WHAT A RACKET..."AS SEEN ON TV!"

Thegrandson has been nagging us to get some contraption he has seen on Nickelodeon - a commercial, mind you...a toothpaste dispenser of some sort. As he was getting ready for school this morning, he came rushing in and grabbed my remote to change the channel, so I could see this wondrous object. God forbid, I would miss my morning news FIX.

After trying to explain to an 8 year old, that I was not ordering this "thing" off of TV, as the shipping and handling fees are ridiculous. I further tried to explain, that hopefully before he starts driving, we should be able to find it at Walmart or someplace, less extra fees. He's not buying any of this.

So I began to have all these images running through my head, of some things I have purchased (in store) of these "As Seen on TV" items.

The concept of this "spinning" container holder (plus 3 different sized containers) is a good one. I believe it was one of those $19.99 bargains. I still have the "spinner" and one tiny container, and very few of the two other sized containers. The problem with this item is not the holder, but the quality of the containers it holds. When they hit the floor they crack into at least fifty pieces - and guess what...you can't replace them. So I now stash a few other items in this piece of garbage.

I liked this one so much, I ordered two more - for Christmas presents. And yes, I did do the mail order process here. If I had to decry one drawback it would be the cleaning of the blade part and inside the top. It comes with a plastic comb like tool to reach these places, but it still involves - work.




I do not and will not purchase this purse. Although it looked like a great idea as the woman on TV unloads and then repacks 150 items into the small space...it is all done with mirrors. One of the mothers at a baseball game last summer had this purse, and I commented that I was considering ordering one. She said "watch this," and proceeded to unload her purse onto the hood of her car. She had keys, cell phone, small wallet, change purse and a brush. THAT WAS ALL that would fit into the damn thing.

Now give me a break. I want to invent something so simple and get rich quick like these people. All this thing is, is a bathrobe being worn backwards. And I never blissfully answer my phone while wrapped up in a backwards bathrobe. As P.T. Barnum said, "there's a sucker born every minute," and the purchasers of this "Snuggie" are all suckers. Of course that won't bother the inventor/marketer at all, as they are enjoying all that $$$ while sipping their Margaritas in the Caribbean.

I did pick up a pair of these Tater Mitts at the local CVS as an impulse buy. After the first use - I threw them in the garbage. They are like Playtex Living Gloves, with little sharp rocks glued onto the palms. the weight of the gloves alone was probably a pound. They didn't peel a single potato, but put nice chunks into the veggie.

I'm just one big sucker at times, I guess. The ultimate, most painful item I ever purchased, which looked extremely fantastic as presented on TV was...the Epilady!!
Guaranteed to give a close shave, that would ensure you wouldn't have to shave again for longer periods of time. Right!?!?! It ripped the hairs from underneath 4 layers of skin and into the muscles. It would suck your tongue down and out your legs. Pain??? That doesn't even begin to describe the nightmare.

So little grandson, this toothpaste dispenser you desire so very much, will have to wait till I hear that it has been tried and tested over a long period of time. I have to figure out a way for him to realize that actors that present these items on TV, are just that - ACTORS. And salesmanship is also - just that!!

Well now...I have babbled on the mundane for a ridiculously long time, and I have to finish the laundry, get a bath and off to a baseball game at 6 pm. Fingers crossed, NO RAIN. Have a great one. I may return....later.....