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BlagBack: Turning free samples in to charity cash
Announcing the launch of BlagBack, a new initiative designed to encourage companies to hand over their unwanted product samples so we can auction them off for charity. I'll even be donating a huge selection of my own blags. More info

Mystery Christmas Gift #9: Squirrel Nut Cracker
Life is strangely poetic at times. After seeing the Nutcracker ballet on Saturday I was chuffed when a mere few days later an actual Nutcracker should pop through the door from Eddingtons. Even better I’d missed out on buying a Nutcracker at the show so this product was already in my good books on arrival.

Mystery Christmas Gift #8 Christmas Tree & Wreath
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree review and what better than a real Christmas tree once again provided by the excellently named Turf and Stuff.com. This year they’ve gone one better by also including a Christmas wreath for review alongside a 6ft Nordman Christmas tree.

Mystery Christmas Gift #7 Go! Go! Asian
Generally when a product arrives I can take one look at the packaging and ascertain straight away what it’s for and how to use it. So when “Go! Go! Asian, Koi Garden Green Tea Antioxidant” arrived I wasn’t at all sure what to do on name alone. Something to do with fish lapping at your feet...

Mystery Christmas Gift #6 eJay Virtual Sounds 1-3
There used to be a point where every video game included a sound test mode where you could listen to second long sound clips from the game. So you’d hear Sonic grab a ring or Mario go “hoo-hoo I got it”. Playing Virtual Sounds is almost exactly the same experience, a sequence of sound clips you can play one by one.

Mystery Christmas Gift #5 DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger
The best Christmas presents are often the most unexpected, so when a bumper box of treats arrived from DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger we were more than a little eager to see what surprises lay in store. With the wrapping out of the way we discovered an aftershave, two lip glosses, perfume and body lotion.

Mystery Christmas Gift #4 Cat Playhouse Fire Engine
I've been sneaking pictures of my cats in to product reviews to see if anyone would notice and send them a product to review, and voila today we have the first product for them to test: a cat playhouse in the shape of a fire engine. Cat Carnage will ensure (videos included!)

Mystery Christmas Gift #3 - JML Tribod Massager
Littering a press release for a massager with tag lines such as "It's a mini massager and can be taken anywhere" and "you can use it on any part of your body" is always going to cause a few giggles and this is definitely the case with the Tribod. Not to mention its easy on switch and blue flashing lights.

Mystery Christmas Gift #2 - Parissa
For the second of my 'unusual Christmas Gifts' I turn to Parissa and their range of waxing products which I was thankfully assured on arrival are for men and women despite the prevalence of women on the boxes, joy! I was also encouraged by the PR spiel to try a "boyzillian" which I'm not quite sure what that means...

Mystery Christmas Gift #1 - Gamewright
Last week you had our guide to getting Christmas for free, and now we commence our own attempt, starting first with small gifts and working our way up. So to start the ball rolling, here's our first mystery product, very nicely wrapped up by Gamewright, what could it be....

How to get Christmas for free
Last year, I was lucky enough to get my entire Christmas for free, from the tree to the turkey, the gifts to the festive hamper.
But how did I do it? And more importantly how can you do exactly the same thing? From free meals and days out for the family to gifts and the tree I show you how to do it all.


£600 worth of Paintballing - Free
If you see an offer for free paintball be skeptical. Many companies will let you in for free and then charge for your protective gear and paintballs. Knowing this all too well, it was with some relief when Rednal Paintball Arena offered us free entry for ten and 600 paintballs each as well.

Crunchy Nut Bites - Nuts and Caramel
On receiving this latest blag I couldn't help but feel a little like one of those Crunchy Nut addicts Kellogg's are keen to show in their advertising. From a secret rendezvous to Crunchy Nut thieves this story tells the tale of the lengths one man will go for nutty, caramel coated cereal.

Available at all good book stores...
Want to learn the secrets of blagging, saving money and getting free stuff? Our first book is out now across the web Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, WHSmiths.co.uk, Tesco.com, Waterstones and globally too. Want it even quicker? Why not Download it for under £3?

Anthony Sport Male Grooming Range
It may not look it but this is nearly £100 worth of male grooming products, ranging from Shaving Cream to Spot Cream. But in a market so crowded do Anthony Sport have what it takes to stand out from the crowd, and more importantly to make you stand out from the crowd?

Xbox 360 and Dominos Pizza
Is there any better combination? I go undercover to find two companies whose excellent customer service (and little mistakes) makes blagging a breeze. £200 worth of free stuff without once mentioning Blagman.co.uk? Here's how it was done...

