S06.E02: Roominate, Wedding Wagon, Floating Mug, Kronos Golf

[Tara Ariano]

I know it's annoying to have two threads, but blame ABC, not me.

[hkit]

I must be made out of stone because I was not at all moved by golf boy's sob story.

Kevin has more empathy than me. Wow.

[KaveDweller]

I didn't feel anything for his story either.  I thought Kevin was joking or something when he was getting teary.

 

I really liked the girls with the engineering toys.  I'm glad they got a deal.

[blueray]

I also wasn't all that moved either, which is suprising for me. But I think their product may be good if you like golfing (which I don't).

[atir]

I too thought Kevin was making fun of the kid. The putter did look beautiful, tho. I wanted a story on how that came about. I don't care a whit about the fiancee.

The highball glass that wouldn't leave rings intrigued me. Here in Kansas our glasses sweat nearly yr around. Too bad yhat one isn't ready for market.

I couldn't feel a bit sorry for those wedding van idiots. What were they thinking selling their income stream?

[zxy556575]

Huh. Am I over it? Was two hours too much? Did I discover that my life actually was just dandy without ST over the summer months? Don't know, but I was bored and disinterested in the products, the pushers, and the sharks.

[awkward1penguin]

I'd pay maybe $10-15 for the mug - it is an elegant design, and I hate getting marks on my desk!

Personally not into building sets, but they did have impressive numbers behind the product. I actually agreed with the women when they said they didn't want to pander to girls - I feel like people (both kids and parents) are more averse to gender-specific marketing, and many feminists appreciate a gender-neutral approach. 

Agreeing with the other posters in that I wasn't moved by the fiance story. But I think there was some editing there - it looks like there was more to the story, and they had to cut out some for time. 

[buttersister]

Cut for time and for the public interest--because whatever that whole sob story is, it got to Kevin. So many feels might have caused a national epidemic of weeping.

[Amarsir]

I know they made money with it, but you'll never convince me that wedding van isn't ridiculous.  If they're going by apartment and not setting up next to lunch truck for drop-ins, there's nothing the van does that couldn't be accomplished by getting out of a car and standing under a tree or something.  (Unless I missed it.)

 

Good-looking putter.  Weird sob story, but good fit for ABC I guess.  I'm sympathetic that it'd be hard to launch a sports product without an endorsement.  (And I don't really like golf either.  I had to play 3 times this year so I'm good for the decade.)

 

I think Barbara was way off on her criticism of the Roominate.  It's clearly girl-targeted, and if they went any more obvious it would start costing them sales to boys.  I think the women were just in the right spot.  

 

(For background: Lego has spoken about the issue in the past, and they said that gender-neutral sets are bought 90-95% by boys. So they have to make explicitly girl-targeted sets to sell to that market, and they still don't sell as well as boy-targeted sets.  I think the Roominate is very smart to come in sideways and present an image not of "construction set for girls" but "playset for girls, which by the way they construct."  And it sounds like they're selling very well.)

 

The mugs guy was interesting. I felt like those mugs would break pretty easily, and wanted to see a Shark slam it on the counter to test it.  And my problem with the glasses was it sounds like the moisture catches underneath, leading me to worry about bacteria growing there in a place that's hard to clean.  If he can address that maybe there's potential?

[starri]

 

Cut for time and for the public interest--because whatever that whole sob story is, it got to Kevin. So many feels might have caused a national epidemic of weeping.

Even though Kevin is the designated Lex Luthor of the group, he does show a somewhat softer side from time to time.  Not quite as frequently as you see from Robert or Barbara, but he does have a heart in there somewhere.

 

I don't play golf, but even I could tell that those putters were beautifully designed.  And points to Kevin for actually getting Greek mythology right for once.  There's a parallel universe where he's a classics professor that constantly gets things wrong.

 

I thought the design of the Floating Mug was beautiful, but I couldn't see myself paying that for a coffee mug that solves a problem that I don't really have.  Partially, it's just because my furniture isn't nice enough to worry about ruining, but partially, a little spritz of Murphy's Oil Soap, and coffee ring is gone.

 

I loved the Roominate women, and was delighted they got a deal, especially because I think Mark and Lori are the right two partners for them.  One thing did bother me was that some of the male sharks (Kevin for sure, and possibly also Mark) kept calling them "girls," which I found patently offensive.  They apparently both have advanced degrees in engineering; if you can't call them "women" at least call them "ladies."

