 Website review: ThinkGeek
Tallulah Habib
Celebrate your geekdom!
Whether it's a USB LED Beverage Cooler you're after, or some Laser Guided Scissors, you're likely to find it at ThinkGeek.
ThinkGeek is an online store based in the US that was started to serve a market passionate about technology, geekdom and internet culture. It specialises in gadgets and geekwear you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
The site is divided into nine main sections for easy navigation: T-shirts and Apparel, Geek Toys, Gadgets, Home & Office, Computer Stuff, Caffeine & edibles, Electronics, Geek Kids, and Books.
However, there are a few dedicated sub-sections too, mostly based around popular science fiction shows. If you’re a fan of Dr Who, why not get your own sonic screwdriver? A fan of Star Trek? How about a tribble? Or some James T Kirk cologne? Star Wars? You know you always wanted your own light saber.
Even if you are not in a position to purchase any of the strange inventions you find upon perusing the site, the descriptions can keep you entertained for hours.
“In most situations a guppy isn't going to help you get a whole lot accomplished. The Lil Guppie Multi-tool, however, is a fish of a different kind, ” reads the description of one of the gadgets.
Most items also include “customer action shots” and sometimes video so you can see the product in a real-life setting.
Owned by the same company as other great geek sites Slashdot, slashdot.org, sourceforge.net, linux.com, and freshmeat.net, ThinkGeek offers other activities besides shopping. There’s a monthly haiku challenge, action shot competition, YouTube stream and blog. ThinkGeek has gone out of the way to try to create a sense of community, with the usual social networking profiles (Facebook and Twitter) as well as profiles of all the staff and webcams in their offices.
Users can gather geek points by shopping on the site often, and can then cash them in later for free stuff (e.g. colourflame birthday candles with a purchase of $15 or more and 250 points).
Unfortunately, being a foreign site you may want to band together with some friends to pay for shipping. Tempting as it may be, be sure not to let your parcel get too huge or you may be paying import tax. Alternatively, pay the import tax and start a South African branch. You would make many geeks very happy.
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