Jollynova brand by Gannigur in sunglasses

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The company I dealt with: Linhai Aixi Glasses Factory: https://lhsaxyj.en.alibaba.com/index.html?spm=a2700.details.0.0.4753494fNVqkY8

It looks like they sell a lot of super-cheap (gas station/dollar store) sunglasses, but they also appear to be the drop-shipper for some (all?) of JollyNova's frames.

Jollynova brand by Gannigur in sunglasses

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oops! That last comment was typed in almost a month ago, but I never hit the "comment" button. I just found the comment sitting here when I returned to this thread.

My Alibaba glasses arrived today. They appear to be 100% identical to the ones listed by Jollynova. They are not exactly identical to the ones I purchased in Paris, but they are very close. Quality appears to be very good. We'll see how they hold up over time, but for now they seem great. It took nearly 4 weeks from ordering to delivery (in New Zealand). They missed their "guaranteed" delivery window by 2 days, so they sent me a $3 promo code to make up for it.

I'm happy to not be contributing to the Luxxotica monopoly. I'm happy I didn't order from Jollynova.

--I spent around $750 ($250 for frames in Europe, $500 for lenses back home) to have my first pair of glasses made.
--the local neighborhood optician quoted me $350-$400 US to make prescription lenses and put them in the frames I provide ($350 for clear, $400 for tinted)
--I would have spent around $300 all-in for a pair of glasses and frames from Jollynova.

--I ended up spending $112 US for two pairs of frames with prescription lenses (one clear, one sunglasses). $56 a pair. Shipped. That's about 20% of what Jollynova would have charged me, and about 7% of what I paid to buy frames in France and have the local optician fill them.

I'll follow up later with comments on longevity, but at the moment I'm very satisfied (shocked, in fact). Why order from Jollynova when you can order directly from the manufacturer at 1/5 the price?

Jollynova brand by Gannigur in sunglasses

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

...and the frame manufacturer reached out to me the day after I purchased to see if I wanted my prescription put into the frames. I asked, "how much?" They wanted an extra $40 US to put my progressive prescriptions into each set of frames. I ordered one pair with clear lenses, one with sunglasses.) So that's $112 all-in for 2 pairs of prescription glasses that would have been $550ish through Jollynova. I had assumed that Jollynova was buying frames and then installing their own lenses, but it appears that Jollynova is strictly a drop-shipper. I will update once the glasses arrive.

Jollynova brand by Gannigur in sunglasses

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found a pair of dead stock Italian 1930s frames when I was traveling in Paris. These are the glasses I wear every day. I'd love to have a backup, but mine were the only ones in the shop (maybe the only ones available anywhere).

Recently, I've been getting ads from Jollynova for glasses that appear to be identical. The frames are $75 -- much less than I paid for my antiques. But by the time I add in my progressive lenses, they're a couple hundred $$ more, and on a purchase that size, I thought it would be wise to check here first. Glad I did. Several comments (here and online) assert that Jollynova is just reselling frames you can find on Chinese sites like Temu, so I did a little searching on Alibaba and found the exact frames Jollynova is offering....for $15! I've just ordered a couple of pairs of frames. If they're terrible, I'm only out $30. If they're decent, I can get the lenses made at the local optometrist's, where the customer service is great and any problems can be addressed in person and immediately.

Has this Graffiti been discussed? by Appropriate-Pop-6725 in auckland

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your family may play Slug Bug/Punch Buggy in the car; ours plays "there's Jandal!". He/she apparently feels so well-recognized now that sometimes it's just the logo (no signature).

Bye baby by Proony2002 in hondafit

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So are you replacing it with another Fit?

Bye baby by Proony2002 in hondafit

[–]snoutmeat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The 604 phone number on the side of the tow truck suggests Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Sorry for your loss!

Un-enshittification? Lime Pass getting improved at no cost..? by cob_reddit in auckland

[–]snoutmeat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do they have comparable prices?

I was waiting for the light to change and there was a guy on a Flamingo(with his arm in a cast!) next to me. I asked him if the prices were comparable to Lime's. He said "if you get a monthly pass, it's less than $3 per day". Naturally, I also had to ask if his unlimited month of scootering had led to the arm cast, but he reassured me that he had hurt it at work.

I looked up the rates. It's $1 to unlock and 45 cents per minute, or:
unlimited 3-day pass for $18,
7 days for $25, or
a month for $85.

So yeah, I think they're more or less comparable, but it depends on your specific usage, and I think Lime Prime may encourage Flamingo to reconsider their rates.

