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S08.E06: Joyce's LuLu Bang, unPack, Sunscreenr, Potato Parcel


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A young man and his business partner from Carrollton, Texas, pitch an unusual twist to a common vegetable; two sisters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, get a Shark to proclaim that their barbeque sauce "could bring a tear to a glass eye;" two millennial entrepreneurs have a way to alleviate the hassle of luggage and packing; and a biochemist from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, can make the invisible visible with a device that ensures sun protection. Also, an update on the Grace & Lace accessory line, which Barbara Corcoran invested in during season 5.

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Why don't they just rename this show "The Wicked Good Grace & Lace Cupcake Hour"?  Every. Damn. Week. And Barbara wasn't even there this week! We still had to hear about those damn tacky boot socks?

The Unpack guys...where to start. The idea is dumb, the pitch was dumb...so many variables to go wrong.  Even if I was the type of person to "rent" used clothes (never gonna happen), how can I be sure the fit will be right?  I can wear sizes 8-12 depending on the brand.  Pants are always an issue for me; I am 5'3". Some petite lengths are perfect for me, some too short. How do I know the clothes were cleaned? What if the delivery is late to my hotel?  And like the Sharks mentioned, I still have to pack a bag with my toiletries, shoes, pj's, underwear, maybe different bras with different strap configuration, socks, tights, hosiery, etc.  Mark's idea of destination-specific packages was a smidge better, but still not for me. This is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever seen...

...then the Potato Putz's showed up.  At first I thought they were part of another one of Jimmy Kimmel's "funny" skits.  

  • Love 16
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I think I have a new contender for "worst pitch/product/company/segment ever" in the Unpack guys. I'm not being facetious when I say I believe the potato guys were better all around. Hell, in my younger days, I might have spent $10 to send someone a potatogram on a whim. (Now I think my friends and I are old and boring enough that we've outgrown the whimsy.)

 

I'm glad the sunscreen guy got a deal. His valuation was crazy and the Sharks weren't wrong in their critiques, but I figured he's a scientist and not a businessman. It was a decent enough idea, and he's probably not depending on it to sell millions and millions to feed his family or whatever.

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What the heck did I just watch?

We are either out of serious businesses in need of VC willing to be on the show, or the producers have greatly overestimated the appeal of crazy. 

This show is now on the shot clock. Another ep like this and "I'm out". 

  • Love 5
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I have to admit, I really liked the spud brothers.  I felt really sorry for the guy who owns the company, he seems so sweet and not very bright.  I don't even begin to understand why he didn't take Robert's offer, since I doubt he actually understands the deal Kevin offered.  Or, maybe I am just not sophisticated enough to balance the whole revenue/equity thing.

Yeah, the unpack guys were pathetic.  I'm surprised they even got on the show.  I guess someone has made the decision that this season is just not going to focus on actual, buyable products or services.  I've bought a lot of Shark Tank stuff over the years, but these pitches are just ridiculous.

What really bothered me during this episode, though, was the segment that was just the sharks arguing loudly with each other.  Haven't we had enough of that during this political season?  I watch shows like this to escape that.

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Lori, if you don't have anything business-related to say, please don't say anything. Your day job is fine! Quit auditioning for the next cheesy inspirational slogan writer job! When Kevin plays bad cop on his way out he at least gives them some useful advice.

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I kind of loved the potato guys... I would mail someone a potato for fun.... I think you can also mail bananas or other fruits/vegetables that have an outer coating.... like a coconut...   I would have taken Robert's deal, but I like him better than Kevin, so I am biased.

The unpack guys were way out of their legue... and the sunscreen thing is a good concept, but something about the pitch didn't hit with me... maybe it was all the valuation talk.

Grace and Lace irritates the crap out of me, so that update was annoying...

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I buy solid-stick sunscreen that goes on light purple and fades to clear as it warms up. It's marketed to kids, but I've had too many surprise sunburns after a day driving to care. Also, $109 for something that's likely to disappear into the sand when you go to the beach? 

