Your first exposure to James Bond happened before the age of nine, you probably fell in love with the series for one reason: the gadgets.

The women were hot, but you wouldn’t care about that for a few more years. James Bond was tough and could fight, but so could those short guys on UHF’s Samurai Saturday, and they had the added appeal of speaking without their lips matching up to their words. Global politics, espionage, and undercover infiltrations still aren’t interesting, years later.

No, the thing that made your prepubescent brain scream with unrestrained joy was all the cool stuff Bond picked up in Q Branch. You wanted the grappling-hook pistol, and the pen filled with acid, and the laser watch, and the hand-held suction cups for climbing walls, and the wrist dart gun, and the rappelling cummerbund—even though you had no idea what a cummerbund was.

But now that you’re all grown up, do the gadgets still have the same appeal? Do you still wish you could run to the nearest Wal-Mart and buy an electric razor that can deliver a close shave plus sweep your room for electronic listening devices?

This practical guide will look at some of the best of Bond’s gadgets, and offer valuable buying advice to those interested in plunking down their hard-earned dollars for spy gear.

Gadget: False-bottom briefcase which holds a magnetic mine, used by Bond in Octopussy.
Uses: Protecting and transporting papers, blowing things up.
Coolness: Hidden compartments are always cool.  …