S08.E09: Barbell Apparel, PupBox, LineCutterz, Energybits

[yeswedo]

Quote

A couple from San Francisco, California, pitch their subscription service for puppy products; a woman from Boston, Massachusetts, hopes to popularize algae as a nutritional health supplement in America; two buddies from Las Vegas, Nevada, design apparel for athletic builds; and an avid fisherman from Hudson, Wisconsin, wants a deal for his fishing line cutting tool. Also, a follow-up with Bantam Bagels, which Lori Greiner invested in during season 6.

[WhosThatGirl]

It was a fail of Shark Tank the show to bring in the Not Bark Box  puppy box people first, because they brought puppies. After they were on, I was all "well no one else is going to have puppies so nothing tonight will be as enjoyable" because well.. puppies. 

The energy tab lady wasn't making sense. Lori was right when the package says skinny on it, people assume that they will be skinny when they eat this tablet thing. I couldn't see it either and she did seem have lost more money than made.

I missed the jean segments and didn't feel like I missed anything. Clothing shark tank things are always hit or miss.

i didn't care about the fishing line ring. Probably because it's not my area of expertise. I know nothing about it. He should have brought in real fish, I probably would have paid attention more. I'm glad he got a deal, only because he and his family are now living in his childhood home so can have his dream.

The puppies were adorable. That dog was cute too. Puppies make everything better.

Edited November 19, 2016 by WhosThatGirl

[Callaphera]

So, Line Cutterz (ugh with the 'z'). I'm not a fisherwoman, but I am a crafter. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch - hey, why not have a handful of related crafts to minimize space and induce heart attacks in your significant other ("The sock yarn cost how much?!"). I'll be generous and say that I could see the ring cutter getting through embroidery floss and thinner yarn weights, like crochet thread, lace, and fingering. But I have trouble seeing it being able to get through sport, DK, worsted, bulky or above. Well, really, what gets through super bulky except a hacksaw? What I do foresee for those heavier weights is the cutter getting through three of the four plies and leaving me with a puffy, messy end.

It would also seem a bit awkward to use compared to your usual scissors (or nail clippers if on a flight). Depending on how you tension your yarn and in what hand, I could see the yarn going over the cutter and getting shredded. If worn on your non-dominant hand, it would require some awkward shuffling of the yarn, needles/hook, and project to get it into position, whereas I'm used to gathering it all in one hand, grabbing my scissors and going to town. No weird dance, just the way it's always done.

As to the fishing application of it, my husband snorted and said, "Well, I'm not a dumbass who drops my knife in the sand and then steps on it with BARE FEET!" He also questioned the idea of keeping any cutting implement in his tackle when it was rusty.

In conclusion: meh. Besides, using razor sharp embroidery scissors is fun! It's like playing the lottery, only you might lose a fingertip. 

Also: as to the PupBox or whatever they named it. How did no one bring up Bark Box? They're been around forever and a day. I see their ads on Facebook all the time, and I only have a cat.

[WhosThatGirl]

I'm surprised they never brought up Bark Box as well as it's the same thing. The only difference being that the box features on tonight's episode said they have ages and I think Bark Box doesn't care, but not one of the sharks mentioned that a popular product already exists.

[rhys]

I'm a knitter, too, and I thought the ring cutter deal would be a bit awkward. I have scissors in all my knitting bags (& scissors are fine on flights). However, I also fish & thought it may be a cool stocking stuffer for the other fisher folk in my family if the Price were closer to $5.

[mtlchick]

"I'll bring out the samples" Bring out puppies, Robert regresses to a child.  I cannot argue with that because PUPPIES!

Quote

How did no one bring up Bark Box? 

Seriously.  I won't buy it as it's too expensive for me but a few of my friends love the service.  It's a direct competitor to it.  I don't how different it is outside of it's catered to the service from when they're babies.   I had to chuckle that Mark said he isn't a fan of subscription services given how badly Toygaroo flopped. 

The ring cutter isn't a bad idea but it seems to be a bit bulky for the size.

[mjc570]

Wow, those puppies were adorable.  I wasn't too impressed by the product, but it didn't seem bad, and was reasonably priced.  I think I missed it - did the pupbox folks say if the winning shark could keep the puppy?