  • Love 1
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I kind of loved the potato guys... I would mail someone a potato for fun.... I think you can also mail bananas or other fruits/vegetables that have an outer coating.... like a coconut...   I would have taken Robert's deal, but I like him better than Kevin, so I am biased.

The unpack guys were way out of their legue... and the sunscreen thing is a good concept, but something about the pitch didn't hit with me... maybe it was all the valuation talk.

Grace and Lace irritates the crap out of me, so that update was annoying...

"Grace and Lace irritates the crap out of me, so that update was annoying..."

Second!

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I was annoyed that the barbecue sauce women left without a deal.  I hope they follow in the footsteps of the Mango Mango sisters and have success through their own hard work, just to be able to rub it in the Sharks' faces.  I mean, Barbara has been successful with her investment in Republican Sauce, there's no reason this couldn't work.

Potato Bros should have annoyed me, but unlike the soup by mail woman, I could actually see people doing it as a gag.  I mean, look at I Want To Draw A Cat For You.

I can tell products that got going on Kickstarter from a mile away now.  And I can't say I really see the sunscreen Viewmaster being that big a seller.  I know there are plenty of concerned parents, and it's a reasonable thing to be worried about, but I just can't see it people wanting another tchotchke to lose in a beach bag.  Also, I hate the beach.

I can actually see Unpack being a decent business...if they did what Mark said and focused on giving customers a cool outfit to wear at da club.  If I was flying somewhere for, say, a job interview, I don't know that wearing clothing that someone else had used would be a big confidence booster. 

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10 hours ago, roctavia said:

Grace and Lace irritates the crap out of me, so that update was annoying...

Thank goodness the good-hearted Americans were able to "rescue" all those Indian orphans.  Blech. 

Edited by hoosiermommy
  • Love 11
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This was more like an episode of old-school Dragon's Den and it's no wonder that Kevin and Robert, the two Canadians, were enthused over the Potato Parcel.  All that was missing was maybe a retired hockey player or two and a Boston Pizza logo!    I actually enjoyed seeing a few zonk-trepreneurs and not just polished presentations, or worse, over-rehearsed kids.  As for Grace and Lace, I wish them unlimited success but the trade-off is simple:  One update every two seasons!

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Unpack was just so stupid. Couldn't someone just send a package of their own clothing, via UPS or Fed-Ex?

I could easily send a message on a potato myself, but I did appreciate the sense of humor of the the two spuds when they were told they looked like testicles.

My mouth was watering over those two sisters sauces. It's a shame they didn't get a deal. But I bet the food market is saturated with those type of products. Still, I wish them well.

As someone who burns very easily, I could get behind the Suncreenr product, but it's way to expensive and I'm afraid I'd lose it.

And please can it with Grace and Lace. Ugh.

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I already have a potato, a sharpie and a shoebox. Why do I need the Potato Parcel guys? And when the UPS guy comes to pick up my Potato-in-a-Box, he can also pick up the box with my own personal clothing that I want delivered to the hotel so I don't have to deal with luggage or wear some hobo's poor-fitting rental gear.

OTOH, I wouldn't mind trying the Bang sisters BBQ sauce.

Who is vetting these products? If I sent anyone of my family members an inedible $10 potato they would beat me over the head with it.

  • Love 5
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The potato Parcel sounds fun.
I can hear those of us in 2016 explaining to our grandkids, "yep we sent messages on potatoes, it was the beginning of the hip vegetable era, which created a trend of tying an onion on our belts, which was the style at the time."

Edited by Temperance
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Are those REAL potatoes they're sending?  If so, they do go  bad (and smell) and I personally have problems with people wasting food (that could be sent to G&L's orphans!)  I would not endorse that type of waste.

See, young'uns, the Pet Rock was better because it didn't waste food!

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If, say, my mother sent me a happy birthday potato, I would be utterly confused: What did I miss? Are we Irish now? Is there something hidden inside I'm supposed to find like a down market King Cake? Is mom pissed and lobbing heavy objects at me via parcel post? What am I missing?

