The USA Dart Classic is coming up this weekend in Stamford, CT, and it is one of the most popular and fun tournaments on the U.S. national calendar. My friends Laurett Meddis and Buddy Bartoletta know how to run a great tournament.
Sadly, I will have to miss the USA Dart Classic for the first time in a while. My grandmother is having her 90th birthday celebration in Texas, and that is something you just cannot miss. The family is getting together for a big reunion, Texas style. Last time we did that, they really did slaughter a cow to feed us. This time, who knows?
Best wishes to everyone at the tournament this year. I will not return until the middle of next week. Until then, good darts!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Kevin's Dart Accessory and Gift Review
I always enjoy finding interesting dart-related items. Given the millions of people who love to play darts, it's inevitable that merchants will come up with interesting and sometimes strange items to sell us. Here are some of those interesting and sometimes strange products.
Dart Art
Artist Todd Walk features darts in some of his paintings, some of which have reproductions available for purchase. I found them tasteful, and they would make good gifts for a dart fan. Click here for some samples.
Reproductions of artist Chuck Pittman's "Figure Throwing Darts" painting are also commercially available. Pittman's work is a little more abstract.
Do you have a design or picture that you would like on a dart cabinet? Some airbrush artists are happy to help by putting your custom design on a dart cabinet. Manifest Art Studio offers this service.
A large collection of dart posters are available at Allposters.com.
I still like Designet Jewelry for dart related items, as they have interesting designs.
Edible Darts
I was pleased to discover that dart candy can be purchased. The Chocolate Vault offers chocolate darts and dartboards as well as dart lollipops that are sure to be appreciated by any of your chocoholic dart friends. I also saw an advertisement for a plastic dart that is filled with candy.
Miscellaneous Gifts
Remember that scene in the movie Bull Durham, where the baseball team manager had to come out on the field because the pitcher was distracted over what gift to get for someone's wedding? The manager gives him some ideas, and the pitcher is able to keep throwing. I can't have any of my readers getting distracted at the oche, so here are some nice gift ideas.
I love the idea behind the Cafe Press website. They get a lot of theme-based logos and designs, and then allow you to order them on a wide range of products like T-Shirts, sweaters, mugs, etc. They have an extensive collection for darts which is sure to satisfy almost any dart gift shopper.
Some other interesting gift ideas include a neon dart sign, which might go well in a gameroom. While we are on that subject, neon dartboard clocks are also available and the Circumluminator is the state of the art in dartboard lighting. Dart coat hooks are fun gifts with a practical use. You can never start shopping too early for the holidays, and dart Christmas ornaments are nice. A-Z darts advertises novelty dart stickers. I am very impressed with the classy medieval shield dart cabinet. Pricey but very nice looking.
You can also get a knife with a dart logo although maybe not as a wedding gift. I liked the look of this dartboard picture frame, which might be more appropriate, or depending on the couple, the more racy adult dart game might work.
I noticed that some creative archery buffs make giant dartboard stencils which they use to play a darts archery game. I'm sure these could be used to decorate walls with a dart theme, though I would recommend checking with your wife, husband or roomate first!
I am not usually a fan of magnetic darts, but the over-the-hill dart game might make a great gag gift. For the young ones, the Haunted Darts Kids Game might be just the thing for a Halloween party.
Now for my legal disclaimer. I have not tried out all of these products, nor can I vouch for any of the merchants selling them. This is basically a survey of what's out there, with no endorsements or guarantees. Also, I was not paid anything by any of these merchants, nor do I get a percentage if you buy anything from them.
I will follow up with more items later, including some photos of the things that I have tried out and that I do use. Until then, good darts!
Dart Art
Artist Todd Walk features darts in some of his paintings, some of which have reproductions available for purchase. I found them tasteful, and they would make good gifts for a dart fan. Click here for some samples.
Reproductions of artist Chuck Pittman's "Figure Throwing Darts" painting are also commercially available. Pittman's work is a little more abstract.
Do you have a design or picture that you would like on a dart cabinet? Some airbrush artists are happy to help by putting your custom design on a dart cabinet. Manifest Art Studio offers this service.
A large collection of dart posters are available at Allposters.com.
I still like Designet Jewelry for dart related items, as they have interesting designs.
Edible Darts
I was pleased to discover that dart candy can be purchased. The Chocolate Vault offers chocolate darts and dartboards as well as dart lollipops that are sure to be appreciated by any of your chocoholic dart friends. I also saw an advertisement for a plastic dart that is filled with candy.
Miscellaneous Gifts
Remember that scene in the movie Bull Durham, where the baseball team manager had to come out on the field because the pitcher was distracted over what gift to get for someone's wedding? The manager gives him some ideas, and the pitcher is able to keep throwing. I can't have any of my readers getting distracted at the oche, so here are some nice gift ideas.
I love the idea behind the Cafe Press website. They get a lot of theme-based logos and designs, and then allow you to order them on a wide range of products like T-Shirts, sweaters, mugs, etc. They have an extensive collection for darts which is sure to satisfy almost any dart gift shopper.
Some other interesting gift ideas include a neon dart sign, which might go well in a gameroom. While we are on that subject, neon dartboard clocks are also available and the Circumluminator is the state of the art in dartboard lighting. Dart coat hooks are fun gifts with a practical use. You can never start shopping too early for the holidays, and dart Christmas ornaments are nice. A-Z darts advertises novelty dart stickers. I am very impressed with the classy medieval shield dart cabinet. Pricey but very nice looking.
You can also get a knife with a dart logo although maybe not as a wedding gift. I liked the look of this dartboard picture frame, which might be more appropriate, or depending on the couple, the more racy adult dart game might work.
I noticed that some creative archery buffs make giant dartboard stencils which they use to play a darts archery game. I'm sure these could be used to decorate walls with a dart theme, though I would recommend checking with your wife, husband or roomate first!
I am not usually a fan of magnetic darts, but the over-the-hill dart game might make a great gag gift. For the young ones, the Haunted Darts Kids Game might be just the thing for a Halloween party.
Now for my legal disclaimer. I have not tried out all of these products, nor can I vouch for any of the merchants selling them. This is basically a survey of what's out there, with no endorsements or guarantees. Also, I was not paid anything by any of these merchants, nor do I get a percentage if you buy anything from them.
I will follow up with more items later, including some photos of the things that I have tried out and that I do use. Until then, good darts!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
