‘95 Gift Guide Toilet Warmers And Much More

Nothing says your holiday gift selections have to be, you know, ordinary.

Not when the folks at Think Tank Consumer Products in Piedmont, Calif. - “New ideas for your sameold sorry life” - have addressed what their press kit refers to as “The age-old problem of the chilly toilet seat.”

Their solution? It’s the ToiletSleev, a terrycloth cover for toilet seat lids. It retails for about $15. And it looks really, really strange. Call (800) 336-IDEA for ordering information.

Or maybe you’re looking for something a bit more high-tech. In that case, you might want to check out the “virtual reality headset” sold by Seattle-based Virtual i-O. These glasses allow users to view everything from PC and video games to television to virtual reality programs. Slip these babies on, and you’re in another world. They start at about $600. Call (800) 646-3759 for a list of retailers.

If you are shopping for a true geta-life sportsaholic, you might want to know that it’s not necessary to wait until 1996 to get into the Olympic spirit. You can start your buying marathon now.

Call (800) 274-9600 to order a catalog crammed with an astonishing array of merchandise emblazoned with the logo of the Atlanta games. Mugs, hats, T-shirts and sweatshirts are only the beginning.

Or maybe you’d rather say it with music. In that case, you might want to find out about ordering a cassette of customized Christmas songs that include personalized lyrics for your special someone. They start at $30. Call (800) 725-SONG.

If you’ve been inundated with catalogs, but they all add up to a big pile of the same old/same old, call (800) 442-DALI and ask about the offerings from the Salvador Dali Museum. Melting clocks and much, much more.

Itching to support agriculture? The American Sheep Industry Association has a list of sheep-related gift ideas that would be sure to please anyone who, er, well, you never know. Call (303) 771-3500 and ask for a copy of the October 1995 Sheepsheet gift list.

Or maybe a gift from Vermont would surprise the person on your list who expects yet another Western-themed present. Call (800) 455-3399 for the Green Mountain Gifts catalog, which includes seemingly everything from calendars to cheese.

How about a rock from the hometown of the first man to walk on the moon? So, OK, they aren’t exactly “moon rocks.” Not even close, in fact. But there’s a guy in Wapakoneta, Ohio, who for $5 will send you a rock from Neil Armstrong’s hometown - “furnished with a letter of authenticity.” Call (419) 738-3597.

And you don’t want to forget stocking-stuffers. So how about The Little Black Card That Rings, a shiny little case in which to present one’s business card.

When you open the flap, you see the words, “Give me a ring!” and you hear an amazing mechanical mimicking of the sound of a phone ringing.

Funny or off-the-chart annoying? You make the call. They sell for about $3 apiece. Call (800) 408-6242.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo