Now that Memorial Day has passed, it's time for me to get busy cleaning out my closet before spring is over. Fair warning: It has been two years since my last spring cleaning, so some of these items are going to be pretty dusty!
Now, let's see what I have in here ...
- ComfiZip Bra (July 2013). Pitch: "Lift and support without the discomfort of underwire." Comments: This project was later flipped to Tristar and became Genie Zip. [ss]
- Digi-Tech (July 2013). Pitch: "Easily convert and share high-quality video." Comments: This was a second attempt at getting 2010's Convert-A-Classic off the ground. [ss]
- Engrave-It (June 2013). Pitch: "Easily etches metal, wood, glass, plastic and more." Comments: So dusty, there is now an Engrave-It Pro on the charts! [ss]
- Juggle Bubbles (Dec 2013). Pitch: "Amazing bubbles you can catch, pass and juggle." Comments: This one went on to become an Allstar/Lenfest True Top Spender of 2014. [ss]
- Kangaroo Keeper Brite (July 2013). Pitch: "Transforms the most cluttered bag into a super-organized bag instantly ... [and] now it lights up." Comments: The original Kangaroo Keeper, a 2010 hit, surprised me. While very similar to IdeaVillage's Purse Brite, a 2005 hit, it sold much better. The one difference was it didn't have a light. This project was an attempt to see if correcting that could relaunch the product. [ss]
- Kitty Cushion (Sept 2013). Pitch: "Self-heating cat lounge pad." Comments: This one came out about the same time as my Perfect Pet Mat. [ss]
- Mattress Wedge (Sep 2013). Pitch: "Closes the gap between the headboard or wall and any size bed." Comments: Another project that went on to become a True Top Spender of 2014. [ss]
- One Second Slicer (July 2014). Pitch: "The all-in-one food preparation station." Comments: This one could have been an "Old Gold?" feature. The original was the Vidalia Chop Wizard (No. 22 on the 2006 and No. 29 on the 2007 JW Annuals). [ss]
- Power Tweeze (July 2013). Pitch: "Precise and powerful grip grabs hairs the first time, every time." Comments: Tough category. The only tweezers to roll out in DRTV history were IdeaVillage's Luma Tweeze in 2006. [ss]
- Snap Up Shelf (March 2014). Pitch: "Turns any (shower) corner into a shelf in a snap." Comments: This one combined two Old Gold products in an attempt to create a new hit. One was Telebrands' Shelf Master (1999), the other Ontel's Snap Hook (2000-2001). [ss]
- TelePurse (Sept 2013). Pitch: "Convenient, fashionable way to hold your essentials." Comments: This test came several years after the Buxton Cell Phone Wallet (2009) and just a few months before Touch Purse (2014). Of the three, the latter was the most successful -- but none of these cell-phone wallets has done particularly well at retail. [ss]
- Wig Wag Giggle Ball (May 2014). Pitch: "Interactive toy keeps dogs happy all day as they play." Comments: After a slight renaming to Wobble Wag Giggle Ball, this became another Allstar/Lenfest rollout (currently on the charts). [ss]
