weird commerce

Weird Commerce: Fan Hands, Amplifying Hand Clapping One Pair At A Time
December 05, 2016

As the children’s song says, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” And that’s what one Syracuse, NY company is loudly encouraging sports fans to do with its patented gloves. “I invented Fan Hands back in 2007 to enhance the sound of...

Weird Commerce: Grateful Glass, Remembering Loved Ones Artfully
November 28, 2016

Nearly 50 percent of Americans who die in 2017 will have opted for a cremation. That’s a far cry from the 3.6 percent of people who chose the service in 1958. In fact, the number of cremations are expected to surpass traditional burials before 2020....

Weird Commerce Black Friday Gift Guide
November 25, 2016

Today is the frenetic chaos that is Black Friday. Amid the rush, there are some quirky and surprising things that are overlooked or forgotten. Turns out Walmart sells 10 times as many pajamas as TVs. Amazon sells up to 320 products … per second. And...

Weird Commerce: Throx, The Battle Against The Sock Monster
November 21, 2016

It’s the law of the universe: Throw a pair of socks in the dryer, and only one comes out. “I know for a fact that there is some kind of sock monster, and that’s why I invented Throx,” said Edwin Heaven, who came up with...

Weird Commerce: DNA11, Uniquely Personal Artistic Portraits From Chromosomes
November 14, 2016

Greatness may come from within — and so does personal, unique artwork. DNA11 is an 11-year-old company that will create a “batch of one” portait: hyper-personalized art based off of your own chromosomes, thanks to a quick cheek swab. “Just like a snowflake, all DNA portraits...

Weird Commerce: Sticky Notes, For Those Lightbulbs In The Shower
November 07, 2016

Despite the dangerous irony, many lightbulbs go off in the shower. “I am a consummate shower thinker,” said Mark Knudsen, president of AquaNotes, the company responsible for the first sticky notes made for use in wet places. “I get an inordinate amount of ideas in...

Weird Commerce: Jellyfish Pets
October 31, 2016

When your kid whines for a pet cat or dog, you may consider a more unique idea: an Aurelia aurita jellyfish. Yes, jellyfish — in their mesmerizing, soothing and graceful balletic way — are becoming a popular option for both an artful piece of interior...

Weird Commerce: Skulls Unlimited, A Living Company From Animal Remains
October 24, 2016

Coyote, bobcat, armadillo and … human skulls. Perhaps counterintuitively, Skulls Unlimited, a company that sells skulls — yes, animal and human skulls — sees its biggest uptick in purchases closer to Christmas, rather than before Halloween. “This time of year, we start getting in more...

Weird Commerce: MUFON, Investigating UFOs Since 1969
October 17, 2016

Ever seen a UFO? Could it have really been a bird, plane or you-know-who? That’s where 47-year-old non-profit MUFON comes in to debunk or detail what you saw. “Sometimes, people say they saw a UFO, and immediately, people think they said, ‘I saw a flying saucer,’”...