[Primetimer]

Unless you make a $500 putter and you're trying to convince a roomful of soft touches they need to invest in your pipe dream, that is.

Read the story

[designing1]

That mug seems highly prone to breakage because of its design, and possibly quite tippy given how small the coaster part is. Also, what happens when the sweat/drips collect in the bottom and then you tilt the mug way back to get the last drops of your drink? Don't you end up with wet shirt? They addressed that issue with the glass, but not with the mug (at least that we saw.)

 

Count me among the unmoved with the teary 'fiancee trapped by cultural mores" story. I'll just assume it was more involved than was shown and more moving in person.

 

Roominate is a good idea, though I think there's something similar out there geared more obviously to girls -- but it may just be a building set I'm thinking of and not include the engineering aspect (Edited: Thanks to LeGrandElephant below -- I'm thinking of Goldieblox). I must say, I thought the toy itself was awful-looking, just incredibly clunky and disjointed. Good for them and their success, and quite a compliment from Mark that he wants his daughters to meet them as inspiration.

Edited September 27, 2014 by designing1

[Day2Day]

  Mr. O'Leary,  Mr. Cooper and I are a bit skeptical of your teary show of emotion  last evening.

Some business partner... standing there like a doofus letting his friend get all "choked-up".

[LeGrandElephant]

When Mark said somethung like "one thing I can't buy with money is good role models for my kids" - I laughed out loud and said "that's what you're doing right now!"

I thought Barbara was totally wrong that roominate should have had "girl" on the box. It's obviously targeted at girls, but there's no reason to try to stop boys from buying them.

maybe I don't know enough about children of different ages. I think both Roominste and GoldieBlox have good ad campaigns with great ideals, but the toys themselves just seem so simple! Can anyone really learn to build or engineer based on those? But I don't have kids, and maybe I'm misjudging what's right for little kids.

Edited September 27, 2014 by LeGrandElephant

[theatremouse]

I always wonder how they know the gender of the children buying/using the toys. The parent buys it. If you buy online to they have a post-purchase survey? If you buy direct in-store, do they enter something at the register? I wonder how concrete the data is. Parent buys something alone. How the heck would you know if they have a son a daughter or both who use the set?

[Quickbeam]

I was unmoved by the feudal era "She can't marry me until I get a deal" story. 21st century called, left message. However, I was delighted when the white colleague pulled out his seemingly fluent Japanese at the negotiation point. Nice touch.

[starri]

 

I was unmoved by the feudal era "She can't marry me until I get a deal" story. 21st century called, left message

I think it was a wrong number.  My caller ID said it was American Cultural Imperialism.

[cooksdelight]

I didn't like the kids' room thingy. Maybe because I grew up in the era of Barbie Dream Houses, Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs that I used to build homes with. I also used cardboard boxes, cut out the doors and windows, used scraps of fabrics for rugs and curtains....my creativity went through the roof. That thing looked shoddy to me, I'm surprised they made as much money as they did.

The Wedding Wagon guys are idiots. Now anyone can start up a franchise like that with a different name.

The putter guy crying reminded me of the scene in Fargo when the guy who had the crush on the sheriff met her in the hotel restaurant and cried about his dead wife or whatever. I'm probably going to hell, but I almost laughed at the poor guy. I understand his situation, but it has nothing to do with selling his product. Does he do that at golf courses or trade shows, too? And the fact that he was smiling almost immediately after the Sharks expressed interest.... lost me right there.

The mug would be better if it were insulated plastic. Tupperware makes insulated mugs that don't leave a ring or sweat. The product is already out there. Tervis tumblers, anyone?

[theatremouse]

Plus, cry-guy, I mean, I guess his point was the parents used to approve and now don't anymore (and she would not get married without their approval?) but A: they've been engaged for two years so I guess he should've gotten married before making the career change that triggered said disapproval, since presumably if he's all "cultural differences" he should've known about them in advance. B: they said the product right now is really successful in Japan (and Scotland?). His fiancee lives in Japan. Sooo....move to Japan, where your business is working, and you won't be so far from her. His distance argument seemed weird. 

