves - Recommended place to shop "The Bow Shop" in Waterloo. Size medium or large will likely fit me.

Leather Quiver, Brown - Preferably a nice long back quiver so that the arrows don't rattle around so much (or fall out easily).

Kitchen and Bath Items

A frying pan with a good sturdy lid - Some things break too easily so I want to make sure it is one that doesn't break.

A giant navy blue bath towel - The bigger the better.

Entertainment / Books

I have been putting things on the entertainment / books part of my xmas list for years now. Often the same things year after year. Instead I keep getting clothes, tools and kitchen things. Proof that my mother favours need over want.

The Saint (TV Series starring Roger Moore) - Because Roger Moore is awesome and I have been wanting this DVD set for years now.

Matt Helm movies (starring Dean Martin) - Like James Bond, but he can sing.

Any film with Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas or Burt Lancaster. Because they're all amazing.

2nd Edition AD&D Monster Manual - Because it is from a retro 80s nostalgia roleplaying game and quite amusing to me.

"And their memory was a bitter tree..." by Robert E. Howard. A selection of Conan stories by the man who created Conan in 1932.

Private Member Black and Red Striped Shirt

I saw this shirt yesterday at Sears and I just had to get it.

$32.97 plus tax at Sears. It wasn't on sale, but I just had to get it because I wasn't sure when I would see it again.

Showed it to my girlfriend - initially she didn't like it because she dislikes black shirts in general, but later after I tried it on she agreed it did look pretty awesome.

The company is called "Private Member".

When buying it I was thinking of other similar high quality shirts that I already own - many of which are my favourites to wear on dates, special occasions and even just casually. This shirt will no doubt join their ranks so the extra cost seemed well worth it.

Canadian Tire... Selection?

I went to Canadian Tire TWICE today with the intention of buying something. Both times I left without buying anything. This is unusual for me since I always buy something. My best explaination is that I was unhappy with Canadian Tire's selection...

I was hoping to buy a fan - but couldn't find one I like.

I was also looking at fishing equipment - again, nothing caught my fancy.

I also browsed kitchen wares and tools. Nothing I wanted or needed.

Maybe I was just picky today? Or maybe their selection really is lower than what I was hoping for.

Update: Also went to Dollarama - but this time I did buy some kitchen and bath things. Weird eh? Dollarama had more interesting selection for once.

In other news I have also decided to start looking for a new leather jacket. Something in brown, like a dark wood brown.

Why is printer ink so darn expensive?

If I want to buy ink for my printer I had best be ready to pay an arm and a leg for a little ink cartridge.

And it isn't because ink is particularly expensive - its because ink cartridge companies overcharge to ridiculous levels.

At Best Buy I find the following prices for ink for my Canon Pixma MX300...

Canon PG-40 Black Inkjet Cartridge (0615B02) 
Canon PG-40 Black Ink Cartridge is compatible with the Canon Pixma IP1600 photo printer.
$29.97

Canon CL-41 CMY Inkjet Cartridge (0617B002)
The Canon CL-41 Colour Ink Cartridge is compatible with the Canon Pixma IP1600 colour photo printer.
$39.99

So $69.96 for both.

If I go to Future Shop instead I find the following prices...

Canon PG-40 Black Inkjet Cartridge (0615B02)
Price: $34.99
Now Only: $34.99

Canon CL-41 CMY Inkjet Cartridge (0617B002)
Price: $39.99
Now Only: $39.99

So $74.98 for both. The colour ink at both locations is the same, but the black ink is cheaper at Best Buy.

HOWEVER!

$69.96 seems like a lot for two ink cartridges...

Especially when you can buy a brand new printer (with ink cartridges) for less - possibly even the same brand name as the ink you are seeking to purchase.

For example... Future Shop currently has an Epson printer for sale for $49.99. So you'd save about $20 + tax just by buying a new printer.

Ahem...

Or go to Best Buy... lots of sales to choose from. You can even get free shipping from either Best Buy or Future Shop if you order online.

If you pay attention to SALES regularly you can find cheap printers that are compatible with your current printer - and buy them just for the cheaper ink.

Now you might wonder WHY would I want to keep my current printer? Well in truth my current printer isn't that old - 1.5 years roughly - and it (Canon Pixma MX300) still works perfectly. Plus it is a scanner, fax machine and photocopier - so it has other uses compared to generic ink printers.

