Sharper Image Files For Bankruptcy

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The Sharper Image has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing declining sales, years of losses and litigation involving its Ionic Breeze air purifiers. Now where will I get my battery powered socks?

The San Francisco-based company filed for protection late Tuesday in U.S. bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware. Sharper Image said it had $251.5 million in assets and $199 million in debt as of January 31, according to the filing. Cash on hand totaled about $700,000.
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Expensive Novelty Gizmo's are a tough sell when consumer staple costs have skyrocketed over the last few years, reducing everyone's disposable income.
 
TheBluePill said:
Expensive Novelty Gizmo's are a tough sell when consumer staple costs have skyrocketed over the last few years, reducing everyone's disposable income.
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Not to mention the job and housing crisis.
 
I honestly don't know how people bought into that stuff to begin with.
 
Ockie said:
Not to mention the job and housing crisis.
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QFT. Its a tough out there right now for a lot of middle and lower income folks.. Hell.. Even some higher income people are really feeling the squeeze when $100K of equity they borrowed against on that "used-to-be" $400K home evaporated overnight.
 
Novelty items and the lawsuits did hurt, especially the lawsuits. The Ionic Breeze was hurting the very people they were targetting for it to help. They tried to fix it but the damage was done and I don't know if their fix really worked and the prices were really high. Then the cheap knock offs started showing up.
 
Three CEO's in 17 months...getting 550k a year...all whle the company was loosing money 3+ years...I wonder who actually sat down and did the numbers. :confused:
 
A whole business model based on selling overpriced, mostly-useless electronic devices to people with more disposable income than is good for them...no, that's not a recipe for failure. No one could have predicted this decline at all.

With luck, they'll shut down their retail stores and make room for something actually useful at the local mall.
 
Holy crap! What am I going to do!? You people just don't realize that a good pair of combination nose hair trimmers, am/fm radio, universal remote, led key-chain light and 128mb USB storage just don't grow on trees!

Don't even get me started if you want the tire pressure gauge attachment. Ugh.
 
PopeKevinI said:
With luck, they'll shut down their retail stores and make room for something actually useful at the local mall.
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From my experience, there is nothing ever useful at a local mall :p
 
Hi,

PopeKevinI said:
A whole business model based on selling overpriced, mostly-useless electronic devices to people with more disposable income than is good for them...no, that's not a recipe for failure. No one could have predicted this decline at all.

With luck, they'll shut down their retail stores and make room for something actually useful at the local mall.
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lol... Several years ago the local mall started revamping itself to make sure it only had "brand name" places there to attract the "new found wealth" types. There was a big article in the paper about how upscale shops are the only places being considered. There was remodeling of the mall to make it more appealing. They brought in stores like Sharper Image and such to bolster the new image while getting rid of some of the smaller places.

Recently there was another article in the paper stating due to the economy they do not know how many more stores are going to be around. They are throttling back on some of the development and remodeling. Now with places like the Sharper Image and who knows who else going to go out of business. All I know is the Bonazi Tree place and the pet novelty shops are alway going out of business. They generally relocate to the other side of the mall every 6 months. :)

As for shaper image, wow just wow. I would have never guessed cause every time I walked in there I just could not see the need for some things. Rule of thumb, if it is in the Sky Mall magazine, chances are it is not for you in my book. I think the cheapest place is Tiger Direct. Even they push their most expensive items in it.

later,
shaggy
 
yodafunk said:
Holy crap! What am I going to do!? You people just don't realize that a good pair of combination nose hair trimmers, am/fm radio, universal remote, led key-chain light and 128mb USB storage just don't grow on trees!

Don't even get me started if you want the tire pressure gauge attachment. Ugh.
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Don't forget the breathalyzer attachment that can be used when the tire pressure gauge is not being utilized.
 
Sharper Image always had a glitzy type of marketing style, but when you realize that 90% of the stuff they sold was cheap overpriced chinese glossy crap, it didn't take long for them to eat it. They Ionic Breeze was bullshit and they got nailed in a truth in advertising squeeze. Period.
 
Term-X said:
I honestly don't know how people bought into that stuff to begin with.
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They have devices you won't normally find in many other places. I'm hearing impaired and Sharper Image has some neat stuff for me. I could just go to an audiologist and ask them, but they tend to charge up the ass on electronics I need. Sharper Image may be expensive, but it's not as expensive as buying from a specialist.
 
OH CRAP!! I better return my Toilet that connects to a Ethernet Jack that can lookup information from Wikipedia and read it to me in the voice of Rosie O'Donnell while making me Coffee and playing me music from my iPod. I hope they don't mind me returning it a little bit used.
 
Hey, I bought a flashlight from them that was so kickass that my landlord of all people stole it from me. It was only $30, but it was a combination rechargable flashlight/worklamp...the worklamp was a CCFL unit....it was just awesome.

True, most of their stuff is utter grabage, but they had a few really nice items for sale. Their Taxi wallets for example....practical, reasonably priced...but they had too many fru-fru items that screwed them over, like fancypants stereos that was really a glorified boombox.

The spa showerhead was a good one...hell Target sold that same one for the same price for a while...I bought one and it's awesome for one reason....it never clogs.

Honestly, those folks were just piss poor gadget hounds. They found gadgets, but not enough of the right ones.
 
Kibbles said:
Three CEO's in 17 months...getting 550k a year...all whle the company was loosing money 3+ years...I wonder who actually sat down and did the numbers. :confused:
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That is how big corporations run these days. The company may be hemorraging money but you can bet the execs will still be getting huge raises and company paid vacations.

The Sharper Image catalogue was good for a laugh but most of it was junk.
 