  • Love 11
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I was bummed the sauce sisters didn't get a deal. I kinda got why, but they had a good product, pitched it well, and didn't suddenly drop a tear-bomb when the sharks started dropping out. I was convinced that their late brother, introduced in the intro package and featured in their product display, would be brought up to bring the tears. Respect to them for gracefully taking the rejection without using tragedy and tears out of desperation. The packaging seemed clunky, but maybe they'll get a post-episode sales bump and be able to repackage so it sticks out more on the shelf. What they did have seemed tongue-in-cheek and cute (I think they had one called "The Asian Persuasion"?), and with maybe better labeling I think I'd roll my cart by and grab it just to give it a try, and I nearly always make those kinds of sauces/marinades from scratch.

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5 hours ago, roctavia said:

You could still eat the potato once it gets to you.... peel it and the message is gone, and you are left with delicious potato.

Maybe not. About 10 years ago, a goofball in my office took a sharpie and drew a funny face on a co-worker's banana that she brought for lunch. We laughed about it, she peeled the banana and started to munch on it. Quickly she made a face and threw it away. The sharpie's odor had seeped through the peel and all she could taste was sharpie. Couldn't actually see the ink on the banana, but still toxic!

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Unpack makes no financial sense whatsoever. I can pack three work outfits, plus toiletries, underwear, shoes, and sleepwear into a carry-on, which most airlines don't charge for. If I'm traveling for longer than that, Unpack would cost me upwards of $80 because they said they charge $20/day. But most airlines charge $25 for one checked bag on domestic flights, so that would only cost $50 for a simple return trip, and I could pack another 7-8 days' worth of clothes into a checked suitcase. And those idiots made packing for your own trip sound like a huge chore, but I'd *much* rather spend an hour packing than roll the dice on the quality and fit of the clothing they'd be sending for me.

The spud bros had to be a joke that the Sharks were in on. I mean, anyone can write a message on a spud with a Sharpie and mail it in a bubble envelope, for a whole lot less than $10. What am I missing?

12 hours ago, hoosiermommy said:

Thank goodness the good-hearted Americans were able to "rescue" all those Indian orphans.  Blech. 

I only started watching Shark Tank this season, so I don't know anything about this company, but using that word in reference to children really rubbed me the wrong way, too. 

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I think Unpack has surpassed the golf club that you pee into as the worst thing I have seen on Shark Tank.  I wonder if the 30 people who signed up for it are friends who were forced to.

The potato messages I can see appealing to bro-ish dudes in their 20s who want to send a gag gift. My brother absolutely loved it and told me to expect a potato at my work.

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6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I only started watching Shark Tank this season, so I don't know anything about this company, but using that word in reference to children really rubbed me the wrong way, too. 

That's just how things are with God Socks.  

I mean, run your business according to your principles, throw your Jesus-y logo on your products, and build your orphanages, that's all fine.  But at least have the honestly to admit those orphans are supposed to be capital S Saved, and that they're really about evangelism.  

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17 hours ago, Merneith said:

I already have a potato, a sharpie and a shoebox. Why do I need the Potato Parcel guys? And when the UPS guy comes to pick up my Potato-in-a-Box, he can also pick up the box with my own personal clothing that I want delivered to the hotel so I don't have to deal with luggage or wear some hobo's poor-fitting rental gear.

OTOH, I wouldn't mind trying the Bang sisters BBQ sauce.

Who is vetting these products? If I sent anyone of my family members an inedible $10 potato they would beat me over the head with it.

Okay so I saw an ad for Potato Parcel on Facebook...actually I think it was on a friend's Facebook and she posted a screenshot like "what the hell, this is the stupidest thing ever! And of course it is, but my boyfriend LOVES potatoes, and our anniversary was coming up, and it only costs $5 or so. For an extra few dollars you can have it sent in an adorable little burlap sack. Which I did, obviously.

And sure, I could have just written on my own potato, but opening the mailbox and taking out a padded envelope containing a tiny burlap sack with a personalized potato? He was delighted. It's so utterly ridiculous, and completely unexpected, and hit his sense of humor perfectly. Also, they selected a pristine potato. It's been here for about 6 weeks and it still looks great. (Probably about time to peel and eat it.)