[retrograde]

I think the Wedding Wagon is a good idea... in Las Vegas. People go to Las Vegas specifically to have still novelty weddings (no judgment, I totally would). But I doubt people in, say, Chicago or Seattle want to have novelty weddings.

 

I thought Barbara was totally wrong that roominate should have had "girl" on the box. It's obviously targeted at girls, but there's no reason to try to stop boys from buying them.

 

 

There is also a significant number of little girls who specifically reject overtly "girly" things (because society tells them girly things are weak and frivolous). I think the packaging on this was just non-girly enough that Little Retrograde would have been down to play with it (would probably still have preferred Lego Technic, though).

 

I instinctively bristle at gendered toys -- even ones like this -- because I still see them as part of the broader problem. But. I understand that at this point in history Rebranding products to that have traditionally been marketed to boys as "girl friendly" might be more productive than just making them more gender neutral.

[Kromm]

Sob, sob, wahhhhhhhhhh.

[SusieQZie]

I must be made out of stone because I was not at all moved by golf boy's sob story.

Apparently golf guy thinks he is the only person with a fiancee in another country. I thought "Wow, do you really think THAT is going to get one of the the Sharks to say 'Oh, well in that case, here's the money.'?" Get real guy.

 

The ladies with the building kits: LEGOS!!! 

 

Wedding Van guys: Too bad they sold their Vegas rights. I don't think that concept would work in too many other places.

[portia7]

I don't recall that much about Legos. Did they have moving parts and lights?

[cooksdelight]

Erector sets were more like this toy, they had parts you could make move.

[PepperMonkey]

theatremouse, OMG, yes and yes.

 

I loved seeing Mr. Wonderful cry (it was almost as cute as when he and Barbara kissed), but that guy and his story did not move me at all. I said the exact same thing theatre did, MOVE TO JAPAN.

And why give UP a career of which her parents approved? Keep doing that, get married, THEN live your dream of golf club design. It's not like you're 80, dude.

 

I really liked the mug guy just for his personality. I wanted him to get a deal just because I liked him so much. Which is why I'M not a ceo or anyone important in an extravagant company I sold for $4,000,000,000, obviously.

Edited September 27, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[Dots And Stripes]

 

I thought the design of the Floating Mug was beautiful, but I couldn't see myself paying that for a coffee mug that solves a problem that I don't really have.  Partially, it's just because my furniture isn't nice enough to worry about ruining, but partially, a little spritz of Murphy's Oil Soap, and coffee ring is gone.

 

Admittedly I missed the first minute of the mug pitch, but I agree that it was a beautiful design. I think it looked cool and different, and that's what would make some people pay a premium for it. Since he was talking about needing to sell more in order to bring down the price, what better way to do that than to say feature the product on a national tv show? If only this guy could get his product on tv. Oh wait...

 

I also though Lori missed the point of the silicone in the glass. Glass isn't a good barrier, that's why glasses sweat in the first place. Lori's suggestion of replacing the red silicone with another layer of glass just seems like a non-starter, although I admit I'm no scientist. I get her point about wanting a cleaner aesthetic, but that will take time for him to develop. 

 

Personally not into building sets, but they did have impressive numbers behind the product. I actually agreed with the women when they said they didn't want to pander to girls - I feel like people (both kids and parents) are more averse to gender-specific marketing, and many feminists appreciate a gender-neutral approach. 

I guess Barbara missed the Easy Bake Oven redesign a few years ago. I agree with everyone who said these women were trying to market to girls without explicitly turning boys away. 

 

It was classic Barbara. She tends to have very specific ideas about marketing, packaging, etc. I remember her tearing in to investors before for having bad packaging. It's not so much that I think Barbara is never right about the packaging, it's just that she seems to get stuck on one idea of how things should be done. Those women probably got the right investors anyway.

[cooksdelight]

I also though Lori missed the point of the silicone in the glass. Glass isn't a good barrier, that's why glasses sweat in the first place. Lori's suggestion of replacing the red silicone with another layer of glass just seems like a non-starter, although I admit I'm no scientist. I get her point about wanting a cleaner aesthetic, but that will take time for him to develop.

I have used a wrist band that tennis players wear to put around a glass to catch the water/sweat. Works like a champ and you can buy them cheaply in different colors.

[SistaLadybug]

I am an avid coffee drinker and mug collector and I instantly wanted the floating mug.  It's such a lovely design and looks like no other I've seen.  I immediately added it to my Amazon cart.

