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To remember your visit to Maine, or to give as a gift from Maine, perhaps you would like something that "hangs" -- a buoy or a slate for example. These can be hung from a ceiling, beam, pole, or wall and would make a nice decoration inside or out. The Puffin Pines Country Gift Store offers the following "hanging things" on our web site. We also have wind chimes for sale in our store.
Buoys (Maine-made)
Two kinds of buoys are available: foam and wooden. Most will have a handle on the bottom. Each buoy is 17-18" tall, including handle. In addition, each will have a cord at the top so it can be hung. Buoys without handles can be set upright. Foam buoys weigh less than a pound. Wooden buoys weigh 4-5 pounds each.
The foam buoys are exactly the same foam buoys now used in Maine by lobstermen. They are hand-painted by a Maine artist. The foam buoys are less expensive than wooden buoys and last longer, so the lobstermen prefer to use them.
The wooden buoys have been used by Maine lobstermen, but are not used (or made) any more as they get waterlogged and rot over time. The wooden buoys we sell have been thoroughly dried and then painted - or then carved and painted - by a Maine artist. Either kind of buoy will last for many years as an outside decoration and even longer as an inside decoration.
Scenes on the buoys can be painted (within reason) per customer request at NO additional charge, though extra time will be required. If you have a special request, please describe it on the back of the order form. Please also indicate if you prefer a buoy "without handle."
Wooden buoys are difficult to get. If you request a wooden buoy with a specific type of painted scene or theme, please specify whether a foam buoy would be acceptable if a wooden buoy is unavailable. If you request a carved buoy, we will not substitute a foam buoy.
Absent specific instructions from the customer, our customized buoy decision making follows these steps:
(a) Foam or wood. A foam buoy is the default. But if a "carved buoy" is requested, a wooden buoy is the default and a foam buoy will NOT be used if a wooden buoy cannot be obtained.
(b) Handle or no handle. A buoy with a handle is the default. But if we have in stock the buoy you want, though without a handle, we will ship that buoy unless you state that you require a handle.
If we have questions, we will call you at the telephone number you supply on the order form.
Foam buoy (painted) $33.00
Wooden buoy (painted) $59.00
Wooden buoy (carved and painted) $80.00
Slates (Maine-made)
These are hand-painted, old slate, roof shingles quarried in the Monson- Brownville area northwest of Bangor. The slate was used as, or as part of, a roof shingle in the 1800s. These slate shingles are not being made any more.
The attractive slates are hand painted by a Maine artist. Scenes or sayings on the slates can be painted (within reason) per customer request at NO additional charge, though extra time will be required. If you have a special request, please describe it on the back of the order form.
Slate sizes are approximate.
Small-approximately 3"x3" $20.00 each or 2 for $35.00
Medium-approximately 4"x7" $35.00
Large-approximately 6"x8" $45.00