I enjoyed the Bantam Bagel update, if only for the fact that keeping the name obviously was not a problem.  I thought Lori was an idiot, until I saw her giving some really good retailing advice in some of those Beyond the tank (I think) segments.  I loved the woman's dress, but is that really appropriate business attire?

The jeans guys seem nice, but that isn't that really a rather limited subset - big thigh guys?  I don't see them having a comparable womens line, although there are probably quite a few women with big thighs who don't want to show them off.  I admit that I rarely pay full retail price for clothes, but I thought the pants seemed a bit expensive for what they were.  I also didn't think the name was a good choice.  I know they were gearing their products to weightlifters, but it doesn't indicate that the product was clothing,

That algae woman was so delusional it was sad.  I imagine that as soon as she said she didn't have any liability insurance, people were running to the courthouse to be first in line to file lawsuits, to get her few assets.

[LittleIggy]

OMG! Puppies! :-) I knew Robert would be over the moon when the puppies came out.

[nutella fitzgerald]

I thought Line Cutterz guy deserved to go home without a deal just because of the shocking lack of due diligence that led to him giving Robert an extra special Polish one. There isn't even a shared border between Poland and Croatia!

[WhosThatGirl]

The puppy box idea wasn't bad, but I too find it strange that none one of the sharks mentioned the commercial product that's already out and that more than likely had a hand in what inspired theirs. Theirs is different because it adds things dogs will need for a specific age and training guides for said age, which is kind of a good ide; like I said Bark Box is a mystery box and is not age specific.

[Callaphera]

But seriously: can we have a moratorium on companies and products ending their plural name with the letter Z? No one's every done that before! It's creative! Ooh, you're so edgy. Not.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Callaphera

[chocolatine]

It really rubbed me the wrong way how the Puppy Box couple kept referring to dogs as children.

Algae woman is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Chlorella and spirulina supplements have been around forever, but she thinks her bogus "branding" is going to make her the big bucks.

I wish someone had asked Line Cutterz guy if he had a patent. Robert said his father used to have a similar ring, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone else had patented it already.

[Primetimer]

And the answer is, it's about filling time between commercial breaks, as someone with no hope in hell of a deal is allowed to flail around while the Sharks twiddle their thumbs, waiting for a real business to come along.

View the full article

[Ketzel]

10 hours ago, mjc570 said:

That algae woman was so delusional it was sad.  I imagine that as soon as she said she didn't have any liability insurance, people were running to the courthouse to be first in line to file lawsuits, to get her few assets.

Probably not - why waste time and money suing someone who looks to be practically judgement-proof? She'd be in more danger if she confessed to being insured up the wazoo. :) Laurie gave her good advice about being careful how she named/described the stuff, but it looked like it fell on ears deafened by delusional enthusiasm.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Ketzel

[nlkm9]

I totally get the love and worship of dogs, I famously have 5 zillion pics of my doggies, past and present and little of my daughter....but calling a dog your daughter?? Ohhh that just irritated me!! 2 of my dear friends have no children but at the most call their dogs furbabies which is cute. I think it is a cute idea for a gift for someone getting a puppy, but otherwise didnt seem like the great opportunity  they claimed it to be...but lol yes they did bring puppies.

Anyone remember the "bluegreen algae" ads that were around since the 70's? that lady was a loon. Funny how robert loved the taste and everyone else hated it.

as far as the jeans, Im a workout person although my proportions are normal, and I see the need for it--I was impressed how he was able to squat with them. I forget if they got a deal, but I loved the idea.

Now everytime Lori speaks, I wonder if she is saying "im out" and ruining someone elses chance for a deal. Im glad Robert got tough and started walking away with the puppies. Im also glad he threw the ring cutter back at the guy. lol.

Edited November 19, 2016 by nlkm9
mistake

[Jesse]

10 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I enjoyed the Bantam Bagel update, if only for the fact that keeping the name obviously was not a problem.  I thought Lori was an idiot, until I saw her giving some really good retailing advice in some of those Beyond the tank (I think) segments.  I loved the woman's dress, but is that really appropriate business attire?

That was totally a cocktail dress! Why do women still think Heather Locklear on Melrose Place is an appropriate role model?

