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heydude
12-20-12, 2:53am
I recently have been watching the Home Shopping Network.

I am not sure if it is like a train wreck that you just have to stop and watch -or- if it is so foreign and odd that I just have to see!

There is something so unique in that...

no matter what the product....how stupid it is, or how little need you have for it, THEY SEEM TO MAKE EVERYTHING SEEM LIKE YOU NEED IT! OR THAT IT IS THE BEST THING EVER!

the hosts are always so good at talking and mentioning every little thing that could be a reason you need it / creating a culture behind it.

they always have 5 colors to choose from (no matter what the product) so you feel like you are making a special choice.

they always try to create a sense of "this will be sold out!" as they are always talking about "if you are on the phone, we see you there in queque and you are garanteed at this moment to get one - we are looking at the numbers and making sure" etc.

also, the hosts feed off each other and sort of fight over who can talk next ---- like they have such a sense of urgency to be able to EXCLAIM TO ANOTHER (before the other one can) how cool the product is.

they really create a sense of wholeness and community or something, i don't know what. fake as all hell, but they do fill a need it seems with their huge over joy.

i mean, i'd love to see that over joy in real life about real things instead of all the negative we always get all over.

Wildflower
12-20-12, 3:27am
Are you talking about QVC? Yeah, they do a most amazing job of selling their products. Sometimes when I can't sleep late at night I watch it for fun....

That being said - I have purchased about 4 items from them in the past 8 years. A couple pair of Birkenstocks that were an amazing price - still wearing them, great quality. Another was a sweater that I'm still wearing - it is also great quality.
And the latest and greatest - is a Dyson vacuum cleaner, also at an amazing price. I am in love with my Dyson - it cleans up doggie hair like no other!!

So if you are very selective about what you might buy on QVC, like I am, you can't go wrong.... :)

And I might add that these were things that I needed, that I would have bought anyway, just got them at a better price on QVC. Free shipping as well. Although, they don't have free shipping on everything.

bunnys
12-20-12, 6:01am
Wildflower: Are you saying HSN no longer exists? It's all QVC?

I would have loved doing that for a job...

Wildflower
12-20-12, 6:38am
Wildflower: Are you saying HSN no longer exists? It's all QVC?

I would have loved doing that for a job...

I think HSN still exists, I just don't see it here, only QVC.

It might be a fun job, but I would have to truly believe in a product to sell it myself. I've always thought I could be a good salesperson if the product was awesome! :) Otherwise, I couldn't lie to people like a shady used car salesman. ;) LOL

puglogic
12-20-12, 10:46am
Wildflower, what Dyson did you get? I am vacuum shopping for the new year, and with three dogs now (one of them a pug, and I'm sure you sympathize....) getting a mac-daddy-hair-picker-upper would be swell.

iris lily
12-20-12, 11:00am
Ok--give up the details. I want a hand held vac to pick up dog & cat hairs on furniture. What is a good one, are these Dyson things hand held? Cost really is not a problem for me, but I've learned that high price stuff doesn't necessarily get the job done, I pay for bells and whistles I don't want.

catherine
12-20-12, 1:09pm
I DO NOT GET HSN or QVC. (I mean "get" as in "understand"--I do have both available on cable). Maybe because I'm in the land of the malls in NJ, have easy access to whatever I want, and don't need to spend time getting sucked into sales pitches. I really, really don't get it. If I want something, I research it online. I buy or I don't buy.

I watch junk TV, don't get me wrong. But I can't think of one enjoyable thing about turning on a channel and getting force-fed--no, even better, volunteering for--a sales pitch on an item I have no desire to own.

heydude
12-20-12, 4:59pm
i am talking about HSN, although QVC is the same enthusiasm, i am sure.

steve s
12-20-12, 7:16pm
My mom is hooked on QVC. The QVC host ladies look, ahem, like they are in rapture when they touch the product.

bunnys
12-20-12, 7:24pm
Wildflower: I have done a little selling in my past. And I mean a little. I am no saleswoman. But when you're selling, you can pretty much convince yourself of anything.

pony mom
12-20-12, 8:52pm
My coworker watches that all the time; the UPS man has told her he doesn't feel like he did a complete day of work if he doesn't deliver something to her every day.

She buys everything there and sometimes it's at a good price, but sometimes I can find it cheaper. Lots of handbags, jewelry, skincare----she's very high maintenance.

I've watched some QVC on and off if it's late at night and they can convince me that I need anything they're selling. Some really good ideas on there, like the swivel electrical sockets. Stupid things too, like vinyl things to help you fold your shirts easily; these stayind in your shirt, so you would need lots of them. Some really horribly tacky stuff for sale too.

Miss Cellane
12-20-12, 8:58pm
I have an Aged Relation who keeps one or another shopping channel on most of the time, just for background noise. So visits to her allow me to watch.

