Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The "less-than-a-buck" wonder!

It's not often these days that you can find something for less than a buck that will put a smile on your face -- or your kids'! Hey, even a lot of candy bars cost more? But at the Dog House Garage, you can buy something for 99¢ that packs a lot of grins!

Visitor's reactions to our Kid Stuff Marketing line of cardboard vehicles has been petty amazing: you'd think they were paper airplanes the way they fly out of the store! Printed in full color in two dimension, the pre-scored, pre-cut vehicles have simple tab/slot assembly; a little scotch tape can be added for a more "permanent" finish. The result is a pretty impressive car that is about the size of a 1:18 scale model.

You may have seen these babies used as carriers in 50s-style restaurants. Indeed, they feature a space where the interior would be for "what have you"; optional clear plastic inserts are available if you'd like to use these vehicles for food. But kids who get them love to simply assemble them and use them as toy cars, perfect for the addition of a small teddy, doll, or dinosaur driver!

Most of the vehicles available are 50s convertibles, including Edsel, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Thunderbird, Corvette, and others. There is also a first-generation Mustang, a mid-Sixties Ford pick-up, and a few mild customs (56 Ford, 57 Chevy). In addition, we stock some Jimi-Hendrix-era vans, a wild-looking space-age amusement-ride car, and a toy-look locomotive!

Now, kids will enjoy assembling and playing with these, but both they and their parents will undoubtedly get creative with dozens of uses for these vehicles! Parents might want to tuck a few in the trunk of the car for the agonizing "wait" period during restaurant visits. They'd make great party favors at birthday celebrations, or can even be filled with candy as a centerpiece of gift. They'd be incredibly cool place-markers -- napkins tucked inside -- for a '50s-themed get together. One visitor intended to use them that way at his high school class reunion! You could even snip out the bottom and use them as a "collar" for small potted plants in your rec room, or strung together as a "groovy" mobile in a college dorm room. An empty can placed inside one would make for a great desk-top pen holder.

Check out our selection on our website, and think creatively!

PotentTote

Elsewhere on the Dog House Garage blog, you have probably noticed the announcement of the return of our wildly popular Mustang zippered canvas bags. Available in black (w/ white lettering/horse outline), red or blue (w/silver lettering/outline), these are a must for Pony Car fans!

We also stock Ford oval bags in black, red, or blue (all with silver lettering and trim); for Chevy fans, we carry the iconic Bow-Tie-shaped bags in black/blue, black/red, silver/red, and blue/yellow (the latter w/ silver "Chevrolet" lettering). All bags have heavy-duty carrying straps and a removable shoulder strap. Inside, you'll find several stretchy side slots for holding items upright.

These bags are a natural for tools or other essentials for the road or car show. However, we've also heard our customers tell us of some other uses for the automaniac totes!
  • gym bag
  • trunk organizer
  • beverage carrier
  • camera bag
  • beach/pool bag
  • diaper bag (dad's love this one!)
  • blanket/cushion tote for ball games or races
  • "essentials" tote for Mom's trip to the delivery room (yes, it was her husband's idea)

Got a great idea for using our auto logo canvas bags that we haven't listed? That's what blogs are for!