 

Speaking of which, apparently the algae lady is a friend of a friend. The mutual friend was not hopeful about her chances.....And she was right!

[seacliffsal]

For someone who claimed that he was obsessed by Shark Tank and had been developing his product for two years and trying to get on, the Line Cutterz guy sure blew it with Robert.  Poland?  Really?  Robert may be the only shark that all viewers absolutely know his ethnic ancestry/heritage.  

I have never thought as highly of Mark as I did during the puppy segment as the puppy he held was in puppy heaven.  Puppies and dogs know good people-I was surprised that Mark didn't ask to keep the puppy as it really looked like they had bonded.

Algae woman-yet another kook who thinks her/his idea is the bestest ever.  Reminds me of the woman who was trying to launch a dating site using her last name and had been losing money for several years.  

[Latverian Diplomat]

One thing about the Line Cutterz demo. Pretty sure that it's easier to cut fishing line that's under tension (provided by the weight of the buckets). If your line is a tangled up mess, maybe it's a little harder to use. So, not a very realistic demo, but it looked cool.

I like that Mark is so skeptical about alt-med. He gets a nasty tone when he's busting their chops though...not they don't deserve it (100,000 studies!) but I think it would play a little better if kept his cool a little more.

Interesting that the sharks all think that clothing is a shit business to be in, and that Walmart really knows their stuff about where to set price points.

[starri]

41 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

Algae woman-yet another kook who thinks her/his idea is the bestest ever.  Reminds me of the woman who was trying to launch a dating site using her last name and had been losing money for several years.  

Remember the woman with the suction-cup placemat from last season?  They may be kin, because they both have the same crazy, crazy eyes.

Just now, Latverian Diplomat said:

I like that Mark is so skeptical about alt-med. He gets a nasty tone when he's busting their chops though...not they don't deserve it (100,000 studies!) but I think it would play a little better if kept his cool a little more.

Disagree.  She deserves no respect for peddling the woo.

I loved that Jeans Bros talked about how their clothes makes people feel great about themselves.  Because I'm sure guys with bodies like that need all the help with self-esteem that they can get.  The long-haired one did have great legs though.

Pup Box isn't any different than any other subscription box.  I'd even be willing to bet that Bark Box isn't their only competitor either.  

I know I should have found the hard-scrabble story of the Line Cutterz guy charming, but I guess I'm just still cold and dead inside.  

[Ketzel]

Was it the Puppy Box guy who responded to Mr. Wonderful's haughtily describing their valuation as "aggressive," with a smile and a "We're aggressive people?" I nominate that for this season's best comeback to a shark, at least so far.

[basiltherat]

What percentage of what percentage of men are body builders in need of flexible jeans?  I think it would be more profitable to market clothing for the chunky schlubs of America!

I hate to be morbid, but did the sister of the Queen of Algae die from her cancer or did the algae cure her?  Her mentioning that would bring up a big, red Mark Cuban-sized flag for me, that she may be implying that her product can cure cancer.  Even more of a dangerous assumption than the label saying "skinny."

[KaveDweller]

Regarding people who call pets their children, I know tons of people who do this. I think everyone I know with a dog or cat, but no actual kids do it. And refer to their parents as the dogs grandparents. I always thought it was weird, but I am not an animal person. Glad it's not just me. Also maybe the Sharks aren't big pet people either, and that's why they didn't know about other dog subscription boxes. I'd never heard of something like that, and think it's insane to spend that much money on a dog. But again, I'm weird. Seeing those puppies did nothing for me and I would have hated having to hold one.

For the line cutter guy, I liked him. I don't fish or knit, but it seems like it would be less applicable for knitting. When knitting people are usually sitting in one place and it is easy to have scissors available. With fishing, I guess you're on your feet more? Damon seemed to think it had value and I remember when that other fishing product was on he talked about fishing multiple times a week. I'm surprised whoever got a deal with that other fishing product didn't bring up whatever that thing was called.

Algae lady was just crazy. I usually feel bad when Mark goes off on people with alternative medicine things, but she deserved it. And her comment to Lori about how calling the product skinny isn't making a claim? Really dumb.