The 'Join This Group, Get Free Stuff' Challenge
Send Blagman a product and he'll give it an impartial review, so if you had a place to talk about products would companies give you free stuff as well? That's the logic behind our new facebook group, giving you the chance to try and get something for nothing. Join up free here.

Free Stuff for October 2008
Bloomin eck is it that time of the month again? Free Books, Free Dog Stuff, Free Software, Free Cosmetics and an update on or Facebook experiment. So we’d better get right to it, here’s the best freebies you can blag for October 2008, scam free and just for you.

Turtle Bags
Corporate Social Responsibility is everywhere these days. It concerns the onus placed on companies to act in an Environmentally and Ethically sound way, and in no bigger area has this affected the consumer recently than with plastic bags. Here's Solution Number One...

One Years Supply of Brylcreem
Following on from our 2007 review of a years supply of Brylcreem gel and shampoo here we are to tackle a years supply of wax, gum and paste. After two weeks intense testing we settle the old question, just why do hair products come in different strengths, and why should we care?

Hear Your Body Talking Lifestyle CD
I wouldn’t really consider myself to be much of *BEEP** a sceptic, and I can wholeheartedly see the benefit for *COUGH** numerous people of the likes *BOOM BOOM** of Stop Smoking, Slimming and new age thinking books and CD’s. But I can't shake the feeling this one has a problem.

Donna Karan Collection
We take a trip down memory lane with the review of no less than eight reissued Donna Karan fragrances including CHAOS, Fuel for Men, Signature and Essences. No fancy bottles this time around, just classic scents without any 21st century updates. Have they stood the test of time? Find out…

10 Steps to Blagging Success
The Blagman book 'Blagman: Don't Buy It, Blag It, is now available at Amazon.co.uk here and at Amazon.com here and to give you some idea of what to expect I've compiled ten tips from the book for any prospective blagger in the maker:


Chelston House - Dolls House
You have to feel sorry for dolls. They can barely move their arms without our help and now they’re being asked to build enormous dolls houses from scratch. Take the Chelston House, as it comes flat packed I’ll bet the dolls' little faces sank when they realised they’ve have to build it.

Free Stuff for September 2008
Rule number 3 of becoming a blagger; Companies want you to have stuff for free. Not only that but it can be yours in little more than a few clicks of the mouse. This month proves it as we go global with free TV Shows, Music, Food and even celebrities in the UK and USA.

City 13 Album - Better Late Than Never Again
Although I receive a lot of odd requests in my inbox every day, I do often reward the people that are the first to ask for something. The first person to ask me for a free product got one mere days later. Likewise City 13 are the first band to ask for me for a review, and so here we go...

Whatever Clock, Cool Jewels and Zing
Adultisis. That annoying affliction that makes things seem childish and the world seem a little more droll and grey. Help is on the way from three unique little products designed to take away this dreaded disease and bring back the child in us all. Change the Credit Crunch for Cap'n Crunch!

PureAyre Odour Eliminator
This is Breena. She thinks she can get away with just about anything because she’s cute and purrs a lot. Unfortunately her cuteness doesn’t quite extend to manners around the home, and we often find ourselves having to clean up after this little madam. Has she met her match with PureAyre?

How any blogger can be a blagger
Although my day job is working for design agency The Studio 4 I also have a secret pastime: I’m a ‘blagger’. Not a blogger, but a blagger - someone who attempts to get products for free. They may not seem linked but there’s no reason every webmaster can’t get something for free.

Doritos Collisions
Crisps have come a long way in the last ten years. Before the days of bumper size bags, if you wanted crisps at a party you simply grabbed a multipack bag, opened up each small packet inside and filled them in to a bowl one by one. Today we look at a new innovation...

Identity Crisis Board Game
What exactly is a board game household? One that sits down once a week for a family fun night, or one that knows every rule of Dungeons and Dragons? Either way, last week was the first time I have felt something of a board game house, thanks to this addictive game.

Baby Emi Jingle Bells Anklet
Ah baby bling. After handbags for carrying around small dogs and big thick gold chains it’s one of those celebrity obsessions that filters down to us civilians, parading itself in magazines and screaming out for us to pay attention to it. So let’s take five minutes to explore it.

Angelic Hen – Toxic Waste Disposal Bag
So here's a question: Do Superhero’s have radioactive underwear? If that's the case then Angelic Hen really couldn’t have picked a better product to send the Blagman for review, because let’s face it every superhero in training needs a “Toxic Waste” laundry bag.

