lulz: sharper image files files for chapter 11

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,413
1,570
126
ionic breeze = epic fail

Sharper Image Corp., the seller of $300 electric shavers and $1,999 massage chairs, filed for bankruptcy protection, saying it was running low on cash.

The retailer will shed 90 of its 183 stores and is seeking a $60 million loan from Wells Fargo & Co. San Francisco-based Sharper Image plunged as much as 80 percent in Nasdaq trading.

``Sharper Image is in a severe liquidity crisis,'' Rebecca Roedell, chief financial officer of San Francisco-based Sharper Image, said in court papers filed last night in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. ``The foregoing has been compounded by the ever-tightening and volatile credit and financing markets.''

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Whoops, forgot the epic lulz

Consumer Reports first busted the expensive "Ionic Breeze" air fresheners for being ineffective and potentially dangerous back in 2003, at which time Sharper Image sued the organization unsuccessfully, finally giving up and paying court-ordered attorneys' fees and costs totaling $525,000. More recently, the Sharper Image lost a class action lawsuit in which plaintiffs claimed that Consumer Reports was correct when it found that the air filters provided "almost no measurable reduction in airborne particles." A judge recently threw out a proposed settlement in which consumers who bought the expensive air filter would receive a $19 coupon.
 

effowe

Diamond Member
Nov 1, 2004
6,021
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81
Not to be that guy, but you spelled sharper wrong in the title.

And I owned an Ionic breeze. One of my friends worked there so I was able to get it for half price, thought it was a good deal. The thing worked for a little bit but got so dirty (was hard to clean) and would make all sorts of buzzing noises. I just ended up unplugging it after a couple months and it's been sitting in my closet since.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
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Nov 30, 2005
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The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT
 

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
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Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

QFT. IMO, same story for Brookstone.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,413
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Originally posted by: dman
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

QFT. IMO, same story for Brookstone.

At least brookstone has some remotely cool stuff. Sharper image just feels like it's trying to gouge you.
 

legoman666

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2003
3,629
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Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

Same goes for their catalogue. I'd browse through it every now and then, look at a few items, say cool, and I never bought a single thing.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,137
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Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

I'm not sure where else I would go if I wanted to spend $2,000 on a life sized Spiderman statue.
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
WTF! They were only going to get $19 in compensation for buying a $300 door stop, and even that was thrown out??
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,219
8
81
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

I'm not sure where else I would go if I wanted to spend $2,000 on a life sized Spiderman statue.

waiting for liquidation $20 life sized spiderman
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,235
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Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

I'm not sure where else I would go if I wanted to spend $2,000 on a life sized Spiderman statue.

Hopefully there will be an auction of that crap so you can get it for half-off.

KT
 

V00DOO

Diamond Member
Dec 2, 2000
3,817
2
81
Noo.. Now I can't redeem my Discover Card's rewards which double in Sharper Image GC. I better use their GC now before they close doors.
 

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
Aug 24, 2001
31,796
2
0
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

I'm not sure where else I would go if I wanted to spend $2,000 on a life sized Spiderman statue.

Hopefully there will be an auction of that crap so you can get it for half-off.

KT

It'll still be overpriced at half-off.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,885
2,125
126
Why didn't this store make it? It was such a great business model! Sell gadgets at 10x the price that other stores are selling them for- therefore you don't have to sell as many to make a lot of money! HOW DID THIS NOT WORK?????
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,413
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Originally posted by: pontifex
hmm...i think a guy here at work has/had one on his office.

a guy here at work DOES have one in his office! it's a smaller one too, he leaves it next to his desk. I laugh at him when he cleans it out.
 

Drakkon

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
8,401
1
0
The store near me was having a 25-50% off sale last week...wonder if that was a result of whats happening?
Either way things were still WAY overpriced at 50% off...i mean a nose hair trimmer for $50? really?
 

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
145
106
www.neftastic.com
See, now what's up with that. They can file for bankruptcy and ask for a 60 million dollar loan, while an average joe can't even get a loan if they have something in collection. WTF.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,583
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Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
The stores are always busy with people wandering around and trying things out, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone actually purchase anything there.

KT

I'm not sure where else I would go if I wanted to spend $2,000 on a life sized Spiderman statue.

exactly
:thumbsup:
 

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
16,572
6
81
www.chicagopipeband.com
I was recently browsing my Craigslist Wanted section and found an add looking for a rollaway keyboard "like the ones they have at Sharper Image." I emailed the guy and told him to save his money and get one for $20 at Micro Center. He replied saying thanks very much!