[theatremouse]

11 hours ago, Callaphera said:

But seriously: can we have a moratorium on companies and products ending their plural name with the letter Z? No one's every done that before! It's creative! Ooh, you're so edgy. Not.

It's not about being "edgy"; it's about having a trademarkable name. You can't just TM plain English words. But if you make up a spelling, you can claim it as yours. Hence all the z-for-s replacements in product/company names, and other intentional misspellings. It's about branding.

[Quickbeam]

I was sure when the big thigh guys were on they showed a pair of women's pants. I do test marketing for Amazon sellers; one of the big complaints I see over and over again is from men with large thighs who can't get anything to fit. 

I was laughing at the fish line cutter guy since the knitting world has a million cutters disguised as necklace things for getting through TSA post 9/11. This is not new. 

Algae woman creeped me out. For once Lori made an excellent point about the skinny label. 

[starri]

5 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

I was laughing at the fish line cutter guy since the knitting world has a million cutters disguised as necklace things for getting through TSA post 9/11. This is not new. 

You might even say there's nothing propriety there. 

[LotusFlower]

Mark Cuban doesn't usually make me smile, but I thought it was great when he told Line Cutter guy to offer 33% to Damon when Damon was insisting 40% was his final offer and was counting down the seconds.  He said something like "just try," and it worked.  Yea!

I'm also on the "stop calling your dog your daughter" train.

[Missy Vixen]

15 hours ago, WhosThatGirl said:

I'm surprised they never brought up Bark Box as well as it's the same thing. The only difference being that the box features on tonight's episode said they have ages and I think Bark Box doesn't care, but not one of the sharks mentioned that a popular product already exists.

 

We had Bark Box for several months earlier this year. I would never buy their product again. The toys they sent were shredded within five minutes by our Lab, the treats they sent were vastly overpriced, and it wasn't a great value.

The Puppy Box looked like a much better value for the money, especially the developmental tips and the geared-for-that-age toys. Plus, yellow Lab puppies should have to be registered as some kind of lethal weapon. I was wondering if Mark Cuban whipped out a money clip at the break and tried to buy that puppy, since the puppy appeared to already be in love with him.

[Jamoche]

Oh, man, spirulina... I taught karate back in the 80s. Some of the other instructors grew up in the 60s. Along comes a spirulina salesguy - you'd think he'd found the perfect market, and he did sell some at first, but nobody reordered. Even counter-culture health nuts can't stand it.

Also, every time she rhapsodized over how everyone ought to eat algae, I was reminded of the ingredient that made people sick in the latest batch of Soylent (yes, it's a product) - algae.

[marymon]

3 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

I was sure when the big thigh guys were on they showed a pair of women's pants. I do test marketing for Amazon sellers; one of the big complaints I see over and over again is from men with large thighs who can't get anything to fit. 

 

There was a picture of a woman in their jeans.

[bilgistic]

18 hours ago, mjc570 said:

The jeans guys seem nice, but that isn't that really a rather limited subset - big thigh guys?  I don't see them having a comparable womens line, although there are probably quite a few women with big thighs who don't want to show them off.  I admit that I rarely pay full retail price for clothes, but I thought the pants seemed a bit expensive for what they were.  I also didn't think the name was a good choice.  I know they were gearing their products to weightlifters, but it doesn't indicate that the product was clothing,

Yes. Why did the Sharks not tear into those guys for having too "niche" a product? The inconsistency on this show baffles me. And the jeans are expensive for us commoners.

I was annoyed that their big poster for men's jeans had a woman in a swimsuit. Why not a guy with ripped abs?

I hated the look of the jeans. They looked about a half size too small, and the long-haired guy's light tan jeans made him looked nude from the waist down. Just weird.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Hated all these products!

I couldn't tell if Algae Woman was young or old. I sort of think she and her product were a producer plant (oh punny! algae=plant) just to get snarky comments from the sharks.

I could have kissed Robert when Lori said she has cats while everyone else was oohing over the puppies and Robert said "ew" in response. Lori is not getting the Mary Sue edit this season. 

It is hard for no-ring people to get used to wearing a ring; I'm thinking that overpriced line cutter will end up rusting in the bottom of the fisherman's boat. As someone who knits, I don't want to wear it and have my yarn get caught in the snippy slit, either. For people who fish, I guess there could be emergency uses for it, but probably not many. 

