S06.E04: FunCakes Rental, Paper Box Pilots, Tablejacks USA, Reviver

[yeswedo]

 

The Sharks consider a business idea for affordable wedding cakes brought to them by a mother and son from Grand Rapids, Mich. Also: a Houston restaurateur with a solution to a common problem encountered while dining out; and an update on a screen repair fix-it kit that Lori invested in during Season 5.

 

[cooksdelight]

There were fake rental wedding cakes available locally back in the early 90s when I lived in Richmond, so this was not some novel new idea. In fact, when I got married then, the lady who did my cake offered me the option of having a fake cake for show and sheet cakes for service. And it wasn't that expensive. The fake cake was already done, and she didn't have to do any major work for the cake served to guests. These people are trying to do something via mail that I am sure others are doing on a local basis. Hence them not making any money.

Loved the kids and the cardboard box things. I loved playing with a big box as a kid and turning it into a fort. It was a huge celebration when someone on our street got a new refrigerator or washer/dryer.

I am not sure why Lauri went in with the smelly fixer guys. I couldn't believe their story. Insane.

If the dude with the table fixer had options to fit other types of tables, not saying "Well, I can make you one that does this..." I think he might have gotten more interest.

[Eolivet]

If you looked up "privilege" in the dictionary, it would be a picture of those last two inventors. Wow.

[cooksdelight]

You can take a cheapo wetnap thing and rub it over your shirt and get the same results.

[leighdear]

Wow, more items that people just do not need.

 

We played with cardboard boxes growing up too.  But we used crayons and markers to "decorate" them with.  Ya know, those crayons & markers that all kids already have?  We even cut openings in them with a utility knife or scissors.  And taped them together.  And glued things on them.  But we did NOT have those spiffy stickers.  So when the box loses it's charm, and your kid wants his plane to become a race car, you just throw the box away, and all those stickers with it?

 

I keep several matchbooks in my purse and use them to keep a table from wobbling.  

 

And if you smell bad enough that you should change your clothes, then you need to just change your clothes.  Seriously. 

Edited October 11, 2014 by leighdear

[cooksdelight]

And if you smell bad enough that you should change your clothes, then you need to just change your clothes. Seriously

The only people I could see buying this are the college kids after a day of partying at football games or a night of keg parties. And still, they really don't care. I just cannot believe Lauri fell for it. When my dog goes out for a run, and comes in smelling like a dog, I wipe him down with a dryer sheet. .... Hey!!! There's an idea!!! Doggie Wipes!

The cardboard box things didn't bother me since their price point was so low. Gee, if I'd had fancy stickers to dress up my cardboard Barbie Dream house I made... and there is yet another angle for the boxes. They should target the girls, not just the boys.

I need to start patenting this stuff! :)

[starri]

 

The cardboard box things didn't bother me since their price point was so low. Gee, if I'd had fancy stickers to dress up my cardboard Barbie Dream house I made... and there is yet another angle for the boxes. They should target the girls, not just the boys.

I really appreciated that Barbara brought that up. 

[Primetimer]

From prop cakes to wipes that disguise odors, this episode of Shark Tank has you covered when society inevitably crumbles.

Read the story

[Skittl1321]

I feel like something was cut from the clothes wipe pitch- because I could just not connect the dots for why Mark and Barbara went crazy on them!  And $4 PER wipe? That's insane. Who buys these things?

 

I liked the cardboard box stickers, but not as the sharks wanted it changed.  Don't give them the box.  Boxes are all over my freaking house, and my sister's too (she has kids, not me). Adding another box just increases the mess. Adding sticker adds fun until the boxes go to the recycling (and if you paid $14.99 for the box, you wouldn't want to throw it out). To me, stickers are disposable- so yeah, when the box gets worn out, it all gets tossed. (I'd prefer if they sold for $4.99 than $7.99 but maybe they will with scale.)  I agree kids can decorate boxes with crayons and markers- but as an aunt; this looked like a fun thing I could pick up and add to a gift for not that much money.  I also would like to see a girl on the packaging- boys and girls can play in planes and cars, the stickers don't need to be made pink.  But I read once that girls will play with toys advertised to boys, but as soon as you put a girl on the package (even if there is a boy) it becomes marketed as a "girls toy" that's sad.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Skittl1321

[starri]

 

Time to confess a personal bias here: I have little tolerance for when a grown-ass adult comes on this show with their still-a-minor-child and touts their nascent business as entirely the kid's idea when, in fact, they still have control over all the filthy lucre Junior is bringing in to the family coffers.

