Sunday, June 5, 2011

Hammacher Schlemmer

Hammacher Schlemmer has always been famous for its novelty products and gift ideas....

They are NOT items you will find in upscale stores and boutiques...Hammacher Schlemmer is often somewhat ahead of its time in its products.

For instance, Wikipedia lists these as H.S. retail "Firsts"

Firsts

Year First
1862-1863 Was one of the first companies to issue “Rebellion Tokens” during the Civil War
1878 Among first 271 subscribers listed in New York City Bell Telephone directory

1896 One of the first in the country to have electric lighting in showroom
1899 First home delivery service driven by automobile
1930 Pop-Up Toaster
1930 Portable Radio
1931 First houseware catalog (first for Hammacher, and first of its kind in the country)
1934 Electric Dry Shaver
1934 Waring Blender (in the 30s Fred Waring created this unusual device because his wife’s illness meant that she could only eat mashed foods)/Electric Food Processor
1935 Miss Palmer is the first female salesperson at the store on 57th Street
1948 Automatic Steam Iron
1948 Electric Broom
1955 First Electric Toothbrush
1961 Home Bowling Alley
1961 “Nothing Box”
1968 “Telephone Valet”- Answering Machine
1968 Radarange Microwave Oven
1971 Cordless Telephone
1973 Mr. Coffee
1976 Cuisinart Food Processor
1977 First full color catalog for Hammacher Schlemmer
1994 Integrated Caller ID & Digital Answering Machine
1998 Recordable Compact Disc Player
2002 'Roomba' robotic vacuum cleaner

Hand-Held Paperless Fax Viewer

Electric Can Opener

Stainless Steel Kitchenware

Schick Razor

Salton Hotray

Home Freezer

Mechanical Ice Crusher

Plug-In Intercom

Card Shuffler

Martini Mixer

Battery-Operated Radio

Battery-Operated Toothbrush

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