I always enjoyed window-shopping at Sharper Image, but the only thing I ever bought were gel insoles for my dad's shoes. In 1990. Frankly, I'm amazed they've remained in business this long.
 
The only thing I REALLY wanted at the one I used to go to was a Suit of Armor, way to much for me but I still wanted it

To many economy hits over the years + not enough "cheap enough" products that people HAD to have
 
I found some of their trinkets interesting, but horribly overpriced so I never bought any of it.

I'm a sucker for gimmicks (the "As Seen On TV" rack at CVS is usually my first stopping point when I go in to my CVS for something else :)

All in all, the majority of it is a big disappointment and a pass.

The only high-tech gizmo that really has ever impressed me are my Roomba and Scooba robots.
 
mustang_steve said:
Hey, I bought a flashlight from them that was so kickass that my landlord of all people stole it from me. It was only $30, but it was a combination rechargable flashlight/worklamp...the worklamp was a CCFL unit....it was just awesome..
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Which one was it?
I looked at their site and did not find one like that, sounded interesting.

I did see a small magnetic LED light for 13, but looking around there is a magnetic gooseneck led/laser at jackstoolshed for $3
 
Sharper image sold air filters you can buy anywhere else for practically nothing, for almost as much as I paid for my laptop... Yet, they used the same cheesy generic tv commercials as anyone else selling crap on tv. But, I enjoyed their commercials. It always had a common theme: Upbeat MIDI 1980s music kicks in, black and white scene with old people using a shoe to open a can of tuna at about 2 frames/sec... frustraited, as if they had no idea of why it wouldnt work. Annoying voice announcer comes in, and saves the day... Anyone here remember the Juice-loosener, off simpsons? (season 4?). Ah... much like sharper image.

Although, compusa, and now sharper image... They both had it coming, but at least the latter offered some interesting products and good customer support (ass-kissing, making you feel as if you actually are welcome to make a purchase) in the store.

Azhar said:
They have devices you won't normally find in many other places. I'm hearing impaired and Sharper Image has some neat stuff for me.
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If you are talking about the "Audio-EX" personal audio amplifier for two easy payments of 19.95 or whatever it was, they have something like that at walmart, radioshack, walgreens, target, ebay, etc etc etc for about $9.

Although, I wonder... if it wasnt for companies like sharper images, would we still see this mass of cheap "maiden of china" for a fraction of the cost of the brand-name?
 
Well, looks like Brookstone is the only place in my area I can get free massages from chairs now.
 
ssratt said:
Which one was it?
I looked at their site and did not find one like that, sounded interesting.

I did see a small magnetic LED light for 13, but looking around there is a magnetic gooseneck led/laser at jackstoolshed for $3
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I bought this one back in 2002...it "vanished" in 2004....in 2005 one of my ex-roomates asked me why I gave the landlord my light....i loled.
 
TheBluePill said:
+1

Not to get off Topic, but if you have $300 to spend on a NICE flash light, WickedLasers now sells a 4,100 lumen rechargable! (Yes, You can spend THOUSANDS on flashlights)
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And my current Dorcy brand 1w luxeon light was only $21....and small enough to keep in my jean's watch pocket while at work. Pure win.
 
mustang_steve said:
And my current Dorcy brand 1w luxeon light was only $21....and small enough to keep in my jean's watch pocket while at work. Pure win.
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Got one of those too.. The Streamlight Stinger 4AA 1w Luxeon is a Dream Light for under $30, It has an artifact free cone of light that is VERY usable and a long battery life.

I built a 200 lumen torch out of a Maglight 4D and a Cree Emiter about a year ago.. talk about a Throw Monster! Light up tree-tops at 400 yards easily.

Check out Fenix Lights if you want a GREAT high lumen pocket light without breaking the bank.
 
The only thing I REALLY wanted at the one I used to go to was a Suit of Armor, way to much for me but I still wanted it
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My grandfather bought one back in 1982, when I was 8. Its still sitting in his basement, next to the rack of civil war rifles.

You didn't miss out on much, it was poorly made, and looks REALLY cheap up close. I remember being totally disapointed with it, even as a kid. It looked like real armor in the catelog, but its just paper-thin pot-metal with a painted on patina.

That said, thier nose hair trimmers are of top-notch quality. (take it from a guy who has owned a few over the years)
 
TheBluePill said:
Got one of those too.. The Streamlight Stinger 4AA 1w Luxeon is a Dream Light for under $30, It has an artifact free cone of light that is VERY usable and a long battery life.

I built a 200 lumen torch out of a Maglight 4D and a Cree Emiter about a year ago.. talk about a Throw Monster! Light up tree-tops at 400 yards easily.

Check out Fenix Lights if you want a GREAT high lumen pocket light without breaking the bank.
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I'm fine with this one...I just use it at work to see inside of the hardware (some of these routers are the size of a refrigerator), or in the back of test chambers. The only complaint I've had of it is a power switch/endcap contact issue that I'm going to fix this weekend with some solder.

Actually....maybe if Sharper Image focued on quality flashlights, multitools, interesting call phone holders, and other practical devices they may have still been afloat now.
 
mustang_steve said:
I'm fine with this one...I just use it at work to see inside of the hardware (some of these routers are the size of a refrigerator), or in the back of test chambers. The only complaint I've had of it is a power switch/endcap contact issue that I'm going to fix this weekend with some solder.

Actually....maybe if Sharper Image focued on quality flashlights, multitools, interesting call phone holders, and other practical devices they may have still been afloat now.
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True.

They thought they hit Paydirt with those Air Cleaners until someone realized the ozone created by them was 6-times the OSHA-safe Level. (They creat 300ppb!)
 
yea, I ditched the "air cleaner" when I found out about the ozone production.
 
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