You and me both, brother.

 

 

I feel like something was cut from the clothes wipe pitch- because I could just not connect the dots for why Mark and Barbara went crazy on them!

They did seem really smug, as was their post-deal confessional that they weren't "rich kids."  Considering how long the pitches are said to last before before being cut down to two segments with commercials, I can see one or more of the sharks getting really fed up by the end of it.  There was one pitch last season where it was obvious the actual pitch had lasted more than an hour, and the Sharks were all absolutely murderous.

[cooksdelight]

Maybe they could offer boxes as an option with the stickers. Like you, I have boxes right now that I need to get rid of.

[theatremouse]

On the one hand, I personally wouldn't write off people simply because their parents are wealthy because it doesn't necessarily mean they are. Plenty of rich parents take an "I earned my money, go earn yours" attitude. However, since these rich kids acknowledged they already got $2mil from pops, that doesn't apply to them. So there was something more than slightly disingenuous about them coming on looking for $150k. I mean, who knows, maybe their father had already cut off, or established from the get go how far he was willing to go so they did need new investors or a strategic partner. But without that kind of context, I mean seriously, it's such a small amount in comparison, it screams "hoping to get a boost from being on TV" and we all know the sharks usually stomp all over people who do that.

[Skittl1321]

Maybe they could offer boxes as an option with the stickers. Like you, I have boxes right now that I need to get rid of.

I think at least one shark was going that way- boxes available online only.

 

But I still am having a hard time understanding who is going to buy a box.  Which is why I think kid+father were saying NOT selling the box differentiated them.

[cooksdelight]

If you buy a box that is already spec'd to make a plane or a tank, you're taking away the kid's creativity with just a plain old square brown box. I vote no boxes online! :)

[starri]

 

I think at least one shark was going that way- boxes available online only.

That was part of Kevin's offer that they accepted.

 

A Kevin offer without a royalty attached.  Imagine that.  I don't think he's made a royalty offer this season, so maybe the producers told him to knock it off.

[mamey2422]

I can't help but think that the box stickers boy made the wrong choice in Mr. Wonderful. Didn't Barbara offer them exactly what they were asking or closest to it? Versus Mr. Wonderful's offer with the worst valuation plus wanting them to add boxes which I personally think makes sense but it was an avenue they had avoided. The boy seemed really overwhelmed and while I appreciate the Dad wanting his son to make difficult decisions I thought he could have given some better guidance other than who would be the best mentor. Of all the sharks, Mr. Wonderful seems like the least likely to mentor a young teenager. Barbara, on the other guided them through the negotiation, advising the Dad to move toward the close rather than away when he started to ask the shark questions in the middle of all their offers. I hope it works out for the son and Dad. 

[cooksdelight]

Barbara was a great match for the kid, Ryan, who sells the dog treats. He's doing well.

[bilgistic]

I couldn't get past fake-cake mother being "escorted" in and out of the Tank on her son's arm. A little too close, methinks those two are.

I didn't hate the idea. At almost 40 and never married, I think it's completely insane what some people spend on their weddings. But then, I wouldn't be averse to my proverbial main cake just being a sheet cake from the Piggly Wiggly. I ain't proud.

As for the smelly-clothes boys, you can't claim to not be privileged when your dad gave you two mil. It doesn't work that way.

Edited October 11, 2014 by bilgistic

[cooksdelight]

Our local grocery store does wedding cakes at reasonable prices. Their cakes looked more like the kind for people who just want to impress people. What happens if it's delivered and it got cracked in shipping?

[Amarsir]

I feel like something was cut from the clothes wipe pitch- because I could just not connect the dots for why Mark and Barbara went crazy on them!  And $4 PER wipe? That's insane. Who buys these things?

ITA.  After a weird cut, suddenly they're arguing over the word "technology" like it's some core aspect.  Plus the editor was having a field day splicing in reaction shots to stuff.  I'm sure we didn't see it all. (Though Barbara also admitted she was being "unfair".)

