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Old 24-07-2016, 22:02
ustarion
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Funny how the family business wasn't an issue this time!
Probably because they didn't come across like they couldn't care less like 'fat boy'
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Old 24-07-2016, 22:06
bel110
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Short pencils for children..........or just buy normal pencils and cut them in half for twice as many for your money
That's what I was thinking ...

I do get the concept as I have a 5 year old who finds it quite difficult to hold and manouver a pencil so maybe a shorter one might help her ... But then the first thing I'd do is get a normal much cheaper pencil and sharpen it down to the recommended size! Which also leads to a much bigger problem .... What happens when the child needs to sharpen the specially sized pencils? They will get smaller and smaller and no longer be the right size for the age ... Making the whole thing totally pointless surely?
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Old 24-07-2016, 22:09
anyonefortennis
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Peter Jones botoxed forehead looks ridiculous.
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Old 24-07-2016, 23:12
bel110
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Found at least one rival:

http://www.twowests.co.uk/product/aq...h-boot-cleaner

Theres no way that idea is patentable.
Yeap ... I've been using one of these for years and my mum when I was young .... Same idea, fill the handle with water and soap which immediately made me wonder exactly what their patent is for?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dishmatic-W.../dp/B003LY7F64
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Old 24-07-2016, 23:20
allafix
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That's what I was thinking ...

I do get the concept as I have a 5 year old who finds it quite difficult to hold and manouver a pencil so maybe a shorter one might help her ... But then the first thing I'd do is get a normal much cheaper pencil and sharpen it down to the recommended size! Which also leads to a much bigger problem .... What happens when the child needs to sharpen the specially sized pencils? They will get smaller and smaller and no longer be the right size for the age ... Making the whole thing totally pointless surely?
The product was as pointless as Evan Davis' tiresome commentary. When I started at school we were given crayons to write and draw with. The perfect size writing instrument for a five year old's hand. Also normal pencils are very light. A long pencil isn't unwieldy, unlike a long pen.

The pointless commentary seems even worse this year. As well as pointing out the blindingly obvious it is now full of dreadful puns. If got farcical when he referred to Nick Jenkins as a "serial investor". He's almost always first to declare he's out. Of course it could have been "cereal investor".
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Old 25-07-2016, 01:20
RichmondBlue
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Well his argument is the normal sized pen or pencil has been designed to suit an adult hand in terms of ability to write with it. But I'd argue they were only ever that length because of having to store ink or lead in them. So they wanted to give it some life.

I think the argument they're that length because it's perfect to write with is a myth. I don't struggle to write with the stubby pens in a betting shop for example.
That was my first thought, has he never been in a betting shop ? Somewhere a company is probably producing little pencils and pens for less than a tenth of the price he was suggesting.

As for the boot cleaning invention, I was gobsmacked they went for that one. It looked like something you might find in a £ shop and they were anticipating a retail of £12+ ?
I did feel sorry for their attractive mum though, £250,000 invested in that ! Good luck to them, but I'll be surprised if that turns out to be a success story.
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Old 25-07-2016, 04:22
JamieHT
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I hate the friends/family being able to watch. Hideous.

'Aww Daddy' - vom.
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Old 25-07-2016, 06:22
Angelique_Dorma
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That was my first thought, has he never been in a betting shop ? Somewhere a company is probably producing little pencils and pens for less than a tenth of the price he was suggesting.

Or Ikea! All you have to do is pinch a handful of the tiny pencils situated outside the lifts - sorted!
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Old 25-07-2016, 07:25
janetcomelately
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Funny how the family business wasn't an issue this time!
I wondered if that was why Peter suggested 3 dragons go together so It eliminates the family heel digging Deborah mentioned.
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Old 25-07-2016, 07:26
gerry d
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Pretty disappointed on last nights opening episode.I found it to be boring.
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Old 25-07-2016, 08:04
Agent Krycek
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Found at least one rival:

http://www.twowests.co.uk/product/aq...h-boot-cleaner

Theres no way that idea is patentable.
I'm guessing the the scraper on one end is what makes it unique? The sponge/brush at one end with a receptacle filled with water is in no way a new idea, we've got one with a sponge in our work kitchen for doing the washing up.
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Old 25-07-2016, 09:24
Toggler
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All a bit of a let down really as others have said but I enjoyed the laughter about Touker's office being empty. Wonder if I could move my business into it for a week or two if it's going free!!
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Old 25-07-2016, 10:05
JulesF
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That's what I was thinking ...