I have to say, some of the electronics they offer seem to have very good prices, and they are name brand electronics. Some of the stuff seems to be pure junk, or wishful thinking on someone's part. And I've never seen so many pricey leather handbags all at once, and people call in to say they are buying one and they already have 5 or 6 at home. Which, at those prices, would be about $2,000 invested in trendy handbags.

But I can see how people get sucked in. The hosts seem friendly and normal. They are clearly good salespeople. Ordinary people call in and tell the audience how much they looooovvvvveeee the product.

heydude
12-20-12, 11:14pm
i have to promote somethings somtimes at work and i can never lie about it. most of the time i tell them that they don't need it really, hehe. sometimes they buy it despite me saying that! hehe

Spartana
12-21-12, 2:54pm
I've only watched OVC or HSN a couple of times and each time they were selling dolls. Expensive, fancy, giant sized dolls in costumes from the 1800's. I get mega creeped out by dolls - especially those painted lady dolls - and after seeing how many they sold (thousands) in just a few minutes I got a Twilight Zone image of some middle aged woman's bedroom completely filled with all these dolls - heads swivelling around to stare at her with their blank black eyes as she coos over all of them. YIKES! Also saw them do some of the make-up ones and they were equally scary but for different reasons. And the seriously over zealous sales people also gave me the creeps. They were just like the dolls with their blank shark eyes and wide, wide grins with all those teeth! Never watched again!

heydude
12-21-12, 3:50pm
SPARTANA, DON'T YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH US?

PLEASE.

PLEASE.

COME AND PLAY!

JaneV2.0
12-21-12, 5:06pm
Hahaha! I've been fond of fashion dolls all my life and love a good doll show/sale, but an awful lot of dolls--especially porcelain ones, for some reason--are creepy in the way that clowns are. In a "possessed" kind of way. I've heard that a little holy water can keep them at bay. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/light_skin/biggrin.gif

I buy from both HSN.com and QVC.com--my last three computers from HSN, small appliances, Clarks shoes, and the occasional bauble from QVC. I've always been happy with products and service, but the high-pressure sales and requisite burbling and squealing give me a headache. If they have an item I'm interested in, I usually comparison shop with Amazon to see which has the best deal.

Wildflower
12-22-12, 3:18am
Wildflower, what Dyson did you get? I am vacuum shopping for the new year, and with three dogs now (one of them a pug, and I'm sure you sympathize....) getting a mac-daddy-hair-picker-upper would be swell.

Oh yes I do sympathize, as I have a pug too! :) They shed constantly, don't they! But they are the sweetest little buggers, so worth it, most days anyway... ;) I got the Dyson DC25 with the Ball Technology. Totally love it!

Wildflower
12-22-12, 3:22am
Ok--give up the details. I want a hand held vac to pick up dog & cat hairs on furniture. What is a good one, are these Dyson things hand held? Cost really is not a problem for me, but I've learned that high price stuff doesn't necessarily get the job done, I pay for bells and whistles I don't want.

Mine is an upright vacuum cleaner with all the attachments included. They do have Dyson handheld vacs too. Amazon has a variety of Dysons at good prices... They are not cheap, but get the job done, in my opinion...

Wildflower
12-22-12, 3:23am
I've only watched OVC or HSN a couple of times and each time they were selling dolls. Expensive, fancy, giant sized dolls in costumes from the 1800's. I get mega creeped out by dolls - especially those painted lady dolls - and after seeing how many they sold (thousands) in just a few minutes I got a Twilight Zone image of some middle aged woman's bedroom completely filled with all these dolls - heads swivelling around to stare at her with their blank black eyes as she coos over all of them. YIKES! Also saw them do some of the make-up ones and they were equally scary but for different reasons. And the seriously over zealous sales people also gave me the creeps. They were just like the dolls with their blank shark eyes and wide, wide grins with all those teeth! Never watched again!

LOL Spartana, those dolls are scary!! :0!

citrine
12-22-12, 10:04am
Get the Dyson...absolutely amazing if you have furbabies....one quick run through and you will be disgusted by what it picks up!

iris lily
12-22-12, 11:03am
Get the Dyson...absolutely amazing if you have furbabies....one quick run through and you will be disgusted by what it picks up!

Is this a floor vacuum? I need a recommendation for a hand held vac and assume there are Dysons, are they good?.

Spartana
12-22-12, 1:41pm
SPARTANA, DON'T YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH US?

PLEASE.

PLEASE.

COME AND PLAY!





AAAAAIIIIYYYEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Running and screaming in terror :0!:0!:0!

ToomuchStuff
12-23-12, 1:39am
I wish I could remember what it was, but I think I ordered something off one of them, years ago, for a gift. (was told something was going to be on, and it wasn't something I had a clue on)
I can't say I watch this, but have come across it when they show computers. I get a good laugh at what they are promoting (both product and price) then. I don't get it.

