My 'Best Purchases of 2024!' Part 3: The Conclusion

1. Mini-velo

This is great. It's so much fun.

I originally bought it because I wanted to load it into my car and take it on trips.

It is, above all else, light. It weighs about 10 kilograms.

Even if there are stairs ahead while riding the mini-velo, it's no problem.
I can carry it with one hand. A mini-velo is a portable bicycle.

It's slow, haha.
But being slow is a good thing.

From the perspective of someone who drives cars and motorcycles, road bikes are terrifying. Even with a helmet, your whole body is too exposed. If you were to have contact with a car or motorcycle, you would be at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Personally, I want to enjoy riding a bicycle slowly and leisurely through back alleys and the like.

That's why a mini-velo that only goes about 20 km/h is just right.

Also, I realized after buying it that an Amazon Essentials backpack works as a front basket. A size of about 40x30x15 cm is perfect.

I usually hang it on the handlebars to use as storage.
When I get off the bike, I can just put it on my back and go. It's convenient as a 2-way bag.

I store the mini-velo indoors. I keep it unfolded so I can hop on it quickly. It's even more compact if you fold it.

Bicycles rust quickly if parked outdoors. With a regular bicycle, the chain starts to rust once it rains and the wind blows.

On the other hand, storing it indoors makes it last a long time. I still have my previous mini-velo, and even after 10 years, it's still perfectly rideable.

For my previous mini-velo, I only replaced the front and rear tires once in 10 years. Other than that, I just applied oil periodically and used a glass-based coating from time to time.

This is the glass-based coating agent I mainly use for my car. It makes everything super glossy and shiny. It's also easy to apply. You can use it on anything with a smooth surface. I'm on my second bottle now. The first one lasted me 10 years. That's less than 60 yen a month.

I'll repeat it again: mini-velos are lightweight, don't go fast, and fold up compactly. They are the perfect companions for a leisurely ride.

2. Nikon cameras

Along with this lens.

I bought a D60 brand new about 15 years ago. It's still going strong.

I was so impressed by it that I recently bought a 20-year-old D70 model and a D70S on Yahoo Auctions.

Both units were in average condition, or rather, quite dirty, but I did some light maintenance myself and both were revived.

In any case, Nikon cameras just don't break. They are sturdy.

Many cameras from other manufacturers tend to have issues with their dials after 10 years.

But the Nikon cameras I have are fine. The D70 has some quirks with card contact, but that's already been solved by the reviews of many Nikon fans.

The D70 has 6 megapixels. That's enough for viewing on smartphones and PCs.

I feel like the pixel counts on the latest cameras are too high. The data size for each photo is enormous. It eats up storage.

I shoot in RAW because I want to edit later. With the D70, even if I shoot in RAW, each file is only about 5MB. You can edit properly with just 5MB. At this rate, I can shoot infinitely.

If you buy used, you can get both a camera and a lens and still have change from 10,000 yen. With that, you can take photos for a long time.

Even if either the camera or the lens breaks, if you buy an inexpensive replacement, you can keep using both the lenses and the cameras.

Nikon digital SLR cameras, both the bodies and the lenses, are assets.

Camera functionality is now standard on smartphones.
Cameras feel like they cost zero yen these days.

But if you ever feel like enjoying photography a little more, Nikon's used models are a great choice.

The settings are simple.
As you use it, the camera teaches you what you need to know about photography.

Now that everyone is chasing high performance and high image quality, Nikon's classic models are the ones to target. They are quite high-value machines. By the way, PENTAX is also great.

3. Cainz Laundry Hanger

The number one hanger in my history.

The size, the number of clips, and above all, it has three hooks! This is the best.

I live in an area where strong winds blow so hard that I call it the Valley of the Wind.

By the way, in the original Nausicaä manga, I'm a fan of Princess Kushana.

When the hanger sways, the laundry touches the railing or the window and gets dirty.

This one has three hooks. If you secure the left and right hooks with additional laundry clips, it won't sway! So, freshly washed clothes don't get dirty!

Also, resin products deteriorate. They gradually become brittle when exposed to the sun. That is their fate...

So I tried using a metal one that had good reviews, but even though it was marketed as tangle-free, it tangled constantly.

Plus, it was heavy. It was difficult for me to handle, so I let it go.

For laundry hangers, the old-fashioned, simple models are the easiest to use.

④ Clothesline pole

A clothesline pole I introduced in January of this year. It's about 500 yen cheaper now than when I bought it.

It's made of stainless steel and still looks clean after a year.

I summarized this on note before, but stainless-clad clothesline poles are a no-go.

This is because, over time, rust from the steel inside starts to crumble and fall out from the gaps where the stainless steel is wrapped.

It's horrifying to have iron rust falling like sprinkles onto your freshly washed laundry.

Furthermore, it's available via online retail and is foldable.
If you press the button, it separates in the middle.

During exterior wall repairs, or in the event of strong winds or bad weather, you can easily split it into two and store it inside the house. When it's time to retire it, it's also easier to dispose of as trash than a single-piece pole.

It also comes with a wavy hanger rack. This is surprisingly convenient. If you hang items directly on hangers here, they won't fall off unless there are strong winds. There's no need to go to the trouble of securing each one with a pinch.

So, if you ever need to replace your clothesline pole, you'll be happy if you check these two points: ① stainless steel, ② hanger type.

A summary of my 2024 shopping. The previous part is here.