I do get the concept as I have a 5 year old who finds it quite difficult to hold and manouver a pencil so maybe a shorter one might help her ... But then the first thing I'd do is get a normal much cheaper pencil and sharpen it down to the recommended size! Which also leads to a much bigger problem .... What happens when the child needs to sharpen the specially sized pencils? They will get smaller and smaller and no longer be the right size for the age ... Making the whole thing totally pointless surely?
Yes, exactly! My husband and I picked up on that immediately and were rather baffled that not one Dragon mentioned it.
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Old 25-07-2016, 10:38
clever3000
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Last nights episode was overall good, there were some interesting businesses but it was a bit hypocritical with regards to the family business argument. The real downside to the show was definitely the reaction room. Would much rather have a quick round up of the failures during the den than have that. The reaction room adds nothing.
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Old 25-07-2016, 10:41
DiamondDoll
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The way to help a child come to grips (literally) to hold a pencil properly has little to do with the length of the pencil.

This is what a child needs.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pencil-Grip.../dp/B000WEO5SC

£1.43 and that's a one-off purchase.
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Old 25-07-2016, 11:05
bart4858
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That's what I was thinking ...

I do get the concept as I have a 5 year old who finds it quite difficult to hold and manouver a pencil so maybe a shorter one might help her ...
I'm sure someone mentioned that a 5 or 6-year-old is 55% the size of an adult. That doesn't sound right: at 2 years old, a toddler is already some 50% of their adult height (difficult to believe but apparently true).

So at 6-10 years (the age range I saw on the pack), children will already be a large proportion of their adult height. Some may already be nearly as tall as a short adult! The product is nonsensical..
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Old 25-07-2016, 11:06
MR_Pitkin
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Amazes me what they saw in that monthly tray of gin, so it was worthy of such investment for such a low equity.
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Old 25-07-2016, 12:02
Ess_Bee
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I'm guessing the the scraper on one end is what makes it unique? The sponge/brush at one end with a receptacle filled with water is in no way a new idea, we've got one with a sponge in our work kitchen for doing the washing up.
There's a tool called a hoof pick available online or at any equestrian store like Countrywide. It has a metal pick and a brush, just missing the water.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowhill-Ho.../dp/B005SGHB1C

PS Don't have a horse, I use it for walking boots!
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Old 25-07-2016, 12:28
bel110
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I'm sure someone mentioned that a 5 or 6-year-old is 55% the size of an adult. That doesn't sound right: at 2 years old, a toddler is already some 50% of their adult height (difficult to believe but apparently true).

So at 6-10 years (the age range I saw on the pack), children will already be a large proportion of their adult height. Some may already be nearly as tall as a short adult! The product is nonsensical..
Yes my nine year old is nearly as tall as me with similar hand size, so why I would spend £4 on pencils for age 9-10 is crazy!!
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Old 25-07-2016, 16:54
chrisbartley
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Re The Bog er Boot Brush

The mother thought it could also be used by workmen for cleaning tarmac off their boots - yeah right !
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Old 25-07-2016, 17:13
danielleh
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I'm still enjoying Dragon's Den. Not without fault though, the reaction room being the most glaring. I wonder if the producers have been watching one too many episodes of Gogglebox. The major gripe I have now, is Peter Jones acting like someone's murdered a cat when they overestimate the value of their business. He could simply say, "I think the valuation is wrong/ridiculous", but he acts as if someone has made a personal affront. It's even more annoying when he can simply make an offer which drastically changes the valuation, simple as, so there's no need to rant as often as he does.

I'm finding Touker more bearable now, either he's toned it down a bit or I'm simply used to him now, but I've somewhat warmed to him. Loved the jokes about his office space.
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Old 25-07-2016, 22:17
Ten_Ben
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The reaction room is pointless. It would have been more effective if one or both of the kids had been doing the pitch with him, they might have stopped him from giving such dumb answers, then!

At least the snippets of "other pitches in the Den this week were..." have finally gone. Perhaps instead they're showing them in full allowing the series to be stretched to 16 weeks?

3% must be the lowest amount of equity ever offered in the Den? Haven't some of these idiots ever watched the show before or are they simply allowing themselves to be set-up and played by the production team?
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Old 27-07-2016, 08:56
nomad2king
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The issue wasn't so much about it being a family business, it was that there was no overwhelming drive from them to build the business as big as possible. They were happy with just doing ok. That is fine for them, but an investor wants to maximise the profit.
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Old 27-07-2016, 14:29
Casper Gomez
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Best thing about this show is Sarah Willingham. Good looking milf. I don't think id watch this show If she wasn't on, Dragons dens is way past it's Selby date.
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Old 27-07-2016, 14:37
Toggler
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Going back to the small pencils, one of my clients in the education market was at the same Dubai show and they spent some time talking to the folks on their stand. Turns out there was much more to the product than actually shown in the Den and the conclusion at the show from teachers and others was it was a very good, niche product and one on which to build a successful business.

It's all in the editing folks!
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