Saturday, January 24, 2015

RIP Sky Mall

Oh no. I just read where the Sky Mall has gone belly up. Readers of this blog know it’s one of my favorite subjects (targets). Where else are you going to find all the ridiculous inventions the Sharks reject on SHARK TANK? Yeah, you could go to The Sharper Image or various spy stores, but it’s not the same thing. The Sky Mall assembled all these "wonders of modern science" in catalog form. What a fun way to pass the time while you’re stuck on the tarmac for eleven hours.

But alas, now that most airlines offer Wifi, people can go on line and order the same crap cheaper elsewhere. Of course they’re now paying $14.95 for internet access but still.

It’s just another bit of goofy Americana that is fading into history – like photo booths, responsible government, and radio.

I’d say we all go to HoJo’s to commiserate over a clam bake, but… well, you know.

RIP Sky Mall. May you be forever memorialized in a plaque that attaches to any gravestone by miracle glue and contains a sensor that allows it to light up whenever a mourner gets within two feet – all for only $269.99 ($289.99 in Canada).
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6 comments :

  1. Anonymous1/24/2015 2:41 PM

    Dammit. I was hoping to do that giant wall-sized crossword in my dotage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brian O.1/24/2015 3:12 PM

    SkyMall needs to position themselves as the home page on all airline wifi.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Howard Hoffman1/24/2015 4:10 PM

    And ordering was the only time you could use the phones built into the seat backs for free.

    (Brian O. - you should have sold that terrific idea to them three days ago. They'd still be in business.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wendy M. Grossman1/24/2015 4:40 PM

    Skymall filed for Chapter 11; it hasn't vanished yet (and its website says to go ahead an order, they're still here). Lots of companies emerge from Chapter 11 and make a successful recovery. So maybe don't write them off quite yet.

    wg

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mr. Potter1/24/2015 9:50 PM

    It's a strange story. More than just a bankruptcy is going on:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/06/skymall-the-strange-story-of-americas-most-delightfully-weird-catalogue/276807/

    ReplyDelete
  6. MikeK.Pa.1/25/2015 4:36 AM

    Maybe they could merge with S&H Green Stamps.

    ReplyDelete

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