Actually the rope in question is a piece of coarse hemp string - Bound by the honourable advertising code there is nothing illegal, dishonest, or offensive on sale here. A piece of string, after all, is always a piece of string, but, ah, what magic there is to marketing something so commonplace, something we take for granted even, tied as we are to the rules. Join me in my on-line emporium and rediscover these items for yourself...

Sugar packets of the world, a marvellous array

Match books of the world (please note: not available to under 18s; must be collected by hand)

Karen Strang