Audubon Bird Call
Given its simple appearance, we'd have serious reservations about the effectiveness of the Audubon Bird Call ($9) — if it hadn't been doing its job for over 70 years. Invented by Roger Eddy — who was also an author and a politic in the Connecticut state legislature — this simple call is made from cast zinc and birch wood in Rhode Island, and emits a generic tweeting noise that draws curious birds in.