S05.E22: Paint And Portable Mats

[formerlyfreedom]

Three men from Jackson, NJ, claim to have come up with a product that will revolutionize the painting industry; two moms from Austin try to win a deal for their portable mat that fits into an ultracompact pouch.

Original airdate: April 4, 2014

[Taeolas]

I think the producers are cluing in that Lori and Barbara work great on the panel together... at least for interactions and bickering/good TV drama. The Paint guys were in a tough place. I'm not sure if I would have taken Lori's deal or not, with Barbara and Mark still waiting, but that was a lot of money on the table for a good product by the looks of it. 

Monkey blankets is a neat concept. They do need to get the price point down to 20$, but I could see it being a Spur of the moment purchase in Hudson's at the airports, like the neck pillows and such are nowadays. 

Rest of the pitches were just standard for the most part.

[me5671]

The paint brush guys were in a tough spot there.  Ultimately, I think they did the right thing by taking Lori's offer.  She put a fair valuation on their company and was offering them a lot of money and know-how.  There's no guarantee that Barbara and Mark were going to make any offer at all, let alone a better one.  A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush after all.  I liked that product and I liked those guys, so I hope that this works out for them.

In contrast, I HATED the monkey mat.  My reaction to it was almost identical to Kevin's.  "I don't get it".  I don't really see the use/need for it.  *shrugs*

I wasn't crazy about the pancake mix and plated products either.  While I liked that the pancake mix guys had proven the concept through sales, I felt that they had way overvalued the company.   I liked the plated guys a lot, but I agreed with Lori that the people who had the time to cook for themselves would just go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients themselves.

[starri]

I was a bit curious about Plated, except that they quoted a $10/portion price, and it's actually $12/portion, with a $10/month membership fee.  If you don't have a membership, it's $15/portion.

[A Boston Gal]

All those food presentations where the sharks get samples and oooh and aaah finally got to me...I bought the Kodiak Cake mix at Target tonight. There are two versions: whole wheat, oat and honey (which I got) and buttermilk and honey. The nutrition labels on each were identical re: calories and nutrients. I will try them out later this week, and of course, report back! :)

[MrMattyMatt]

There are other companies doing the exact same thing as Plated.  It's really a niche market.  I think the thing that woould help is if they had "exlusive" recipe cards or something.  

I've seen so many different off brands pancake mixes come and go through the major stores over the years.  I agree - not viable.

[CottlestonPie]

I had such secondhand embarrassment for the poor guy that forgot his speech.  They probably did the right thing going with Lori, that thing will probably sell like hotcakes on QVC.  Plus I just really dislike Barbara and it makes me a little happy when she gets outbid on a sale.

Speaking of hotcakes, A Boston Gal, I'm anxiously awaiting your report on those Kodiak Cakes!  :)

As much as I wanted to dislike the Monkey Mat ladies, I had to admit, if that had been for sale for less than $20 when my kids were toddlers, I probably would have bought it. 

[A Boston Gal]

Reporting in on Kodiak Cakes, of which I had a couple for dinner:

Thumbs up! The mix was just right, not too runny or thick, and the directions made it idiot-proof. (Yes, I know pancake mix isn't rocket science, but it's been years since I flipped a flapjack.) I thought they were delish, and I highly recommend them!