All of that said -- of course it's totally ridiculous and unsustainable. I can't imagine I'll ever buy one again; the joke only works once. ...though the testimonials on their site suggest that a lot of people have purchased while drunk or high.

IMG_3278.JPG

9 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Maybe not. About 10 years ago, a goofball in my office took a sharpie and drew a funny face on a co-worker's banana that she brought for lunch. We laughed about it, she peeled the banana and started to munch on it. Quickly she made a face and threw it away. The sharpie's odor had seeped through the peel and all she could taste was sharpie. Couldn't actually see the ink on the banana, but still toxic!

Oh, good to know! I'll report back. :)

  • Love 7
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Okay, I'm convinced.  It's silly and fun.

And I have an idea for one to send to my husband after the election.  We're not talking politics here, so I'm only going to say he's earned it for trying to keep me calm.

  • Love 1
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I was bummed the sauce sisters didn't get a deal. I kinda got why, but they had a good product, pitched it well, and didn't suddenly drop a tear-bomb when the sharks started dropping out. I was convinced that their late brother, introduced in the intro package and featured in their product display, would be brought up to bring the tears. Respect to them for gracefully taking the rejection without using tragedy and tears out of desperation. The packaging seemed clunky, but maybe they'll get a post-episode sales bump and be able to repackage so it sticks out more on the shelf. What they did have seemed tongue-in-cheek and cute (I think they had one called "The Asian Persuasion"?), and with maybe better labeling I think I'd roll my cart by and grab it just to give it a try, and I nearly always make those kinds of sauces/marinades from scratch.

again, it can be perplexing who gets a deal....the sauce sounds so yummy and Im actually going to look for it. I have seem some really stupid or so so products get deals ( I dont mean to pick on the child, but the dog biscuits??) and those $12 body sprays( i did love those kids), and I thought these sisters were awesome.
and someone upthread reminded me of the golf club you peed in! so funny!! The fact is, I thought it takes a long time(years?) to get in shark tank..so its always confusing to me when a just released product appears...

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1 hour ago, adam807 said:

Okay so I saw an ad for Potato Parcel on Facebook...actually I think it was on a friend's Facebook and she posted a screenshot like "what the hell, this is the stupidest thing ever! And of course it is, but my boyfriend LOVES potatoes, and our anniversary was coming up, and it only costs $5 or so. For an extra few dollars you can have it sent in an adorable little burlap sack. Which I did, obviously.

And sure, I could have just written on my own potato, but opening the mailbox and taking out a padded envelope containing a tiny burlap sack with a personalized potato? He was delighted. It's so utterly ridiculous, and completely unexpected, and hit his sense of humor perfectly. Also, they selected a pristine potato. It's been here for about 6 weeks and it still looks great. (Probably about time to peel and eat it.)

All of that said -- of course it's totally ridiculous and unsustainable. I can't imagine I'll ever buy one again; the joke only works once. ...though the testimonials on their site suggest that a lot of people have purchased while drunk or high.

IMG_3278.JPG

Oh, good to know! I'll report back. :)

Wait, they screwed up on the A in anniversary and couldn't start over with a new $10 potato?!

  • Love 12
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38 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Wait, they screwed up on the A in anniversary and couldn't start over with a new $10 potato?!

I honestly didn't notice! I assume they're completely stoned at all times? (Not that that's an excuse.)

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I was thinking, at least they aren't wasting extra potatoes when they screw up!

 

That said, if someone sent me that exact potato, I would know they were my True Love. Because I effing love potatoes.  To the point that I laughed at the thing with the Christmas tree ornaments, because I already have a potato ornament! Not made from an actual potato, obviously. 

  • Love 2
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So there are 2 products on this show I'm pretty sure I could do better if I wanted to.

Sunscreenr: For $5 I'll sell you a filter + an app for your phone that will do the same thing. And truth be told you don't need the app. It's just UV light. 

