Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

^We all eat insects every day and don't realize it. They are inadvertently included in all sorts of foods. However, I wouldn't pay $2.99 for a chocolate bar (or whatever the hell it was) made of crickets. What for?
Funny double-entendre name, but the thing is, that item doesn't do anything I can't do by running some water through my hair with my, um, hands, which I do every morning.

As for the e-textbook rental, it's an excellent concept for heavily indebted students, but what a ripoff at their proposed cost! Paper textbooks are enough of a scam as is. This is even worse.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I'm curious what's to stop someone from renting a book for a day and then just copying every page (at worse case just Print Screen-ing everything) thereby getting everything they need for $5?

And the cricket bar just seems like a gimmick. Something that people will try once just to say they tried it. I checked out the website, and you only get 8g of protein with it. You can literally get similar bars with twice that for the same price and no insects.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I think the best case scenario with the cricket bar is hoping it catches fire as a fad amongst hipsters and wealthy greens. The American public is not clamoring for a bar made out of insects.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

True, but they probably have some safeguard against that. I can't imagine what it is, but that eventuality must have occurred to them. It didn't to me, but I'm not a tech wizard.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Thursday and Friday this week.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

That last episode was Meh but I think my wife is going to buy 2 monkey mats. She checked the site and they already dropped the price to $20 and had way more colors. :lol:

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I didn't think the money mat would get a deal. But, when they did with Mark and Lori you knew they'd correct the issues they were having.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

When he was explaining the bars I thought the big deal was that it was cheaper than normal protein bars, and you get more protein. If what you say is true, I really have no idea what the point of his bar is.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Just a reminder that there's a new episode tonight at 8pm est.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Wow, those sign guys really lucked out with the battle of the sexes :lol:

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I liked the Thursday show better.

Who whoulda known that Mr Wonderful loved Choo choo trains?

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

They definitely saved very interesting pitches for the Thursday episode. I wonder if they are testing it out on a different night to see if the ratings would improve?

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Interesting fact on sprinklers -- never knew that usually only one goes off. I guess that makes sense though.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I missed the beginning of that segment. Did he say what modern sprinklers use? I know they used to use a thin strip of solder on each sprinkler head that would melt when heated. So only sprinklers that were overhead the fire would release. It would be a pet peeve of mine in movies and tv shows that would show all sprinklers going off at the same time.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Not in that detail, but he said that only the sprinkler closest to the heat source is activated (and only one usually in false alarms).

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

is there a way to stream the new episodes easily online? i show the old eps to my Economics class and they are fascinated. some anyway ;)

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Interesting that they acted as though this was a special two-parter event, battle of the sexes, and then Friday's episode aired with a different Shark lineup, and only one woman as a result. Really a weird promotional event/stunt, all the more the way it was executed.

Also, I haven't kept up with this at all, but did they ever resolve/make changes to the 'Producers automatically get 5% equity in compensation for appearing on the show, irrespective of any deal being made"? I know when last I posted here, folks linked to articles indicating changes were on the way, so I'd be curious if that happened yet. Absent that, I really don't see how they can prevent folks from using Shark Tank as a 15 minute commercial viewed by millions with absolutely no intention whatsoever of making any kind of deal.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Posted a couple pages back:

http://dmagazine.com/publications/d-...cuban?single=1

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Was surprised the Fireman didn't get a deal. But Kevin and Lori's offer was pretty ridiculous. They said they would need to do all the work to market the product. But, it would be a pretty difficult product to sell on QVC.

Did not like the Online Music teacher proposal at all. Does not seem marketable and the price point of $23 was pretty ridiculous. Kevin made a good point about the price and someone of a higher caliber should be able to charge more for their time.

