A wall of wine bottles.
- Thread starter Packard
- Start date
demographic said:
I was at the National Hardware show in Chicago. It is one of the two largest trade shows in the USA. A guy was showing “Chip-Clips”, that allowed you lot re-seal a package of potato chips.
I thought it was the dumbest idea ever. You buy a bag of chips. You eat the chips. You throw out the bag. What’s the clip for?
Last year (I just looked this up) they sold 205 million dollars worth of bag clips. So I may have been mistaken.
You premise that you buy a bottle of wine, take it home, drink it. You kinda wonder what corks are for? [big grin]
woodbutcherbower
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Packard said:
I have a whole bunch of ChipClips. They're brilliant. As for potato chips - maybe some folks don't eat them all in one go - a big bag of tortillas lasts me for 3 or 4 chilli sessions. But they really come into their own in the freezer. Open a big bag of frozen peas, use some, and then clip the bag back together. Result - a freezer which isn't full of spilled peas.
FestitaMakool
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woodbutcherbower said:
No, no.. Heard of rubber bands? I’ve discarded the ever never to be found right size.. Two sizes and strengths of rubber bands solves any bag of normal household size. Roll and slip a band over. [wink]
I did learn that my evaluation of “the dumbest idea ever” was perhaps not accurate.
Interesting in the sense of that-really-pisses-off, at that same show I saw one of my never-patented inventions being displayed in a small booth.
When I was 18 years old, I was at Jones Beach. A windy day and one of the rented beach umbrellas took off rolling canopy over pole like a piece of tumble weed.
I judged from my location that one of those umbrellas was heading directly at a girl asleep on her stomach. I jumped up, grabbed her hand an pulled her out of the way just in time for the spike end of the umbrella went about 6” into the sand and through her blanket.
Of course she had undone her top to avoid any tan lines and she screamed at me, “You pig” for yanking her up topless.
I pointed to where the umbrella had pierced her blanket. She looked at it for a moment and then threw up, grabbed her stuff and left. (Never said “thank you”).
At any rate, I came up with the idea of a helix to the umbrella that would allow you to screw the umbrella into the sand. It would be easier to install and less likely to take off.
I wrote to Igloo (the cooler manufacturer) suggesting that they make this. They had a department that fielded ideas and promised to make compensation for any idea that they produced.
They wrote back that is was not suited for their product line. I forgot about it for 20 years. But there, at the National Hardware Show was a man and his wife showing my product. I walked over and asked, “Did you used to work for Igloo?” And he said, Yeah, how did I know.”
My design was far better. It included a tray that clamped on and also functioned as a handle for screwing it into the sand and a tray for drinks and food.
He never made a go of it, so maybe it was not a good idea. I have already established my lack of skill in evaluating “good ideas”. If I had been in charge, there never would have been any chip clip.
Interesting in the sense of that-really-pisses-off, at that same show I saw one of my never-patented inventions being displayed in a small booth.
When I was 18 years old, I was at Jones Beach. A windy day and one of the rented beach umbrellas took off rolling canopy over pole like a piece of tumble weed.
I judged from my location that one of those umbrellas was heading directly at a girl asleep on her stomach. I jumped up, grabbed her hand an pulled her out of the way just in time for the spike end of the umbrella went about 6” into the sand and through her blanket.
Of course she had undone her top to avoid any tan lines and she screamed at me, “You pig” for yanking her up topless.
I pointed to where the umbrella had pierced her blanket. She looked at it for a moment and then threw up, grabbed her stuff and left. (Never said “thank you”).
At any rate, I came up with the idea of a helix to the umbrella that would allow you to screw the umbrella into the sand. It would be easier to install and less likely to take off.
I wrote to Igloo (the cooler manufacturer) suggesting that they make this. They had a department that fielded ideas and promised to make compensation for any idea that they produced.
They wrote back that is was not suited for their product line. I forgot about it for 20 years. But there, at the National Hardware Show was a man and his wife showing my product. I walked over and asked, “Did you used to work for Igloo?” And he said, Yeah, how did I know.”
My design was far better. It included a tray that clamped on and also functioned as a handle for screwing it into the sand and a tray for drinks and food.
He never made a go of it, so maybe it was not a good idea. I have already established my lack of skill in evaluating “good ideas”. If I had been in charge, there never would have been any chip clip.
