It just dawned on me yesterday that one of the world's greatest inventions is such a simple thing. Here's to the humble spring clothespin! Not only does it keep my clothes a hangin' on the clothes line but has a boat load of other uses:

Keeps potato chip, bread, and other bags closed (guess that would be a "closed" pin.).

With a little Velcro, keeps my song list attached to my fuzzy PA speakers.

Used as mini clamps in guitar building and repair or other wood working/gluing projects.

I know of a pharmacy that uses different colored ones to color code prescription bags.

Holds your nosed closed in case of something stinky.

Kinky stuff!

With a magnet glued to it, it's a fridge note holder. Or with a nail, it's a door note holder. Or with double stick tape a dash board/visor note holder.

Keeps papers from sliding off the inclined book rest I use when entering stuff into a computer.

Impromptu earrings.

Emergency roach clip.

There's tons more that they come in handy for. The list would be endless.

Yeah, the seemingly lowly clothespin is actually one of our most brilliant and versatile technological inventions. The problem is finding a good quality clothespin. While in Tennessee recently, I came across excellent ones at an Amish store, handmade and durable. So I bought 100 of them. My better half gave me some very strange looks (not thinking about their many uses described by Captain Zap). She was thinking, "I've got a perfectly good clothes dryer at home."

Aye, nk finding good ones is a task. Some of the wooden ones around my area are atrocious - cheap to nearly not worth a hoot. Another use: an aid for opening old 8 track tape cartridges - works great.

I was familiar with a few of them but not all of them. Very interesting...

i love transparent soap, scottish heather, and well made wooden clothes pins.

When I was a manicurist (or if you prefer the new terminology - nail tech) we used clothes pins to practice making acrylic nails. You can also make little people out of them.

I'm not sure what stuff I love, probably coffee.

I've used the non-spring type for craft projects...they make dandy Christmas ornaments. They can be transformed into toy soldiers, policemen, reindeer, cows, mooses, skiiers (popsicle sticks for skies) ballet dancers, and anything else you can imagine and paint. You can add fabric or felt for clothes,scarves, tutus, whatever, googly eyes, yarn, and whatever else you've got laying around for crafting use.

hey!!!
if i open an old 8 track tape cartridge with say a clothespin, will i get windows 7?

hey zap!
between my collection of bibles, and your collection of ouija boards....we could open up a shop!!!!


(the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone...but then again who knows)

I ain't a sellin' none of my Ouijas!

hahaha...! :)

hey zap!
could you at least get them to behave?

agnes, you will only get whatever is in there and who knows there may be Windows 7 in there. All of mine have rust covered mylar inside though which is okay I 'spect. Working on archiving my old quad 8 tracks to DVD-Audio in 5.1 surround (I do a fake center and sub) for an acquaintance so I've been opening a few here and there lately - tis a whole nother story then.

i can get a vague picture in my mind as to what that must mean but i have no such equipment and am otherwise not familiar with it! but it is cool that you can transfer what is on an 8 track (rust covered mylar and all? minus the rust covered mylar i mean? in spite of it...oh nevermind!!!) onto a new format!

Indeed agnes! Had one "blow up" on me during a transfer. Slowed me down a bit, but got him back together and the remainder transferred. The person I'm mainly doing the discs for asked why I didn't just buy quad on reels. Didn't have the money to buy the playback deck mostly. Another 'nother story.