Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Montessori Knobbed Cylinders-I Finally Bought Some; Review of ebay seller Brainy Bambini

**Please note this is my second post today.  I also posted how to make your own spindle boxes.

Picture 877

A few months ago I discussed Knobbed Cylinders at a post you can view by clicking here.  I usually try to make most of my own Montessori materials to save money, but there are just some tools that can’t be reproduced and need to be purchased.  One of these items are the Knobbed Cylinders.

I looked at just about every store out there and even posted on Montessori bulletin boards, trying to find the best deal out there.  Finally, I decided to try an ebay seller by the name of Brainy Bambini. 

I am happy to report that I am extremely satisfied with my order from this seller.  I went with the smaller version of the Knobbed Cylinders, since you get more for your buck.  I’ve looked online and haven’t found any reason to choose full size over the smaller version.  My order came with FOUR blocks, 5 cylinders each.  Here are the details-

Block 1: The cylinders increase in diameter and height.
Block 2: The cylinders increase in diameter. The height remains the same.
Block 3: The cylinders increase in diameter and decrease in height.
Block 4: The cylinders decrease in height and diameter remains the same.

I was able to purchase these for $20 and with a $15 shipping price.  I haven’t been compensated or offered any kind of deal from this seller. I was just so happy with this purchase that I wanted to post about it so everyone else can know that there is a good deal for Knobbed Cylinders out there.  For comparison, look at some other prices for Knobbed Cylinders-

afok-toys: $150.00

alisonsmontessori: $170.00

Montessori N Such: $170.00

and so on…..

These blocks are beautiful, well made, fit perfectly, shipping was quick.  I’m so happy that I found this deal! We’ve had them for a few months now but keep forgetting to post about these.  Zhana loves this activity.

Picture 876 Here is a link to Brainy Bambini-Click here

5 comments:

My Boys' Teacher said...

Just to clarify for other readers, the cylinder blocks being reviewed are "mini" cylinder blocks. These are probably an excellent compromise for budget-minded homeschoolers. The savings compared to a standard set of blocks is considerable. Just to be clear, however, a standard set of four cylinder blocks have 10 cylinders per block rather than five. The cheapest prices I've seen on a standard set have been $89 at Adena Montessori and $83 at Montessori Concepts. You would have to compare shipping to find out which is truly the cheapest. In my experience the quality at Montessori Concepts has been appalling. My cylinder blocks are from there and I had to sand several cylinders and "holes" from block three so that they would fit regardless of rotation. I have personally not experienced any quality issues with Adena where I have purchased all of the rest of my materials.

My Boys' Teacher said...

Another suggestion for shelving...might be cheaper and more traditional.

I use these horizontal shoe organizer shelves like this one:

http://www.target.com/Closetmaid-31-Horizontal-Organizer-White/dp/B001UU0MNY/sr=1-12/qid=1241417569/ref=sr_1_12/176-2045211-7327054?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&field-browse=1038614&rh=k:closetmaid,p_36:$0-$24&page=1

I buy them at the hardware store for around $10 each (cheaper than target).

Super Fun Mama said...

Thanks for pointing that out. That is true. I have been really happy with the quality and there haven't been any problems with the holes. My daughter did master this almost immediately and I wonder if the bigger ones would have had more of a challenge for her. BTW so sorry for the delay in responding.

Very good suggestion about the shoe organizer shelves!

A Learning Journey said...

I saw that you mentioned Adena Montessori on your blog and I wanted to warn others about this company before they make the same mistake that I made along with several others. BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!! The low
prices caught my attention. I made the
mistake of only reading the reviews posted on their website. I googled Adena Montessori and reviews after my purchase and the problems I have had with the company. If I had seen the warnings before; I would have never
ordered from them. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! YOU WILL BE
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PRODUCTS. I
placed an order with Adena Montessori on September 24th. They didn't ship out the package until October 9th or 10th.
Then, I received the wrong order in the mail on October 15th. I
have sent many e-mails and tried calling several times. They do
not answer their phones nor do they respond promptly to messages
left or e-mails. The e-mails I did receive from them were very
generic. When you finally talk to someone they quickly dismiss your
concerns and ask for an e-mail so that they can get off the phone
with you. I am currently trying to get a refund for my money. They asked me to
list all the materials they sent me and then responded with could you photograph them for us and weigh the boxes. Several items that I did order were either damaged or incomplete. The number cards on the Seguin boards boards did not fit the slots and the hundred board was scratched due to how they packaged the materials. I also ordered 81 unit beads and received
50. I did receive 6 items that were NOT on my list. I am hoping to get this mess straightened out soon, but after reading the posts here. I am expecting the worst. What a waste of time and money!
Lawyers cost money ... probably more than the order. We need to get this company shut down! Please help spread the word so that other mothers and teachers do not get scammed. Thank you for your help!
Tracey

A Learning Journey said...

I saw that you mentioned Adena Montessori on your blog and I wanted to warn others about this company before they make the same mistake that I made along with several others. The low
prices caught my attention. I made the
mistake of only reading the reviews posted on their website. I googled Adena Montessori and reviews after my purchase and the problems I have had with the company. If I had seen the warnings before; I would have never
ordered from them. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! YOU WILL BE
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PRODUCTS. I
placed an order with Adena Montessori and it took almost a month to get the wrong order in the mail on October 15th. I sent many e-mails and tried calling several times. They do not answer their phones nor do they respond promptly to messages or e-mails. The e-mails I did receive from them were very generic. When you finally talk to someone they quickly dismiss your concerns and ask for an e-mail so that they can get off the phone with you. I am currently trying to get a refund for my money. They asked me to list all the materials they sent me and then responded with could you photograph them for us and weigh the boxes. Several items that I did order were either damaged or incomplete. The number cards on the Seguin boards boards did not fit the slots and the hundred board was scratched due to how they packaged the materials. I also ordered 81 unit beads and received
50. I did receive 6 items that were NOT on my list. I am hoping to get this mess straightened out soon, but after reading the posts here. I am expecting the worst. What a waste of time and money!
Lawyers cost money ... probably more than the order. We need to get this company shut down! Please help spread the word so that other mothers and teachers do not get scammed. Thank you for your help!
Tracey