 

Having their father as an investor could have been a problem had they said they wouldn't go below $2m valuation because of what had been put in.  But they didn't, ultimately taking a $1 valuation from Lori.  So I don't see a big deal in that regard.  I wasn't too impressed with the product, but I can believe it would sell.

[starri]

 

I didn't hate the idea. At almost 40 and never married, I think it's completely insane what some people spend on their weddings

I got married at the courthouse (with the caveat that I'm a gay man) with just my husband and a justice of the peace.  We had dinner that night and Steak and Shake.  You will find no greater proponent for no-frills wedding than I.  But I can't imagine even the most thrifty wedding party going for a styrofoam cake.  

 

Miss Manners always said that you host the party you can afford.

[bilgistic]

My college freshman-year roommate's wedding reception (like, five minutes after graduation) was in her hometown church's fellowship hall. We weren't that close, but she was the first of my acquaintances to marry, so I figured, what the hell. They served crockpot meatballs and pigs-in-blankets. (It was kind of country--rural Piedmont Triad NC.) I don't remember the cake. Styrofoam would've been right up their alley, though.

[retrograde]

I'd have loved the shit out of those stickers when I was a kid. And I think the creators were right about not having the box as part of the kit -- 1. It makes it a cheap little item people would happily pick up for their/other people's kids on a whim (in the realm of those activity/coloring books that come with stickers), 2. I think it probably makes the parents and kids feel like they're being more creative and DIY to use a box from around the house. I would feel wasteful buying a box. And in the age of online ordering, I think most people have cardboard boxes around the house most of the time. 

 

I have to admit that I would have bought those clothing refresher wipes plenty of times when I was a bit younger when walk of shaming/after crashing at a friend's house after a night out. If they'd sold them at the counter of the convenience stores I stopped off at to buy a Gatorade and deep fried food to deal with my hangover, I'd almost certainly have picked one up.

 

As far as the fake wedding cake: I think for the vast majority of cases, you're either the kind of person who really wants an elaborate cake, in which case you'll probably fork out for one and would see a fake one as cheating yourself as much as any of the guests; or you're the kind of person who doesn't care, in which case you'll buy a bunch of fancy cupcakes or get your great aunt who's really good at baking to make one. But I just can't imagine there are many people at the center of that Venn diagram of people who really care about having an elaborate wedding cake but don't care if it's real or not. (Maybe I'm wrong; I had the cheapest wedding possible).

[Lola16]

I remember an episode of 4 Weddings where one of the brides had a fake bottom layer on her cake.  Best was a Florida bride on Bridezilla who cut into the fake foam layer.

[cooksdelight]

And in the age of online ordering, I think most people have cardboard boxes around the house most of the time.

Not to mention, if you ordered the box online, it would be shipped to you in ..... a box.

[Guest]

A rental cake seems sort of gross.  Do they dust them?  How do you know the wedge you stuff your real cake in is sanitary?  

 

An average wedding cake is $450.  If a rental is $150 and then you have to buy sheet cakes, you're probably only saving a couple hundred.  I think most people would buy a smaller, actual wedding cake and sheet cakes and get the best of both worlds for about the same cost as the rental.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/wedding-cake-prices_n_3423921.html

[Morbs]

Plus the editor was having a field day splicing in reaction shots to stuff.  I'm sure we didn't see it all. (Though Barbara also admitted she was being "unfair".)

My broadcast for some reason was narrating all the quick shots, I guess for blind people, so a narrator kept saying "Tom blinks..." or "Tom sways back and forth". Obviously, it is a helpful service for action scenes, but I think we can assume that people are blinking.

I always wonder how Gamestops stay in business. Especially now, their days seem numbered with streaming services.

Even if you are hungover and wearing last night's clothing, you will be sweating out the alcohol so I can't imagine the wipes doing much. And I doubt the wipes would be strong enough to eliminate tobacco odor, so I really don't see the point.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Morbs

[needschocolate]

When the father and son said that they had competition for their box airplanes, but the competitors included a box (and cost more three? times as much) and theirs was different because it was just the stickers, I was sure that Kevin would say that "there is nothing proprietary here" and he would be out.  Instead, he, and others, said that they need to include a box or an option of a box. 

 

Has Kevin played the proprietary card this season?  I don't think he has asked for percentage of sales in perpetuity either.  He seems as obnoxious otherwise, so I don't think he is going for a kinder, gentler Kevin.