The gay couple got lucky. I didn't think the train idea would be that appealing to the Sharks.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

ABC.com has them, but you need to log in through your provider.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Interesting... so no replacement, then, just removed it entirely? I've got to imagine this'll lead to more folks hawking their product with no intention of giving up equity. As much as they might be able to weed some out by ensuring the deal they ask for initially isn't insane/unreasonable, they can't do anything to stop somebody coming on and being either so disingenuous/slimy, or simply acting idiotic and incompetent, as to scare all the sharks away.

While I agreed with Cuban that the producers automatic equity had its share of problems, I'm not sure simply doing away with it was the best answer, and that it doesn't create a whole new set of issues which we might start to see pop up next season.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

What I don't get is why the show-opening voiceover says the entrepreneurs have to get everything they ask for or get nothing at all. Certainly there have been deals for less than their ask.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Yea, but there is no guarantee that they will even show you. If you had some unrealistic demands or came on, and didn't look interested in any deal, you probably would make the air.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Wife bought 2 monkey mats tonight. They should be good for our upcoming beach trip soon.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

The Happy Feet product is the first thing in five years that I'm actually interested in buying.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

That one was a head-scratcher for me. Most trains (and other such set-ups) I see in malls are there so the kids can ride while the parents wait and watch. This train seems to be a deal where you drop your kids off and they go riding around the mall while the parents go shop. They're one kidnapping away from a huge lawsuit. :)

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I actually saw this at Arundel Mills mall in Maryland a few months ago, it seemed like the kids who were riding it had a parent with them. Still, you'd definitely have to run a background check on the guy riding the train to make sure he wasn't a sex offender!

It was a pretty clever idea, but I was surprised to see the Sharks invest, I think their original idea was correct that it was a good cash flow business, but not really scalable and not anything that they could add a lot of value to. Maybe Lori's right and they could add a dining car or sell some ads on the side. Also, could be a good holiday business, probably be really popular at Xmas.

I sort of wonder why they were so desperate for money, if it had such a quick payback, the business should be close to self financing. What they really should do is just sell franchises, because someone has to manage it locally, but probably anyone could buy those trains on their own.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I echo the comments above me, but this really wasn't a headscratcher for me at all - only the fact Kevin was the investor. It's a great idea, assuming property owners allow a third party to set up residence for this type of thing... which, clearly, many malls already have

It isn't even the "Whee, kids! Ride around in my van... err, 'special' cars!' My experience is limited to the DC area, as I don't do much/any traveling, but it depends on what the typical mall layout is like across the country - for a mall like Tyson's Corner? My god, from one end to the other is a ridiculous walk/journey. For other malls, either with less linear layouts or more floors, not so much. But I don't have a kid, and if I was having a bad day, wanted to shop at the Apple Store and the book store both (opposite ends), I could absolutely see paying these blokes and going "Choo choo!" to save on time/energy. The same way I could see anyone with health problems/older in age doing likewise.

Then you add the kid factor on top of it, and once the train is paid off it's basically all gravy (Besides paying driver his wage, assuming it's not largely a tip-based position). It really, really isn't that bad of a business. Kids want to do it, parents get the kids out of their hair for a little bit, get a breather by sitting down for a while, and possibly also utilize as transportation to their next shopping destination? Good business. Then, theme parks? You could even drop the train motif, and go with park branding - Six Flags, you've got the Bat-Mobile/Bat-Train.

So it's like Kevin said, exactly like he said - this ain't ever going to be big potatoes, but it is what it is, it fills a niche, and it has the likelihood of being profitable barring total catastrophe. Add in flexible pricing/malls at the holidays, and you could probably buy the damn train doing just one month of business.

