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Sometimes it's the small things
Home » Blog » Sarah Marquet » Sometimes it's the small thingsNew Zealand-made batteries and picture hooks are hard to find!
Photo by The Giant Vermin via Flickr
Batteries: not made here
I was rushing to get to an interview in the weekend when I realised I had left my pen and paper at home. I had my dictaphone, but the batteries were almost flat and probably wouldn’t have lasted through the interview.
As I was already running late I didn’t want to turn around to find a Whitcoulls or such shop where I know they sell New Zealand-made pens and paper, and I knew I'd be driving past a supermarket. The supermarket sold made-in-NZ Bic pens but not paper, so I decided to go for the batteries. They were all made in China, but I rely on my dictaphone for accuracy so I went ahead and bought them. Unfortunately, the supermarket didn't sell rechargeable batteries so I had to buy the disposables.
Rechargeables are the way I'll go in future though. Not only will they reduce the amount of batteries in landfills, they will reduce the amount of foreign bought goods I buy this year.
The search for Picture hooks
Photo by smannion via Flickr
I want to hang three frames on the wall, but I can’t find New Zealand-made picture hooks or glue. The frames don’t have hooks on the back, so I can’t stick a nail in the wall to hang them from. I tried making a loop from some wire, but all I could find to stick it on with was Sellotape, which didn’t even last a day.
I found three companies that make nails, staples and wire here: NZ Nail Industries, Wireplus and Hurricane Wire Products. Between them, they make many products that I could use to get my frames on the wall.
I thought that between them they would make something that I could use to make an improvised hook, but everything was too big—their products are aimed at builders, farmers and the like.
Thankfully, I have a father and a grandfather who love hoarding anything that might possibly be of some use one day. Both have a massive collection of hooks, nails, screws and so on. I know one of them will have something that I can use—but what if they weren’t such magpies? If I couldn't raid their collections, there would be more foreign made goods I would have to buy.