[zillabreeze]

 

I am an avid coffee drinker and mug collector and I instantly wanted the floating mug.

I am a tea drinker & have never had a ring problem (because I don't slop my tea out of the cup).  I just thought the cup was very "Museum of Modern Art"-ish.  We'll be expecting a review from you when yours comes in!

[SistaLadybug]

I am a tea drinker & have never had a ring problem (because I don't slop my tea out of the cup).  I just thought the cup was very "Museum of Modern Art"-ish.  We'll be expecting a review from you when yours comes in!

Yeah, I don't have the ring problem, either.  It's just ... pretty.  LOL

[starri]

I'm glad that it's gotten a sales bump from the exposure, and like I said, it's a gorgeous design, but I just can't make myself pay that much for a coffee mug that I know I will break.

 

Also, $8 for shipping is excessive.

[KaveDweller]

I don't recall that much about Legos. Did they have moving parts and lights?

 

No, not really.  They did have wheel blocks that you could use for making cars, but I think that was about it.  Legos were a lot smaller though, I don't think this product looked anything like that.  I'm sure there are similar products though.

 

When I was a kid there was a Legos-like knockoff that had blocks come in pastel pinks, purples, and blues.  They were slightly bigger than Legos but you could use the two together.  It would come in kits with instructions for building shopping malls and other girly-things, so they were definitely pandering to females. I liked that

these were a little more gender neutral.

 

Lori's suggestion of replacing the red silicone with another layer of glass just seems like a non-starter, although I admit I'm no scientist. I get her point about wanting a cleaner aesthetic, but that will take time for him to develop.

 

Yeah, I agree it may not be possible with just glass.  But I think she's right that if it was possible, he had a great product.  That doesn't really help him though.

[Kromm]

I'm glad that it's gotten a sales bump from the exposure, and like I said, it's a gorgeous design, but I just can't make myself pay that much for a coffee mug that I know I will break.

 

Also, $8 for shipping is excessive.

That sounds like a standard USPS Priority Mail rate.  It means he's not clued into any kind of special bulk shipping rates.

[Lola16]

I must be made out of stone because I was not at all moved by golf boy's sob story.

Kevin has more empathy than me. Wow.

Golf boy belonged on Chopped.  He had no tears, just a teary story.  Color me unmoved.

[Day2Day]

Frankly, instead of the tears, I expected this from Kevin O'Leary....

[cooksdelight]

That sounds like a standard USPS Priority Mail rate. It means he's not clued into any kind of special bulk shipping rates.

Actually, it sounds excessive even for Priority Mail. That cup probably weighs no more than a pound, possibly a little over. Add in insurance and it's probably accurate. But he could bulk ship via UPS a lot cheaper, you're right. I guess he's got a do-it-yourself shipping canter set up in his garage.

[barbedwire]

So putter guy can't marry girlfriend unless he makes it big, as determined by his future father-in-law?  What about the girl just leaving and coming here?  Or as someone else mentioned, he go live in Japan?

 

PLEASE no more Mr. Wonderful and Babs kissing.

[needschocolate]

I also though Lori missed the point of the silicone in the glass. Glass isn't a good barrier, that's why glasses sweat in the first place. Lori's suggestion of replacing the red silicone with another layer of glass just seems like a non-starter, although I admit I'm no scientist. I get her point about wanting a cleaner aesthetic, but that will take time for him to develop. 

 

I agree that he had to keep the silicone bands.  I thought he should sell them with different colors of bands, so people can keep track of which glass is theirs. 

[Kel Varnsen]

If the putters are so perfectly balanced, won't engraving Robert's name on them mess with that balance?

[Meushell]

Roominate is a good idea, though I think there's something similar out there geared more obviously to girls -- but it may just be a building set I'm thinking of and not include the engineering aspect (Edited: Thanks to LeGrandElephant below -- I'm thinking of Goldieblox). I must say, I thought the toy itself was awful-looking, just incredibly clunky and disjointed. Good for them and their success, and quite a compliment from Mark that he wants his daughters to meet them as inspiration.

Seriously. I thought maybe it was because I wasn't a kid anymore, but those things were ugly and cheap-looking. I've seen similar stuff that was a lot better looking. I was surprised they were doing so well in sales.