 

Side note - I don't think Lori has changed either, but for some reason, I am now noticing just how much Lori smiles while she talks - even when she is telling someone they have a bad idea. Her talking through the clenched teeth of a big grin is really bugging me. 

[starri]

 

Side note - I don't think Lori has changed either, but for some reason, I am now noticing just how much Lori smiles while she talks - even when she is telling someone they have a bad idea. Her talking through the clenched teeth of a big grin is really bugging me.

She's one of the Plastics.  She'll at least have a smile on her face as she slits your throat.

 

Which is fine, and wouldn't get remarked on if she was a man, but I hate how she gives these long speeches--often about herself--while she's turning people down.

[roctavia]

A lot of wedding cakes a charged by the serving... I think we paid around $2.50 per serving... which is in the Midwest.... but then the cakes have a ton of servings per tier because they cut such tiny pieces per serving... 

So if you actually want many tiers, then often you end up buying more cake than you need to get a certain look, even if you don't have that many guests. That can be even with saving the top tier for later and having plenty of left overs...

 

An official licensed bakery who specializes in wedding cakes gets away with charging some pretty steep prices.. but that said... I've known about the fake layers/fake cakes for years. This isn't some crazy new innovative thing aside from maybe the mailing part... but that doesn't seem like such a good idea to me... you'd be better off just getting your bakery to make a fake tier or two if you really need that special look.

 

The sharks were wise not to invest in that business.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Jjrmt

[cooksdelight]

I moved the wedding cake discussion to the Small Talk thread. Carry on!

[UsernameFatigue]

A rental cake seems sort of gross.  Do they dust them?  How do you know the wedge you stuff your real cake in is sanitary?

 

My thoughts exactly, especially with regards to serving your guests cake stuffed into a rental that has been handled by God knows how many people. Yuck!

 

Wow, Barbara was totally obnoxious in saying that rich people never have successful kids. Since she has a son in his 20s, she is either projecting her own feelings about her son's success (or lack of) or has told him on national TV that he will never amount to anything because she has. Glad she isn't my mother. Speaking of mothering, I guess Barbara's millions has condemed her son to failure, but enabled her to adopt a daughter in her late 50s or early 60s since she is 65 and mother to a seven year old. I don't think that should be allowed, but I guess if you have money you can have anything you want. (Other than successful children, of course.)

 

I thought the pilot box dad was a little OTT at the end when he was blubbering about his son taking a chance that he never had the guts to do. Your son is 13 - what does he really have to lose? Geesh.

[OpieTaylor]

I thought the pilot box dad was a little OTT at the end when he was blubbering about his son taking a chance that he never had the guts to do. Your son is 13 - what does he really have to lose? Geesh.

And what chance did the son really take? I imagine the dad was funding the startup (while the kid has no real living expenses to pay for) and the dad was probably pretty much an equal partner. 

[Kel Varnsen]

I remember an episode of 4 Weddings where one of the brides had a fake bottom layer on her cake.  Best was a Florida bride on Bridezilla who cut into the fake foam layer.

I used to watch Ace of Cakes, and Duff and his team were always using Styrofoam for sections of the cake to make them look cool.

 

I'd have loved the shit out of those stickers when I was a kid. And I think the creators were right about not having the box as part of the kit -- 1. It makes it a cheap little item people would happily pick up for their/other people's kids on a whim (in the realm of those activity/coloring books that come with stickers), 2. I think it probably makes the parents and kids feel like they're being more creative and DIY to use a box from around the house. I would feel wasteful buying a box. And in the age of online ordering, I think most people have cardboard boxes around the house most of the time. 

I wonder if the sharks, all probably having older kids forget how many boxes you end up with when you have little kids. We are always throwing boxes from diapers, wipes and anything else into our recycling box. We get our diapers from Amazon and the huge box of diapers comes inside an even bigger cardboard box sometimes.

 

I keep several matchbooks in my purse and use them to keep a table from wobbling.

 

The thing was interesting but in the end kind of stupid. I had to laugh when someone brought up sugar packets and the guy said he had to pay for those. You know what you don't pay for, that works just as well? Beer coasters. Plus Kevin was totally right, slogging from restaurant to restaurant to sell maybe a handful of these things at a time would be a rough way to make money. And Barbara's comment about how she was able to earn extra tips in her waitress days was hilarious.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Kel Varnsen