Viking Trader Bronze Thor Pendant
Whatever happened to Bronze? You walk in to your local jewellers and you’re greeted by silver, gold, white gold and platinum but where’s all the bronze? One company keeping the scene alive is Viking Trader who create bronze artefacts based on classic Viking designs.

JML VacPack
Doctor Who may be over, but it seems TARDIS technology may be creeping in to our modern day technology after all. Take the VacPack, which on paper defies logic. You fill it up and by some miracle it is able to reduce the space they take up by anything from 50-75%, saving you space and making moving house easier.

Food Glorious Food...
Sometimes companies don't do things by halves and rather than sending just the one sample they decide to clear the warehouse, get rid of all their old stock and bombard you with an obscene amount of free samples as happened today with this bumper box of food.

Some of the best from Season 1:
Jack Daniel's Chess Set
It didn't look like I'd top last years £150 Cirondo but in the 11th hour I managed it with a £200 Jack Daniels chess set landing on my desk for free. Sure it has some strange choices for pieces (since when was a safe something you associate with Jack Daniels?) but it'll be an antique someday... maybe.

K-Swiss: Lozan II Punk
Most of the stuff I blag can be found in a vast number of retailers, but the K-Swiss Lozan II Punk trainers I snagged could only be found in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. What're more they were made in very limited numbers making it bizzare that I managed to get a pair all to myself. Oh and the £100 price tag made them a the natural choice.

AZBO's
Although a strange blag, the AZBO's were interesting for their quantity alone. When 10 figures turned up worth £10-£12 each I was pretty sure they'd be recalled, but the AZBO team were nice enough to let us keep the figures and give them a really good detailed write up. What we found were brilliant pieces of satire ranging from videogamers, to pot smokers, chubby men to tarty women. Nice, if unusual gifts.

Pizza Maker
Whenever I tell people what I do I always get asked the same question “So what's the best thing you've blagged” and for Season 1 my answer has always been “a Pizza Maker”. By far and away this is the product that defines what we set out to do,; exposing useful products that may otherwise be overlooked. Well make sure you don't overlook this one.

Squirrel Nut Cracker Review

Where can I buy one? Eddingtons
I'm in the blagback auction.

Life is strangely poetic at times. After seeing the Nutcracker ballet on Saturday I was chuffed when a mere few days later an actual Nutcracker should pop through the door from Eddingtons. Even better I’d missed out on buying a Nutcracker at the show so this product was already in my good books on arrival.

Although it doesn’t match the toy soldier nut cracker of the show, it instead takes the shape of a silver squirrel whose mouth is ready for some serious biting. You simply pop in the nut (in to a rather large cavity which is a relief for big brazil nuts) move the squirrels tail to apply force and voila the nut is cracked. Any bits left inside the mouth can be swept out or pushed down to fall out of the backside of the squirrel in a rather amusing touch.

The squirrel nut cracker also seriously packs the cute chic factor, with a nice stainless steel shine that will make it fit in with any other appliances you have to offer (well unless they’re white). It comes well packaged and would make an excellent gift for anyone that is in need of a unique touch for their kitchen.

Oh and it works well too. We tried it on a bag of almonds, brazil nuts and monkey nuts, all of which were quickly crushed under its mighty jaws. Cleaning was as simple as sticking a finger in the mouth (don’t worry it’s not sharp in any way) and flicking the excess bits away. Handy and effective.

Nordman Christmas Tree and Wreath Review

Where to buy Christmas trees: Turf and Stuff.com – Supplier of real Christmas trees with free delivery.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree review and what better than a real Christmas tree once again provided by the excellently named Turf and Stuff.com. This year they’ve gone one better by also including a Christmas wreath for review alongside a 6ft Nordman Christmas tree.

Nordman Fir Christmas Tree
Ordering a Christmas Tree online may seem as safe as asking someone to carry a pottery collection to you on a bicycle, after all these are delicate items, they should be worn down very quickly by a van journey halfway across Britain. Testing this to the extreme I missed the delivery of my tree twice, picked it up from a depo, shoved it in my car and then drove home, so if anything was going to damage the tree that journey should have done it.

And yet rather miraculously on opening the tree I found not one damaged branch, and not a single dropped needle. This is somewhat down to doubled up packaging which first wraps the tree in mesh and then seals it in a plastic bag. As the bag can only be opened by cutting it to it, any tree damage would be immediately obvious, and despite the hundreds of miles travelled the tree looked as good as the day it was chopped with no needles in the bag at all.

