!7: Shopping Thermos Metal: November 2011

!±8± Transformers Toys Are Hot Collectibles

Transformers, the movie recently caused a stir in the US box office, and ever since I can remember, as I kid I had dozens of transformers toys. Today transformers toys have become collectable items, and there is a market for old transformer toys, I remember my first ever transformer toy was a green tank. Recently I was surprised to find out that the tank was now worth nearly 0! If you have been smart enough to hold on to your transformer toys then you should log on to different sites to know how much your transformer toy is worth.

Contrary to popular belief transformer toys too are catalogued based on their year of manufacture; the earliest being transformers manufactured between 1984 and 1990. In fact if you have a transformer toy that was manufactured between 1984 and 1990, then you will be surprised to know that a lot of the transformers from that time are now collector's item and can go for upwards of 0. Transformer toys have been popular in countries like Japan, USA and Canada; in fact a majority of transformer toy collectors are in Japan, however the demand for transformer toys in America is also on the rise.

Depending on the condition of the toy and also the year of manufacture a transformer toy can be worth a lot, in fact if you are lucky to be the owner of a limited series transformer Autobot from the 1984 series, an original unopened transformer from the first generation of transformers could be worth close to 00.

Another popular collectors item in transformer toys are 'bootleg' transformers, these toys are actually made for a particular country, since they are not authorized for distribution in countries like the US or Canada, they are very rare to find. Another misconception with 'bootleg' transformers is that they are poor quality copies; this is not true sometimes the 'bootleg' transformers are superior in quality to authorized transformers products. If you have a transformer toy that was not an authorized transformers product, then you might just be in possession of a rare product and you should hold on to it.

With so many transformers toys produced in the past 3 decades it's become increasingly difficult to keep up with all the product lines, in fact in Japan alone there are some very interesting transformers available. One of the most controversial lines of transformer toys called the Kiss Players line is considered to be for adults only and some toys are pornographic in nature. Once again since this was a limited series created in Japan alone, this makes for a popular collector's item.

If you are looking for transformers toys or other collectables related to transformers, you can visit sites like transformersnation.com that offer quality transformer toys, and offer transformers toys that attract both first time buyers and collectors alike. If you are still not sure what you are looking for, or how much your transformer toy is worth, you can always search for other transformers related articles and products online and find out what your transformer toy is worth today.

Transformers Toys Are Hot Collectibles

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!±8± Who Invented The Thermos Flask?

The origins of the modern Thermos flask can be traced back to the laboratory of Sir James Dewar, a 19th Century Scottish scientist, where he experimented with low-temperature materials. Producing liquid oxygen at temperatures below -183 C, the problem of storage proved particularly challenging and in 1892 Dewar developed his own solution, the vacuum flask.

His invention consisted of two glass-walled chambers separated by a vacuum, which prevented air currents from moving heat in or out and a silver coating created a reflective layer to reduce additional transfer of heat by radiation. Dewar built on his sub-zero expertise, becoming the first person to produce liquid and solid hydrogen and then to co-invent cordite, a smokeless gunpowder. Eventually knighted in 1904 in recognition of his significant contributions to science, the full potential of his vacuum flask had yet to be realised.

Meanwhile, Rheinhold Burger, one of Dewar's former pupils, realised that the vacuum flask might have commercial applications. He improved on the fragile design by enclosing the glass chamber in a robust metal casing, secured with protective rubber mountings and in 1904 he sold the idea to a German company of glassblowers. Such a novel invention deserved an impressive name and a competition was soon launched to find one. The eventual winner, a resident of Munich, could never have guessed that his choice would still be a household name in the 21st Century. Derived from the Greek word for heat, "therme", the Thermos flask had arrived.

Initially, production proved slow and expensive as each glass vessel was hand-blown by skilled craftsmen and only a small number of flasks could be completed in a day. Despite this Thermos expanded, becoming an international concern and in 1911 a London-based subsidiary made an important breakthrough in the mechanisation of flask production. Output increased, prices fell and the vacuum flask became a must-have item with its miraculous claim to keep fluids hot for 24 hours or cold for three days.

An intensive marketing campaign declared it "the bottle of the 20th Century made for up-to-date people" and "a necessity for every modern household from Pole to Pole." Endorsed by Earnest Shackleton on his trip to the Antarctic and the Wright Brothers in their aeroplane, the Thermos was taken on many famous expeditions, increasing its status even more.

As the flask increased in popularity, new products became available including the classic pint-sized "Blue Bottle" and the "Jumbo Jug," a gallon-sized jar for storing food. The development of stronger Pyrex jars in 1928 led to the creation of huge 28 gallon containers. These were used in shops as ice cream cabinets or to store frozen fish although commercial refrigeration took over in the 1930s.

World War II brought big changes for the Thermos Company in Britain. Nearly all its resources were directed towards military demands as the vacuum flask became standard wartime issue. It has often been claimed that every time a thousand bomber planes went out on a raid, over 10,000 vacuum flasks went with them. A former pilot recalls how provisions were scarce but, "my kit always consisted of Thermos flasks of tea and coffee and packs of sandwiches."

Even today, it appears to be valued by servicemen, worldwide. A soldier, recently on duty in Afghanistan, describes how the Russians customise their Jeeps. "Commanders make them plush -fitting curtains, quilted seat covers, fans and drinks cabinets (always containing a Thermos flask of black tea)." After the Second World War production refocused on civilian requirements and the population seemed keen to renew its acquaintance with the pint-sized miracle.

Already established as a domestic favourite for the storage of food and drink, the Thermos flask had wider implications for science, medicine and technology and its list of applications continued to grow through the second half of the century. Its insulating properties proved critical in the field of medicine as it provided an ideal medium for the transport of insulin, human tissue samples and eventually donor organs. Vacuum flask technology has also been applied to aircraft instrumentation, weather detection equipment and is used in the nuclear power industry and international Space programmes.

In a rapidly developing world, this innovative product has worked hard to keep up with current trends and establish itself as a 20th Century icon. As cheap flights made travel more accessible and new technology led to extreme sports, the introduction of the first stainless steel vacuum bottle in 1966 ensured that the flask could meet the demands of a new generation of adventurers. With environmental issues on the agenda today, the obvious energy saving benefits may hold the key to its survival for another century.