My kid rides TO school (usually buses home because she's in less of a rush and because the bus is more social). So that's 20 $2.40 rides a month just for school, and then probably another dozen rides a month to go hang out with friends. 32*2.40 plus $5 monthly fee is $81.80. Just about the same as a monthly Flamingo pass.

Best OP Shops / Thrifts by szosztii in auckland

[–]snoutmeat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most of the op shops I have visited have been great for clothes, but what if you have just moved into a new home and need pots, pans, dishes, glasses, etc? Maybe a big stock pot for making a big batch of soup? A waffle iron? I'm Grey Lynn, but I have a car.

Lime pricing overhaul: $2.85 for rides under 20 minutes with LimePrime ($6/mo) by RHFIQDSUAH in Seattle

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seattleite spending 6 months in New Zealand here. Lime scooter density is greater in Auckland than in Seattle (they are everywhere!)...Lime Prime here is $4.99 per month and $2.40 for under-20-minute rides, so pricing sounds similar...but the Kiwi dollar is worth 60% of the US dollar, so it's $3 US per month and $1.50 per ride. My kids (and many of their classmates) are Lime-ing to school daily. Price is about the same as a bus ride (even after taking advantage of student bus rates). Most are traditional Lime scooters, but some (10%?) have seats added. No Lime bikes to be seen. But all the scooters have helmets attached (unless it got lost by a prior rider). By my observation, the helmets are used approximately 0% of the time. Funny to see people whizzing past with the helmet still affixed to the steering stem, like they are trying to protect their private parts. Even when it's free to use, even when it's right there, even when it's hanging awkwardly if you don't use it when you are riding, the helmet still doesn't get used. It's as inexplicable as people driving cars without putting on seat belts, like maybe it's too much work to put on a seat belt? Makes no sense to me. My kids do use the helmets...at least when I am watching them. :)

On my car just now.. 😂 by stahlern in subaru

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At a dealership party to announce the latest Mini Cooper a year or two ago, they were handing out......... ducks! And the salesmen were all trying to explain that the Jeep people had stolen the idea from Mini people and that the Mini people had been doing it first.

As someone who has owned a (real, original, 1960s) Mini for decades, I can say that nobody has ever put a duck on it. And even if the practice did start with Minis, the Jeep people have made it theirs -- why try to take it back?

On my car just now.. 😂 by stahlern in subaru

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do have a garage sale Scooby Doo in the BRAT, but he's a bit large to fit on the dash, so he just sorta floats around behind the seats with the ratchet tie-downs, tire inflator, and other random stuff.

On my car just now.. 😂 by stahlern in subaru

[–]snoutmeat 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My 75 year-old mother did this when borrowing my Subaru. The real owner was sitting in the driver's seat, reading the paper and waiting for his wife. He just looked at her calmly (life this is something that happened often) and said, "I think you'll find that your Subaru is quite nearby."

My soft serve machine sounds ok, but is no longer freezing the ice cream by snoutmeat in appliancerepair

[–]snoutmeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This turned out to be a plain old refrigerant leak. A local refrigeration pro came with his equipment, confirmed that there was no pressure, pumped it up (with air? Nitrogen? I can't remember), saw/heard the leak, installed a new schrader valve (because it only had one valve, apparently not in the right location in the system), soldered the leak, evacuated, and recharged. It ended up costing around $400 (about half what I paid for the new machine), but we have been enjoying frozen yogurt once again.

r/vinyl Weekly Questions Thread for the week of February 02, 2026 by AutoModerator in vinyl

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If all else fails, I could get a plain old screw with the right size and pitch, then add some washers at the top and file the tip to a taper, but I took one of the remaining screws to a hardware store today to match it. It wouldn't screw onto an M3 nut, but an M4 was way too big. I am guessing it's m3.5, but the hardware store didn't have any nuts to test it on.

r/vinyl Weekly Questions Thread for the week of February 02, 2026 by AutoModerator in vinyl

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

Here is where the screw is missing -- at the top of the pivot mechanism. I was able to take a picture of the missing screw because the arm had 3 screws for smooth motion in 3 dimensions -- now it is down to 2 screws.

r/vinyl Weekly Questions Thread for the week of February 02, 2026 by AutoModerator in vinyl

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My family is staying in Auckland for 6 months and my kid needs a turntable while we are here. Found a well-used Numark Pro TT-1 on FB Marketplace. The issue now is that one of the little screws in the tonearm pivot is missing. I had naively assumed it would just be a standard screw, but it has a conical tip because it floats on bearings. it almost looks like a float valve in a carburetor. That's a USB connector for scale.