Although I must admit some of the Canon printers are wireless - which makes it tempting to have two printers available.

Also another complaint... the BestBuy.ca and FutureShop.ca websites are rather slow today. Appalling from companies that are supposed to be reputable.

But it all comes back to the idiocy that printer ink is more expensive than a new printer.

Ties, Suspenders and Cufflinks Oh My!

Grey Paisley Design Silk Tie - $9.95 AUD

Honestly... When it comes to ties, suspenders and cufflinks I really could not care less about Brand Name.

Why?

Because I can't NAME a brand name of ties, suspenders and cufflinks. (Ask me about bicycles on the other hand and I will rattle off about Miele, Norco, CCM, Raleigh, Cervelo, etc.)

And it is the honest truth - myself and, I imagine, many other men would be hard pressed to name a manufacturer of ties, suspenders and cufflinks - unless they were really into a particular brand for some reason.

Now for demonstration purposes lets use a website which has all three. The Aussie website Ties n Cuffs (www.tiesncuffs.com.au) has all three - and they sell men's handkerchiefs too. And scarves, men's underwear, tie clips, socks, silk vests and more. So they will be a good demonstration for talking about ties and other things.

But what impressed me about this website is that they DO pay attention to the brand names of all the companies. They are (I copy pasted this straight off their website so some of them are not actually brand names, but just topics like "clip on ties" instead) the following:

2eros 4 Play London Business Socks 4Play London AFL Belts AFL Credit Card Holders AFL Cufflinks AFL Tie Bars AFL Ties AS Colour Belt Buckles Ben Sherman Underwear Bloke Undees Bonds Bow Tie and Hanky Sets Bow Ties BR4SS Underwear Braces Braces by Buckle Budgy Smugglers Business Belts Carlo Visconti Collection Carlo Visconti Socks Celtic Antique Silver Cuffs Chicklinks Clip On tie

Collar Stays+ Collar Bars Cufflink Box Culture Cuffs DC Comic Cufflinks DC Comics Diesel DIY DKufflinks Footy Cuffs Footy Socks Frank Dandy Fun Novelty Cuffs Geoffrey Beene Gianfranco FERRE Gift Voucher Giorgio Rossini Italy Givenchy Ties Grundies Hardy Amies Hardy Amies Cufflinks Hardy Amies Formal Ties Hardy Amies Pocket Squares Hardy Amies Socks Holeproof Socks Jockey

K by Karl Lagerfeld KENZO King Socks Knitted Scarves Lafitte Socks Lapel Pins Leather Belts Leather Island Belts Men's Gift Sets Money Clips Moschino Mosmann Australia Muay Tie NRL Official Team Cufflinks Nudie Ties On sale ties Oroton Underwear Pashmina fashion Scarfs Personalised Beanies Personalised Belt Buckles Personalised Collar Stays Personalised Cufflinks Personalised Lapel Pins Personalised Scarves Personalised Supporter Sets

Personalised Tiebars Personalised Ties Plain Silk Scarves Plastik Underwear. Pocket Squares Polyester Scarves Puma Socks Puma Underwear Roberto Loren Collection Salvatore Ferragamo Silk Georgette Scarves Silk Knot Cufflink Series Silk Satin Scarves Silk Series SirRocco Cufflinks SirRocco woven ties Sly Underwear SmartSet Snatch Underwear SNJ Socks Socks Express Star Wars Cufflinks Teamm8 Tiebox Timothy K

TNC TNC Bottle Openers TNC coins TNC Cufflinks TNC Custom TNC Money Clips TNC Neckties TNC Novelty TNC Pewter Mugs TNC School Ties TNC Skinny TNC Tie Bars TNC Vests TNC Wallets Tribe Underwear Underwear Of Sweden Valentino Vintage Cufflinks Vintage Ties VIP Wedding Cravats Wedding Cuff Links Wedding Silk Ties Wood Look Cufflinks Wright Socks

Hardy Amies Formal Silk Tie - Black Floral - $50.00 AUD

In which case, that is A LOT OF BRAND NAMES.

I had no idea there was so many companies in the men's accessories business.

I do like suspenders and ties myself (especially silk ties with a very kewl pattern on them), but not a big fan of cufflinks. The photos I have chosen for this blog post are silk ties I picked out because I like their patterns.