Now then, back to what I was commenting on: Them not showing guys in it just for themselves/publicity? Well, they absolutely have in the past. The one that really springs to mind was the asshole with the jacket with wires! (Patent for clothing with wires inside, for mobile devices and crap) They've shown several in a similar vein, outrageous requests and clearly there for publicity only. Whether that'll change now producers don't have financial incentive to show any and all participants on the show, we'll see. Personally, I suspect we'll clearly witness implications of this come the fall and the start of the new seasons/first batch of participants that came into casting with this alteration in place already.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Reading this again after I posted, you do raise an interesting point I don't think they brought up... The source of these train cars. If those guys are just buying them from Joe Blow in China, their business is utterly pointless to invest in. Anybody could just buy the cars, go to a mall manager, and hire some high school kid at minimum wage. I have to believe, or at least hope, they manufacture the cars themselves or else have a patent of some sorts. I also have to believe this was discussed and cut from the show, given Kevin is always the one threatening to open up the Mr. Wonderful Brand for businesses without a patent/unique exclusivity, yet here he was the one to invest.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

A quick google search shows they are not the only company to do this nor are they the only company to be called Fun Time Express. I'm still scratching my head over this one. When the mall is really busy, I can't see these trains having much room to operate.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Well, if other companies are utilizing the exact same vehicles... definite head scratcher, and a horrible business to invest in.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

It was a charity case, the Sharks occasionally help out a minority/disadvantaged group business for goodwill with the audience. I don't think Kevin would have invested a single dollar into the train business outside of the show. It's not a scalable business at all and there was nothing proprietary about it.

If you go through the show's history, a good 10-20% of the accepted deals are largely based on a business owner's gender/race/emigration status/whatever. This is a television show designed for entertainment, business is always a secondary consideration no matter how sophisticated the sharks make it sound. I wonder how much the producers lean on the sharks to pick certain proposals.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Yeah it looks like they are buying them from this place

http://tracklesstrains.com/#!/main_page

It turns out the Arundel Mills site isn't theirs--they have 8 locations in the midwest. One thing about Arundel Mills is that it is circular, so probably better somewhat better suited to the concept, don't know about the layouts of the malls they have. If they are linear, I would imagine that you might have to have 2 charging stations at opposite ends of the mall.

www.funtimeexpress.com

Looks like a tough place to work for--200 question psych test(!), 40 hours of training(at minimum wage), be able to push 80-100 lbs, fix the train if necessary, have to pass a written and driving test, and you have a sales quota.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Kevin is the king of licensing. He has bought a bunch of ideas with the goal of licensing such as the tea guys that sold to Jamba Juice or that jewelry guy that he got with Barbara. It was only $62,500 for him for the train so I doubt he cared too much plus the owners offered to payback 100% of the investment with their profits. Kevin knew it was a good deal since the business was profitable so he would probably get his investment back and get a return on his investment with low risk.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

... Holy crap at your listed job requirements. Holy. Crap. Uhh, why not just require all drivers to have been railroad conductors for at least five years time, plus have a pilots license, plus, at the very least, being a registered nurse (and preferably a medical doctor) in case you run somebody over with the "Choo-Choo!" fun time express?

And for minimum wage...? I'm surprised they don't just make the drivers survive off of tips alone. Ridiculousness, thy name is the choo-choo fun time express.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

It looks like you have the option to be your own operator. You could probably make more than minimum wage that way. I also noticed that they are still looking for investors. They might not have updated the website but I find that a bit funny.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

3 out of the 5 Sharks out after tasting that chocolate coffee :lol:

Didn't like the obstacle course/bull run dudes.

Can't believe Barbara went in with that douchebag pill pusher.

The bow tie kid was the oldest 11 year old I've ever seen :lol: Good kid :up:

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Barbara making a deal with the Cerebral Success guy has to rank with one of the worst deals I've seen on this show. And if you think his presentation was bad, his website where he sells it is even worse. Just try reading through all the doubletalk and BS without rolling your eyes.

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

I had no problems with the supplement itself, but its price was obscene. Did I really hear it correctly, that it was costing $10 a bottle and he was selling them for $70?

Re: Shark Tank (ABC) -- Series Thread Part II
 

Can't believe it either. But she did have that great gem about the drink:
"I think you're screwed. I'm out." rotfl

I love how Cuban got Robert to go up on the adventure dudes and then jumped right in with the Robert's previous offer. :lol: