“As I was once told by a dwarf holding an abacus—‘it’s the little things that count’” is an abacus joke that was posted on the newsgroup rec.crafts.metalworking on October 1, 1999. “I got a miniature abacus for Christmas. Apparently, it’s the little things that count” was posted on the newsgroup microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functionson April 3, 2001.
 
“For Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus. It’s the little things that count” was posted on Reddit—Jokes on December 15, 2017.
 
Other abacus jokes include “For Christmas, I’ve got my wife a telepathic abacus. It’s the thought that counts” and “I swallowed an abacus because it’s what’s inside that counts.”
 
 
Wikipedia: Abacus
The abacus (plural abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool that was in use in Europe, China and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the written Hindu–Arabic numeral system. The exact origin of the abacus is still unknown. Today, abaci are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves in sand or on tablets of wood, stone, or metal.
   
Google Groups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Mars space shot
Bruce Simpson
10/1/99
(...)
As I was once told by a dwarf holding an abacus—“it’s the little things that count” 😊
   
Google Groups: microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions
Control Access from Excel
Ivan
4/3/01
(...)
I got a miniature abacus for Christmas.
Apparently, it’s the little things that count.
             
Twitter
mark pascual‏
@marrcoose
I think I’m gonna buy a tiny abacus because it’s the little things that count.
12:36 PM - 30 Jun 2009
 
Twitter
Paul Campbell‏
@ThePaulCampbell
Just bought a miniature abacus because sometimes it’s the little things that count.
6:12 PM - 10 Jul 2014
 
27 October 2016, Wanganui (New Zealand) Chronicle, “It’s a great big white world,” pg. A11:
LIKE the beads on an abacus, it’s the little things that count.
 
Reddit—Jokes
For Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus
submitted December 15, 2017 by Cocktupus
It’s the little things that count
   
Twitter
moralreasons‏
@moralreasons1
Replying to @austinleeck @810kydd @YouTube
For Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus
It’s the little things that count
1:14 AM - 15 Dec 2017
 
Twitter
Joke Roller‏
@JokeRolling
For Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus.
It the little things that count.
8:45 AM - 15 Dec 2017
 
Twitter
LaffGaff‏
@LaffGaff
For Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus.
It’s the little things that count.
#funny #jokes #jokeoftheday
4:12 PM - 24 Dec 2017