JaneV2.0
12-23-12, 2:01pm
I wish I could remember what it was, but I think I ordered something off one of them, years ago, for a gift. (was told something was going to be on, and it wasn't something I had a clue on)
I can't say I watch this, but have come across it when they show computers. I get a good laugh at what they are promoting (both product and price) then. I don't get it.

From what I can tell, between the two, they offer Dell, Gateway, Apple and Kindle Fire tablets and other top-selling brands at competitive prices. So I don't get what you don't get, but then I'm sending this along from a Gateway laptop I bought last year from HSN. :)

Spartana
12-23-12, 7:18pm
an awful lot of dolls--especially porcelain ones, for some reason--are creepy in the way that clowns are. In a "possessed" kind of way. I've heard that a little holy water can keep them at bay. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/light_skin/biggrin.gif
.

But the worst is clown dolls. Those with the big big grins and crazy painted faces. Remember "poltergiest"? Remember that clown doll? Tres creepy.

JaneV2.0
12-23-12, 7:24pm
But the worst is clown dolls. Those with the big big grins and crazy painted faces. Remember "poltergiest"? Remember that clown doll? Tres creepy.

Yes. Clown dolls. In a class all by themselves.

I haven't seen dolls for sale on either TV shopping website for years. Evolution at work!

mamalatte
12-23-12, 8:33pm
I like the idea of maybe buying something on QVC/HSN that you were already planning to buy if it is a good deal, but I don't get how that would work. Say you need a computer, do you just watch non-stop until one of the programs is a computer for sale? Or is there some sort of guide showing you when the computers are going to be on sale? How does it work?

JaneV2.0
12-23-12, 8:45pm
I like the idea of maybe buying something on QVC/HSN that you were already planning to buy if it is a good deal, but I don't get how that would work. Say you need a computer, do you just watch non-stop until one of the programs is a computer for sale? Or is there some sort of guide showing you when the computers are going to be on sale? How does it work?

They have guides on their websites, and you can sign up for alerts for specific brands. Also, you can watch video for some products on line on demand.

Miss Cellane
12-24-12, 6:46am
They have guides on their websites, and you can sign up for alerts for specific brands. Also, you can watch video for some products on line on demand.

This. From what I've seen, they package computers with different monitors, different amounts of memory, etc. So I don't know how easy it would be to comparison shop. They sell Apple products like the iPad with different covers, chargers and other accessories. They have a lot of electronics shows (I know because my Aged Relation complains about how many there are), so they must be selling this stuff.

With the electronics, I think one thing the shopping channels do is demonstrate the product. The viewer is seeing a half hour or hour long demonstration of how to use it and what it does. That might make some people, who are not very tech-minded, feel more comfortable about buying the product.

citrine
12-24-12, 10:02am
Is this a floor vacuum? I need a recommendation for a hand held vac and assume there are Dysons, are they good?.

Yes, the have a hand held, regular vaccum, and now a stick one which is awesome! I have the regular ball one.

Spartana
12-24-12, 1:55pm
Yes. Clown dolls. In a class all by themselves.

I haven't seen dolls for sale on either TV shopping website for years. Evolution at work!

He He!! But I remember Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Dolls so I don't think we'll ever be out of the woods. And just when you thought it was safe to watch TV again :-)!

JaneV2.0
12-24-12, 1:56pm
...
With the electronics, I think one thing the shopping channels do is demonstrate the product. The viewer is seeing a half hour or hour long demonstration of how to use it and what it does. That might make some people, who are not very tech-minded, feel more comfortable about buying the product.

I'm as tech-savvy as most. What sold me was the right kind of processor (AMD), the right combination of features (lots of RAM), payments spread out over a few months with no interest, and free shipping. I do my comparison shopping. Costco would have been a good alternative, because they have excellent return policies and generally fair prices, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for there.

ToomuchStuff
12-24-12, 2:18pm
From what I can tell, between the two, they offer Dell, Gateway, Apple and Kindle Fire tablets and other top-selling brands at competitive prices. So I don't get what you don't get, but then I'm sending this along from a Gateway laptop I bought last year from HSN. :)

The prices are high for what I have seen, and a lot less choices then buying from the companies they are promoting (whose sites, you used to be able to configure the computers). By the time your there, the choice has been taken away. (and it doen't help that I can't choose my OS of choice)

JaneV2.0
12-24-12, 2:25pm
The prices are high for what I have seen, and a lot less choices then buying from the companies they are promoting (whose sites, you used to be able to configure the computers). By the time your there, the choice has been taken away. (and it doen't help that I can't choose my OS of choice)

If you want to configure your system component by component, there are certainly much better options--including local techie shops--that's for sure.

JaneV2.0
12-26-12, 10:30pm
He He!! But I remember Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Dolls so I don't think we'll ever be out of the woods. And just when you thought it was safe to watch TV again :-)!

Ha! I admit to having a couple of CPKs. Still love the little overbites.