Potato Parcel: I can easily think of better quirky items to ship through the mail. Admittedly the nonsense of a potato is why it works, and applying logic is counter-productive. But I'm picturing getting a tiny package in the mail and when you pull the string a balloon inflates with a message. (The USPS does allow compressed air in small quantities.) Higher cost, but better legs imho.

On 10/29/2016 at 10:48 AM, starri said:

I was annoyed that the barbecue sauce women left without a deal.  I hope they follow in the footsteps of the Mango Mango sisters and have success through their own hard work, just to be able to rub it in the Sharks' faces.  I mean, Barbara has been successful with her investment in Republican Sauce, there's no reason this couldn't work.

Season 1 had much lower standards. Pork Barrel's deal valued their whole company at $125,000. These women were asking for $150,000. Pork Barrel already had a restaurant being built. Lulu Bang sells 2 jars per store on a wildcard deal from Walmart that won't last long (unless this appearance makes them rocket). And their name is terrible. No wonder they didn't have any online sales.

You're right, it might work. But so might the other hundreds of small sauces that have been created and weren't lucky enough to appear on ABC Prime Time (which we all know was probably aided by family tragedy). I think if Barbara was there she would have said what Daymond said: "Experience has taught me that this business sucks."

4 hours ago, nlkm9 said:

he fact is, I thought it takes a long time(years?) to get in shark tank..so its always confusing to me when a just released product appears...

Applying yourself takes a long time, but the producers watch kickstarter and other portals for new businesses and do a lot of recruiting themselves. Entrepreneurs who have been on the show say it's a lot easier to get on if they come to you than if you go to them.

  • Love 1
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Wasn't there a company back in Season 1 (maybe 2?) that was doing the same thing as the Potato Parcel but was shipping rubber balls with handwritten personal messages on them? It was literally the same concept, but wouldn't eventually rot.

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years ago i had a friend whose claim to fame was she would send anything in the mail. LOL. she bought a tiara at a party store and sent it to me for my birthday and it had the postage on it and everything--I had that thing on my bulletin board for years. I know she mailed a cannister of froot loops to someone else. it was hilarious.

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  On 10/29/2016 at 2:00 PM, Merneith said:

I already have a potato, a sharpie and a shoebox. Why do I need the Potato Parcel guys? And when the UPS guy comes to pick up my Potato-in-a-Box, he can also pick up the box with my own personal clothing that I want delivered to the hotel so I don't have to deal with luggage or wear some hobo's poor-fitting rental gear.

OTOH, I wouldn't mind trying the Bang sisters BBQ sauce.

Who is vetting these products? If I sent anyone of my family members an inedible $10 potato they would beat me over the head with it.

Okay so I saw an ad for Potato Parcel on Facebook...actually I think it was on a friend's Facebook and she posted a screenshot like "what the hell, this is the stupidest thing ever! And of course it is, but my boyfriend LOVES potatoes, and our anniversary was coming up, and it only costs $5 or so. For an extra few dollars you can have it sent in an adorable little burlap sack. Which I did, obviously.

And sure, I could have just written on my own potato, but opening the mailbox and taking out a padded envelope containing a tiny burlap sack with a personalized potato? He was delighted. It's so utterly ridiculous, and completely unexpected, and hit his sense of humor perfectly. Also, they selected a pristine potato. It's been here for about 6 weeks and it still looks great. (Probably about time to peel and eat it.)

All of that said -- of course it's totally ridiculous and unsustainable. I can't imagine I'll ever buy one again; the joke only works once. ...though the testimonials on their site suggest that a lot of people have purchased while drunk or high.

IMG_3278.JPG

  On 10/29/2016 at 10:01 PM, Spunkygal said:

Maybe not. About 10 years ago, a goofball in my office took a sharpie and drew a funny face on a co-worker's banana that she brought for lunch. We laughed about it, she peeled the banana and started to munch on it. Quickly she made a face and threw it away. The sharpie's odor had seeped through the peel and all she could taste was sharpie. Couldn't actually see the ink on the banana, but still toxic!

Oh, good to know! I'll report back. :)

Really? The little burlap sack is extra? That's what bugs me about this!