I seriously thought long-haired Barbell guy was wearing pants that illustrated how most pants don't fit bodybuilders. I bet most of their customers don't go near a gym. Was Daymond subtly slamming denim as a fashion fabric? 

Edited November 19, 2016 by MakeMeLaugh

[starri]

22 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Yes. Why did the Sharks not tear into those guys for having too "niche" a product? The inconsistency on this show baffles me. And the jeans are expensive for us commoners.

They did have pretty decent sales figures.  But no one has ever gone broke stroking the male ego and making men think they actually need a product like this.

23 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I was annoyed that their big poster for men's jeans had a woman in a swimsuit. Why not a guy with ripped abs?

They do have a line for women.  I don't know why they didn't mention it more.

[Cherry Cola]

I too thought tan pants guy looked like he didn't have any on.  Not a good shade of khaki.  

Mark and the puppy were so cozy.  That was adorable! 

Robert was pushy in this episode! I liked his hair darker.  

[ClareWalks]

10 hours ago, nlkm9 said:

ut calling a dog your daughter?? Ohhh that just irritated me!! 2 of my dear friends have no children but at the most call their dogs furbabies which is cute.

Yeah, I've never been one of these "dogs aren't kids" people, but saying "this is our daughter" just sounds INSANE. It's a DOG, people. You can absolutely love a dog like a child and have it be part of your family, but it's not your DAUGHTER. That is just fifty shades of weird.

[rhys]

Makemelaugh, Daymond was casting aspersions on denim cuz it doesn't wear out. He wants to invest in wearables that get torn, fade, ripped up in ;90 days so he can sell more.

[LittleIggy]

I call my cats my babies, but I would never refer to them as my two sons and my daughter!

[Eolivet]

Yeah, I find the "dogs as children" idea utterly bizarre. I knew couples without kids whose parents would refer to their dogs as their "grand-dogs" -- I thought that was cute. But that's at least acknowledging they are in fact dogs.

And what happens if that couple has kids? Imagine the confusion! "We took our daughter out to play today." "....Which daughter is that? Two-legged or four-legged?"

I'm usually not Team Lori for anything, but I thought Robert was unbelievably rude when Lori said she had cats and he said "Ew." Cats are pets, too, Robert -- like it or not.

[hkit]

Future Barbell clothing customer checking in. Believe me, this is a pain point for me and a constant topic I discuss with other ladies at my gym. If you have an athletic cut as a woman, it is almost impossible to find clothes that fit. I don't even consider myself that muscular, but I do have some definition, especially my calves. The problem we have is proportion. My thighs and calves feel better in a size 8, but my waist is a size 4. For nice slacks that I wear to work, I get them tailored. But for jeans, I end up having to wear something that I cinch up at the waist with my belt. I feel self conscious that they may ride low and the world will see London and France every time I bend over.  I'm not in love with their styles or the price point, but they have hit my insecurity so I'm in. 

I hope they expand to tops as well. Women's fashion is even less friendly to arms and shoulders that are muscular. 

[Wings]

Blue Green Algae was a huge fad in the 90s. I am shocked she didn't know that. The craze faded when most realized it did nothing and had bad skin reactions to it after taking it for a long time. 

[ClareWalks]

7 hours ago, hkit said:

 

Future Barbell clothing customer checking in. Believe me, this is a pain point for me and a constant topic I discuss with other ladies at my gym. If you have an athletic cut as a woman, it is almost impossible to find clothes that fit. I don't even consider myself that muscular, but I do have some definition, especially my calves.

 

Oh my lord, this is a huge problem with shorts, too. To buy shorts that fit my jacked thighs I need a size 10, but then it's falling off my waist/ass. For some reason clothing manufacturers think that women everywhere have a wide waist, no butt, and teeny stick-figure thighs. Nobody looks like that, except Humpty Dumpty, and he is fictional and a man.

Edited November 20, 2016 by ClareWalks

[cooksdelight]

On 11/18/2016 at 10:53 PM, WhosThatGirl said:

I'm surprised they never brought up Bark Box as well as it's the same thing. The only difference being that the box features on tonight's episode said they have ages and I think Bark Box doesn't care, but not one of the sharks mentioned that a popular product already exists.