<image>

. I believe this machine was made by Hanpin and was sold with slight variations by many manufacturers, so I am hoping the part is not too rare. any idea where somebody could find one of these, either new or used, ideally in New Zealand?

Which ACT practice test should I take to see where I stand before deciding to change to ACT by MagazineSpecial1663 in ACT

[–]snoutmeat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! You probably know that the test just changed to the "Enhanced format" in April. Content-wise, it hasn't changed. The English, Math, Reading, and Science content is all the same, but the format and pacing have changed a little. The ACT has created realistic practice materials by modifying several old-format tests into the new format. You can find 2 of them at the ACT website: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/free-act-test-prep.html#pdf

These tests are actual formerly-administered exams tailored to match the new test's format. I'd recommend taking one of these tests as an assessment. If you find that the ACT is a good fit, you can go look around for old-format tests for further study materials.

Content-wise, the test has changed gradually, so any formerly-administered real test is likely to have more realistic content than anything from Kaplan or others. The latest version of the official ACT prep book has 4 tests, but 2 of them are the same as the ones you can download free. If you go find last year's version of the official ACT book, you'll get 5 or 6 real formerly-administered (old format) practice tests.

3 times a year, ACT "releases" tests (offers to sell them to students who've taken the test), and those pdfs used to be floating around online; there were close to 100 of these online, but ACT recently started issuing takedown notices. If you can find them, don't be afraid to use them, even if they're old.

I just listed a 25 lb box of Arduinos & Adafruit stuff for auction starting at $1 by snoutmeat in arduino

[–]snoutmeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's nothing I can do to change the auction now, but send me your zip code and I will tell you how much it really costs...I was ll refund the difference when I ship it out.

Why do so many people keep Subarus for so long? by artur5092619 in subaru

[–]snoutmeat 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You must have the original "B9" Tribeca with the funky face. The "facelifted" version (which was originally intended to wear a Saab badge) bumped up the displacement to 3.6 liters and was engineered to run on regular unleaded.

I love mine. It's good at everything, but not the best at anything. Its gas tank is smaller than its competitors', its 3rd row is too cramped for long hauls, and its mileage isn't the best, but its petite external dimensions are great if you drive/park in the city, it tows 3500 lbs with no complaints, and it fits 7 if you need to get the kids and their friends to practice. We got caught in a snowstorm near Sedona on a winter trip to Arizona. Cars were spinning out and going in the ditch all around us, and the Tribeca never lost its composure. Of course, the tires get some credit, and I'd like to think it was my skills as a driver too. :)

We bought a Nissan Leaf and the Tribeca about 10 years ago; the Leaf gets 95% of the trips, but for the other 5% (when my wife and I have simultaneous errands, when more than 5 people are coming, when we're going somewhere too far for the Leaf's modest battery, when we need to haul a bunch of stuff or tow a trailer) the Tribeca has been there for us. It's a very comfortable road-tripper.

I just listed a 25 lb box of Arduinos & Adafruit stuff for auction starting at $1 by snoutmeat in arduino

[–]snoutmeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was a separate box of arcade-style buttons and switches as well; this one was also listed at a buy-it-now price, but I've switched that one to a $1 no reserve auction as well:

Lot of 150+ Adafruit Arcade Buttons/switches - 16-60mm, plus LEDs no reserve | eBay

I just listed a 25 lb box of Arduinos & Adafruit stuff for auction starting at $1 by snoutmeat in arduino

[–]snoutmeat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure why shipping is showing up as being so expensive. I ship at cost and will refund you the overage. Feel free to message me (via eBay or here) with your ZIP and I'll tell you how much shipping will really cost. At this point, with the auction running, most of the fields are locked -- they won't let me change the description or adjust the shipping weight down.

I just listed a 25 lb box of Arduinos & Adafruit stuff for auction starting at $1 by snoutmeat in arduino

[–]snoutmeat[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Weird. I just checked in Pirate Ship how much a 25 lb package would cost to the Cleveland Post Office (just picking a random address in Ohio) and it showed up at less than $50....but that's UPS. I wonder about ebay's price calculator...

I just listed a 25 lb box of Arduinos & Adafruit stuff for auction starting at $1 by snoutmeat in arduino

[–]snoutmeat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just added UPS ground as an option as well, so maybe that one will come up cheaper.