  • Love 2
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Shouldn't these people realize by now that the sharks don't give money to companies that haven't really started out yet?

When the unpack guys came out and one of them was wearing a huge poncho and then they started talking about how they didn't want to pay the baggage fee, I thought there product was a poncho you could hide all your items in - that the inside of the poncho would be covered in pockets to hold your clothing.  I thought it was stupid.  Then they gave their pitch and I realized that the clothes-carrying poncho wasn't the worst idea.

Even if you could find enough people willing to rent used clothing, the logistics would keep them out of business.  They'd need s huge warehouse to store clothes of many different sizes and laundering everything each time is was returned would be costly and time-consuming.  

Anyone who remembers the Pet Rock can understand that the Potato-gram could be big for a little while as a fad or joke. 

I want to try the sauce.

I would buy the sunscreen thing if it weren't so expensive.  

  • Love 4
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The unpack guys were morons because they opened with "don't have to pay the checked bag fee" and then proceeded to illustrate how they almost certainly cost more than that. If that's not the angle, don't bring it up. Their pitch was like throwing spaghetti at a wall. They just kept saying random shit hoping any shark would agree with one, and if so, then they'd have run with that. "yeah yeah, that's what we meant, that's what we're doing" Mmhmm. Sure y'are dudes.

  • Love 1
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On 11/1/2016 at 10:22 AM, needschocolate said:

Even if you could find enough people willing to rent used clothing

And I just don't think there would be enough.  I tend to overpack because I never know what I'll be in the mood to wear and what will be most comfortable.  That's with my own stuff.  I can't imagine not knowing what clothes I'd have until I got there.

  • Love 5
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This sounds like Stitch Fix for business travelers. What happens if the clothes don't fit or you hate how it looks on you?  You are stuck unless you have time to go out shopping. There is no way this is cheaper than a luggage fee and way Too many unknowns going on here. If they want a just in time business go buy one of those umbrella vending machines. Lol

  • Love 1
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I hated every single presenter this episode, except the Saucy Sisters.  Go f yourselves, Unpack Guys, who probably never have traveled with women who need to carry more crap than guys do. Sunscreen thingy scientist? Who's gonna have the patience to use your little viewfinder correctly more than once or twice an outing, or remember to bring it along after two or three times? How about some behavior studies on the ACTUAL USE of this thing? Short sighted.  Potato pod guys? A joke product with equally unserious presenters without the charm or self-awareness of "I want to draw a cat for you" guy.

All of you, get off my lawn! All except the saucy sisters. Come sit by me, and bring snacks.

  • Love 3
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Oh good god, the Unpack guys.  I have a very specific style and favorite pieces I always take with me.  Two of my favorite jeans are the first thing in the suitcase, 2 pairs of leggings are next!  My favorite black jacket that goes over anything.  I wear mostly black/white and have funky shoes for a hit of color.  I cannot fathom wearing used clothes that someone else has chosen for me!  Clearly they do not have women in their life.  

There was nothing good on this show, not one thing.  

On 11/2/2016 at 11:52 AM, A Boston Gal said:

Potato pod guys? A joke product with equally unserious presenters without the charm or self-awareness of "I want to draw a cat for you" guy.

Exactly.  

  • Love 3
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55 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Oh good god, the Unpack guys.  I have a very specific style and favorite pieces I always take with me.  Two of my favorite jeans are the first thing in the suitcase, 2 pairs of leggings are next!  My favorite black jacket that goes over anything.  I wear mostly black/white and have funky shoes for a hit of color.  I cannot fathom wearing used clothes that someone else has chosen for me!  Clearly they do not have women in their life.  

They mentioned most of their extremely small customer base was men, and I was like, of course they are. Most women don't just want any clothes when they travel, they want specific clothes. I take a lot of pictures when I travel, so I take what I know I will look good in. It really is one of the worst ideas.

Not to mention their awful pitch saying they were a luggage company. They are a company that is trying to get rid of the need for luggage. Those are not the same things.

Edited by KaveDweller
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