What I do like about the Ties N Cuffs website is that you can search their selection very easily and it shows you EXACTLY what you are looking for...

Examples

http://www.tiesncuffs.com.au/search?q=grey+ties

http://www.tiesncuffs.com.au/search?q=silk+ties

http://www.tiesncuffs.com.au/search?q=black+suspenders

Mucho gracias!

The only disappointment was when I tried typing in "Moffat tartan" to see if they had a tie with my Scottish family tartan on it. They did have a variety of tartan ties (44 results, including bow ties and other tartan products), but they didn't have specifically the tartan I was looking for (see Moffat tartan below).

So maybe that is something they could add in the future. Tartans ties and bow ties for specific families.

However I will note they also had custom bow ties and custom ties. So maybe it is possible to get the exact thing you are looking for.

The last thing I should talk about is the prices.

Ties can get quite expensive sometimes. The Hardy Amies Formal Silk Tie in Black Floral for $50.00 AUD above for example... is a tie worth drooling over. But you wouldn't want to drool physically on it because its $50!!! That is the kind of tie you should wear to weddings, funerals and really important events.

The Grey Paisley silk tie that I picked out (way up at the top) on the other hand won't break your wallet. And it still looks fantastic.

What I also like about that website is that it tells you when a product is currently sold out.

What I don't like is that you cannot sign up for a waiting list so that they will email you when the product becomes available again. (I should email them with a list of suggestions for improving the customer experience...)

Still, its a very good website and one worth checking out if you like ties, cufflinks and other accessories.

Free Hearing Tests in the GTA

I recently had a free hearing test in Vaughan.

Why? It is a long story involving trespassing, someone shooting at me, and hearing damage. I shall spare you all the details, but suffice to say it happened when I was 12 years old and I am now 34.

I knew I had hearing damage because my hearing in my left ear has been "not so great" ever since that incident. My problem is that I don't know how bad the hearing damage is - and whether it is likely to get worse in the future.

Now because I like being frugal finding a place that offers free hearing tests in Toronto is pretty tricky. I ended up going all the way to an hearing clinic in Vaughan to have the hearing test done. I might have been able to find another place in Toronto that offers free hearing tests, but when I spoke to the people at Omni Hearing on the phone they were extremely helpful and willing to help me - even though they knew I was unlikely to purchase an hearing aid.

OMNI HEARING CLINIC
9699 Jane St. Unit 19
Vaughan ON L6A 0A4
905-605-4593

I have been living the last 22 years without an hearing aid and I am not about to buy one now when my hearing doesn't seem to have gotten any worse. Buying hearing aids to me is more for people who are significantly older than myself. True, I have hearing damage, but its not so severe that I can't do without.

Truth be told I have rather afraid of going to an audiologist / hearing centre because I was worried about what they might say about my hearing damage. Instead I was relieved to learn that my hearing damage wasn't as severe as I thought it might be - and while the damage was done a long time, the audiologist said it appears to have repaired some of the damage over time. There is still permanent damage, but there was likely temporary damage at the time of the incident which faded with time.

The weird thing is that he also tested my right ear - which turns out to have BETTER than normal hearing. He speculated that my right ear ended up compensating for the left ear for a period of time and has since become my "dominant ear".

So yeah, very happy with the results.

I also browsed, for fun more than anything, Omni Hearing's prices of hearing aids. I don't know if their prices are higher or lower than normal places, but their services, honesty and eagerness to help me was impeccable.

So yeah if you live in Vaughan, Thornhill or Woodbridge and are looking to buy an hearing aid or get an hearing test, I absolute the the clinic at Omni Hearing in Vaughan. I'd even recommend people from other regions of the GTA make the trip there for any kind of ear exam / hearing evaluation, etc. So if you have hearing loss problems, totally the place to go.

You can even take your hearing test online. Its less detailed, but still quick and easy to do.

Omni Hearing also sells and offers the following services:

Hearing Aid Batteries;
Hearing Aid Repair;
Hearing Aid Cleaning;
Hearing / Listening Devices;
Amplified Telephones;
Musicians Earplugs;
Custom Hearing Protection...

Basically anything you can think of hearing wise then Omni Hearing can help you.

Is that a ringing endorsement or what???