Epic Win: Sand Art Windows
Submitted and written by Trinity Fish
Sand Art Windows are filled with a liquid and multi-colored sand in between two sheets of glass. The frame is on a spinner. When you flip it over (so the sand is at the top) it slowly trickles down as flow channels are created. As the sand falls it forms different patterns. This contraption was especially popular during the late seventies through the eighties (right about the time home video game consoles started becoming popular). They can still be bought, although they are extremely difficult to find anywhere except the internet.
He who controls the Spice, controls the universe!
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Best.Quote.Ever.
As a pluss, it seems to take the right amount of time and concentration to actualy calm me down. ^^
These used to be found at Coach House Gifts – at nearly every mall in the USA.
Yeah, that was my first thought. I remember seeing hundreds of these at Coach House in my old mall.
Woo! I have one of these… but the liquid is slowly dissapearing… hmmm… it must be being drained by the atomic invisible newt that lives in my room
Also some nature themed stores (Nature Company, Natural Wonders, ((now defunct, sob)) carried these on into the 90’s. Really nifty, but like the stores nearly extinct.
Our dentist kept a few of these in his waiting room. They tripped us out without having novocaine.
Hawkins Bazaar in the UK sells them still.
Spencer’s gifts (found in most US malls) still sells em.. really not that hard to find
The Spencer where i live doesn’t sell them. I havnt seen anyone sell these sense early 90’s.
Try Pike Place Market in Seattle- I was there Yeasterday and a vendor had them. You can find just about anything there.
I’ve seen them at almost every LOFT department store (Japanese) I’ve been into. It was actually the first time I’d ever seen one! Very neat
The boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland is teeming with them! I saw them in at least five different colors in almost every other store.
OMG I TOTALLY HAVE ONE OF THESE IN MY HOUSE I CANT BELEIVE iT!!!!!!!! IVE HAD IT SINCE WE CAME TO AMERICA I CANT BELeIVE it omg omg omg OMG
My babysitter had one of these. Whenever she watched me at her house, I’d always play with it. I was 7 and thought she was the coolest girl ever for owning it.
Wow, my grandmother had one and I used to play with it for about an hour each time I went there lol…
Same here. I still remember the two my grandparents had. One was like the one they pictured here, the other had blue liquid, white sand that went UP, and black sand that went down. If you got the black sand trapped right, the result looked like an upside-down, snow covered mountain.
Yup, my grandmother got me one when I was younger…I was fascinated by it.
I have two of these. I bought one at Service Merchandise and one at the local thrift store. The liquid started disappearing but I added more with a syringe.
YES!!!! Another one passed and got one the pages!!! I’m on a roll! I can only seem to get on Once Upon A Win.
here in Brazil its easyly found in souvenir shops =p
I had two of these as a kid. They were both oval shaped. One had blue and white sand, the other pink and white. Loved those things. Now I don’t know what came of them. *sad*
Not a big problem to get those in souvenir shops in Poland. Especially on the high tourism sites…
Aww, I had one of these – got it as a gift from an employer when I left. It was bright red, with black and white sand. So like a lava lamp, only without the fire hazard.
Dude! Luray Caverns sells these!
I saw these at a store in Ithaca, New York last week! They had quite a few in different colours. And I believe they were made fairly recently, so someone still makes them and sells them in other places besides the internet.
I have actually seen these within the past few years in a mine supply/retro toy shop in the downtown area of where I live.
They had like fifty of these things and a lot of other things on this site that are kind of artistic
As already mentioned, they have loads of them at Pike Place Market still <3
My uncle had one of these and I LOVED it. It was super no no to touch it myself though, since it was glass, so when it finished making mountains and swirlies I'd have to go ask my uncle to flip it again for me. The day he let me do it myself was like growing up!
And then my stupid spoiled awful little cousin took it out of his office (where he had kept it out of her reach for the first 4 years of her life) and BROKE THE S**T OUT OF IT the first time. I was so angry when I found out!!! D:<
I have one of these in my apartment. I took it from my mom’s house when I moved out. It’s from the mid-80’s, to be sure, and I’ve always loved it!
I remember getting one of those on my holiday in Czech. Though by now it has dried up (think it got a leak) and I think I threw it out in the meantime.
Had one of these in our house growing up (lived with my grandparents most of my childhood). I’d forgotten all about it! I wouldn’t mind having one as a coffee-table-piece even now.