As astute and on point as the Sharks pretend to be, my bet is that none of them are as smart as they want us to think they are. Bark Box is a huge company and the product pitched on this show is a cheap knockoff using puppies as lures.

Speaking of which, that fisherman dude needed to use his little gizmo as a "catch all, snip all" type of product. Not just for fishing line, but for anyone, any age, women and grannies, who need to snip a thread. He really missed the boat. Yes, all puns intended. :)

[lh25]

Add me to the "that dog is not your daughter" group.  I say this as a person who has no kids, and at one point we had 5 cats.  Yes, I call myself their mommy, but I'm aware they are not my sons and daughters. 

The sharks, esp. Mark Cuban, were easier on the algae lady then I expected.  Once she started talking about it shrinking tumors and killing cancer and all her other claims.

[Lola16]

Algae lady -those glasses. Was the glass clear? Was it a prop to look smart? The small lens in comparison to the thick frames. I was fascinated by them. But yes, another snake oil salesman.

I get Daymond's point on denim wearing out but who owns 1 pair and waits for it to wear out? Not people buying at $150 or more a pair.

[marny]

17 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I was annoyed that their big poster for men's jeans had a woman in a swimsuit. Why not a guy with ripped abs?

The Barbell poster of the woman wasn't a woman in a swimsuit-- she was wearing jeans in that same beige color the guy was wearing.  I thought she was bottomless at first too, but when they showed the poster again, I could see that she had jeans on.  They sell women's jeans too.  Unfortunately, the color was pretty unfortunate.

[theatremouse]

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Speaking of which, that fisherman dude needed to use his little gizmo as a "catch all, snip all" type of product. Not just for fishing line, but for anyone, any age, women and grannies, who need to snip a thread. He really missed the boat. Yes, all puns intended. :)

He seemed to be going the route of two distinct items: one for fishing, one for crafting/sewing/etc. One of his posters in the background had a spool of thread and a slightly different name. So I assumed that was him trying to be "a company not a product" by marketing the ring thingies as separate products. I would not be surprised if they were really identical, but who knows. Maybe he did do something slightly different with the sewing one to prevent frayed/poofy edges.

[nlkm9]

Blue Green Algae was a huge fad in the 90s. I am shocked she didn't know that. The craze faded when most realized it did nothing and had bad skin reactions to it after taking it for a long time. 

yep I remember it well, back then we didnt have the internet for "fact checking". as I watched her I thought "she must have overdosed on it. and seriously calling the one "skinny bits"? totally irresponsible.

[questionfear]

I have known about the barbell guys for quite a while, though I haven't tried them yet. One warning: their ads show lots of booty ads, so beware if you look at work. 

[DocTerv]

Yeah, I find the "dogs as children" idea utterly bizarre. I knew couples without kids whose parents would refer to their dogs as their "grand-dogs" -- I thought that was cute. But that's at least acknowledging they are in fact dogs.

And what happens if that couple has kids? Imagine the confusion! "We took our daughter out to play today." "....Which daughter is that? Two-legged or four-legged?"

I'm usually not Team Lori for anything, but I thought Robert was unbelievably rude when Lori said she had cats and he said "Ew." Cats are pets, too, Robert -- like it or not.

When couples like this have kids a large percentage of them suddenly become helicopter parents and the dog, once their "precious furbaby (gag)", gets dropped like a pile of molted dog hair. Their onetime canine daughter gets relegated to the backyard and pretty much ignored. I see this scenario ALL the time.

Mr. DocTerv and I spent the whole segment saying "Barkbox? Anybody ever heard of Barbox?"

[zxy556575]

Well, I thought to myself, shorts already have fairly roomy thighs since the typical Bermuda or board shorts silhouette flares out a bit.

But no! Barbell actually put this on their site as an example of a great fit.

[ClareWalks]

50 minutes ago, lordonia said:

Well, I thought to myself, shorts already have fairly roomy thighs since the typical Bermuda or board shorts silhouette flares out a bit.

But no! Barbell actually put this on their site as an example of a great fit.

Dear Christ Jesus on the cross. HARD PASS.