As On TV?

We *Heart* the Pillow Pet!
I'm a sucker for those late-night commercials that fill the empty air waves.  I've spent many a lonely night feeding a baby, eating crackers, and wishing I could sleep; instead of getting shut-eye, however, I end up watching the most amazing product demos, thinking that my life would somehow be easier with these as-seen-on-TV products.  But would it really be?

Take for example, the our review of the Space Bag.  In theory, these little vacuum bags would have saved me lost space and sanity.  They leaked, however, allowing air into the bags within days of sealing things up, and causing chaos in my closets.  We found the cheaper versions sold at the dollar store to work much better (and they were NEVER advertised on TV.)

Then there was the Magic Bullet, which I reviewed for a tech piece I did over at Tom's Guide.  I was dismayed to find that the little gizmo had little more pureeing power than the $4 mini chopper I bought at Walmart on Black Friday 5 years ago --- only this "must have" item cost over $50 and cluttered up my cabinet with dozens of rings, handles, and add-ons.  If I hadn't been reimbursed by my editor for the purchase, I would have felt ripped off.

There have been a few items that have been pleasantly surprising:  Take, for instance the Slender Tone Flex Go Abdominal Toning System, which sends little shocks through your stomach, forcing them to contract (it's creepy to use, but it works.)  We also enjoyed the Pillow Pet, my 4-year-old's new best friend; it is found in stores everywhere, but was first introduced into our hearts with its annoying infomercial theme song.

Over the years, I have resisted the urge to buy many products that weren't quite in person as on TV.  I later learned, by reading many reviews, that it was for the best.  If nothing else, I save an egregious amount of money by buying from my favorite stores and not paying the ridiculous processing and handling fees.

What items do you wish you could buy from the infomercials?  Do you have an as-seen-on-TV weakness?

*If there is a product that you are dying to know if it is as good in person as on TV, let us know!  We'll review it!

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