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What's the best "Giveaway Gizmo" you've seen? IMTS,WESTEC, Salesmen, Etc

50BMG DUDE

Cast Iron
Joined
Jun 17, 2013
Location
Bonners Ferry
Hi Guys,

One of the other threads got me thinking about some of the cool "Giveaway Gizmos" I've seen at trade shows or given away by salesmen.

My favorites were the small chess boards Milltronics made at IMTS about 10 years ago. Also about the same time EMCO was making parts for a small single cylinder engine you could collect all of the parts to from the different machines (Kept you in the booth)

Thinking of some cool, but yet easy to make, swag type business "card" items I can have my kid run after school.

Got any ideas? Pics are even better.

We do 3,4 & 5 Axis Mill, 2-7 axis lathe, waterjet and wire work and laser engraving. So we have most of the toys available.

Chris
 
A little plastic holder - size of listerene strips +- . Sawblade.com logo on sticker, for all your cuts. Inside band aids.

It made logic and pun. Useful, memorable.

Do not do a bottle opener if you want memorable. What are you selling and how do you translate that into ad is something an ad writer does, not a steel worker. Management all think bottle openers and golf tees....
 
An 8" machinist scale marked with a Certified Welding logo and their phone number. I carried it around for years -- long after they were bought out. I liked it because it was a bit longer that the more common six-inch version but still handy.
 
A little plastic holder - size of listerene strips +- . Sawblade.com logo on sticker, for all your cuts. Inside band aids.

GENIUS!!!

I did the golf tees in 2024-t351 (easy to machine, and surface is beautiful) and handed those out.
I am beyond that now, and looking for another 'get by the secretary' gift, and something for the purchaser.

Shopping for Christmas gifts for customers, I came across this item from Rockler.
12394-01-1000.jpg
We have all used the automatic center punches, and they ALL die in XX amount of time. Once I saw this, I bought 20 to give out.
My thinking is to make the ends, with laser etched contact info, and assemble the ends onto a purchased spring.
If the engineer or purchaser deals with anything mechanical, they would probably use this....
 
Westec show 30 some odd years ago, salesman gave a friend and I $10 to get lost and grab a couple beers. Don't remember the brand but they were running a machine way too fast and making horrible looking parts, that the untrained eye of a purchasing manager may not catch. We were loudly talking about how bad they looked.
 
GENIUS!!!

I did the golf tees in 2024-t351 (easy to machine, and surface is beautiful) and handed those out.
I am beyond that now, and looking for another 'get by the secretary' gift, and something for the purchaser.

Shopping for Christmas gifts for customers, I came across this item from Rockler.
View attachment 340522
We have all used the automatic center punches, and they ALL die in XX amount of time. Once I saw this, I bought 20 to give out.
My thinking is to make the ends, with laser etched contact info, and assemble the ends onto a purchased spring.
If the engineer or purchaser deals with anything mechanical, they would probably use this....
a purchasing agent uses center punches ?
 
Around 2000 I went to a local trade show in Fort Washington Pa. First one seeing just machining tools.
Area Fadal distributor was running key chain clip ons with there company name on one side and Fadal on the other.
Unfortunately around 2006 when I was about ready to purchase a machine, Fadal was taking a spin.
Still carry it around, its been well deburred by the keys it keeps together

sort of ot, I went to a trade show in Chicago in 96 and a company was running small rolls of 2" wide white, red, yellow and black duct tape. Half way thru the week during my break I'd go over and load up my show bag with a handful from the totes that were filling. Still have a few.
 
I go for the nice half way decent ink pens people give out. Especially with the spongy top on them to use for pushing numbers and things on your phone. I hate the "Bic" pens, they are so small in diameter that I can't hold them in my hands because of my arthritis in my fingers! Candy! Leave the chocolate at home! :drool5:
 
I got a Leatherman knockoff stainless multi-tool once from a material supplier. Probably made in China, but it has proved to hold up well.
I Got it ten years ago and still use it today. A staple in my tackle bag.
 
A caution here is that if you deal with the bigger companies a freebie with a value above 5 to 15 dollars can land you in trouble and get you banned for life.
All it takes is for one person who did not get a gift to whine.
It has gotten crazy.
Coffee cup with your logo,,,no-no. Calendar with company name no-no in the office.
Lunch paid for or sporting/concert tickets? That is now a bribe.
One could argue that tickets to a Detroit Lions game are of less than $5 in value. :)
Bob
 
A model almost fully articulated model of a Fanuc robot. A lot of us had them on our desks and we'd pull them out and play with them to figure out if a robot could reach the positions and angles we needed.
 
I got some pretty neat aluminum dice from a dealer at a show, about 1" cubes with their name and logo on them along with the dots.
Tip - opposite faces add up to 7.
 
I got a 4" tall articulated desk lamp. It's battery powered and fully functional, and I actually keep it around for when I'm working in tiny areas.
 
For years I had a flat round keychain screwdriver with a company logo engraved. I think it had four tips with a disk to protect the pocket. two pointed tips for phillips. I got it over 35 years ago. The tubular rivet failed and I no longer carry it. I still remember White Eagle Labratories, Doylestown, Penn.
Bill D
 
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A few things come to mind.

When I was working for Doosan, at IMTS they would give away a new Gerstner tool box with every purchase.

Back in the 80s, when I was working for dad, the Mori-Seiki open house would machine pagodas out of aluminum. Still have one someplace.
 
Combination fidget-spinner and Ninja throwing star. That'll get the attention of TSA.

But seriously, the pen/LED flashlight/touch-screen gizmo I picked up is always in the pocket during set-up days at the day job. If it would indicate live power too I'd have it surgically implanted. Location TBD.
 
There was a turning center barfeeding salt and pepper shakers from Aluminum, it would make the screw on lid with an S or P hole pattern and a fluted body, they were nice looking and I was second in line to get a set when a sales guy pressed feed hold to show something inside the machine to someone standing there but he couldn't locate the coolant button fast enough so he punched the reset. When they were done looking inside he closed the door and pushed the green button followed by a big bang and power off. It got worked on a lot over the next couple of days but I never saw it run again. Sure would have liked to have had a set of salt and pepper shakers.
 
a purchasing agent uses center punches ?


Well, probably not all...LOL
Most of must customer's purchasing agents are engineers. There is a AP department that handles the PO's, but it is the engineers who direct the PO to a given shop.
(At least for my customers)
 








 
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