The vacuum seal of the plastic bag also helped keep the scent of the tree intact, a fact my cats rather enjoyed by the way they huddled under it once it had been set up. The needles were healthy, green and vibrant and as for the branches they were nothing but nice and crisp and even. In terms of longevity, the tree has been chopped down for over a week and shows no signs of ageing, and the Norman fir tree we received last year, (also from Turf and Stuff.com) stayed green long up to the 6th January end date so there’s no reason not to expect this year’s trees to last as long.

Holly Wreath
If delivering a tree seems a tough job then delivering a wreath seems like a statistical impossibility. After all they are in essence just flowers held together with wire, one drop and you’d expect them to shatter in a sea of beads and green leafs. It’s rather clever then that Turf and Stuff.com hid the wreath inside our tree and covered it in bubble wrap. This allowed the tree to shelter the wreath and made everything tight and compact for transport. It also looked like a rather festive present tucked beneath the branches of our tree.

Even without the packaging it is clear the wreath is very well made, and it made our ASDA £7 wreath look an absolute shambles. The solidity of the wreath can similarly be felt with a quick touch as it’s very sharp, so keeping it away from children is advised. Other than that it’s the perfect decoration for any door which an owner can display proudly for all to see.

Don’t forget you can read our guide on how to get Christmas for free here.

Go! Go! Asian, Koi Garden Green Tea Antioxidant Review

I’m in the blags to riches auction.

Generally when a product arrives I can take one look at the packaging and ascertain straight away what it’s for and how to use it. So when “Go! Go! Asian, Koi Garden Green Tea Antioxidant” arrived I wasn’t at all sure what to do on name alone. I wasn’t given any more guidance by the bottle talking about ‘gentle water lapping at my toes as jewel-toned koi fish glide below’.

Was it foot lotion? A tea supplement? Garden spray? A drink? I was flummoxed, so the only solution seemed to be to poor it out and try it. Thankfully I didn’t need to drink anything, as it became apparent the lotion was nothing more than a simple moisturiser almost instantly.

As a moisturiser it ticks the right boxes, ‘not tested on animals’, ‘nice scent’ and ‘good consistency’ being three key points to take away. So simple I’d say it does exactly what it says on the bottle, if it did. As a brand and marketing tool it’s great, but as a product tool it left me stumped.

eJay Virtual Sounds 1-3 Review

I’m in the BlagBack auction

There used to be a point where every video game included a sound test mode where you could listen to second long sound clips from the game. So you’d hear Sonic grab a ring, a car crash, a basketball bounce or Mario go “hoo-hoo I got it”. Playing Virtual Sounds is almost exactly the same experience, a sequence of sound clips you can play one by one.

Each of these packages includes 25,000 royalty free wav samples - which is great news for any aspiring video maker, or music maker - and these are broken down in to categories such as Techno, Garage, HipHop across three packages and six disks. You can grab a short 3-10 second long clip, give it a quick listen and import it in to any music software you like. Should you compose an instant dance classic you won’t even have to pay any royalties.

It will take a while to find the best songs on each collection and even split into sub categories most folders contain over a hundred samples. There’s also no real indication of what samples go well together or any user comments/ reviews so each CD can be a little overwhelming and you will still have to rely on extra software to alter the clips in any way. For those who have mastered music software like eJay it’s the logical step up, and like the sound tests of old it really just serves to make you hanker more for the real game underneath.

BlagBack: Donating unwanted press samples to charity

Through Blagman.co.uk I’ve been able to get a ridiculous amount of products for free, all by offering a product review, yet it occurred to me that a lot of the products I have sitting around serve no purpose now they’ve been reviewed. So rather than keeping them for the next photo opportunity I’ve instead decided to auction off a selection of the products to help the Childs Play charity.

Which also got me thinking about the number of companies that also have products sitting around waiting for a journalist to review them, or a competition to enter. To this end I am also encouraging every company and PR agency in the land to get rid of the old stock they have sitting around. What’s more I’ll even give you the PR coverage you crave by showing off the products on Blagman.co.uk to over 30,000 visitors. Drop me an email on mike@blagman.co.uk for more information.

So far we’ve been featured on BBC Radio 5Live, BBC News, USA Today, ABC News and the Times but we need help spreading the word as well. Blog about us, twitter about us and tell the world, or even contact a company telling them what we’re up to.

The auction is currently set for the end of January to give us as much chance to get products in as possible. For further details, or to send in a product contact mike@blagman.co.uk.

I’ll be running updates on the tally and products received very soon and you can follow me on twitter for live updates.