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Join As Seen on TV Network tonight for another LiveBlog! of Discovery Channel’s smash-hit, “PitchMen!”

According to Discovery Channel’s website, tonight’s episode, “Digging for Dollars,” will feature Billy Mays revamping his infomercial add for the classic Awesome Auger as well as shooting the first infomercial ever done for affordable health insurance, “iCan.”

Here’s the classic Billy Mays “Awesome Auger” video:

Product:  Awesome Auger
Inventor: Thomas Matasko

Product: iCan Health Insurance
Inventor: iCan Benefit Group, LLC.

Here We Go…

I bet this one starts a little different. H”mmm…
Here comes the discovery channel product test portion. M’mmm a bag that becomes a hat and a magnet wristband that doubles as a reusable kitchen “to do” list. Which of the four catch the eye of Billy n Sully? NONE OF THEM, NICE. NONE! WHile on their way to “InventBay” n Vegas, they looked through the videos and decided on NONE of them. They don’t seem optimistic about what theylll find at InventBay, either.

“We’re miners. We sift,” Billy Mays.

For every Dual Saw, there seems to be 20 products that don’t make sense. Like the pad you wear under your undergarment that helps filter flatulence. I’m impressed they kept the jokes to a minimum.

Billy n Sully meet the inventor of the “Fauslock,” a lock that goes around outdoor faucets. It won “Best New Invention” at InventBay and Billy n Sully still aren’t impressed.

“Just ’cause we don’t like it doesn’t mean it won’t sell 2 million at hardware stores,” Sully.

Then the last inventor comes in. He’s got what looks like a Forearm Forklift. They’re like suspenders with straps that help ou support stuff. THe picture has the inventor - who had suffered a herniated disc which prompted the idea - lifting a motorcycle with the straps.

Inventor: Ron Comerowski
Product: Hand Straps

Commercial break :11 after

Handy Straps works by proportioning the weight throughout the back.

Here comes the price point war.

“How much you sellin’?” Billy Mays.
“$60,” Ron Comerowski
“Stop….” Billy commands…”I don’t know if you’re getting it down to $19.99.”
“I don’t want it there,” Comeroski fires back.

“I don’t want to touch it if I can’t sell millions and I hope you can respect my passion for it,” Billy Mays.

Billy n Sully take it back to Tampa to decide.

Awesome Auger video shoot update time.

Tom Matasko - Tom met Billy in the 1970’s back in the Ohio flea markets. Matasko was a pitchmen who learned it from his father. The pitched the flea markets. His success allowed him to buy a plan until her crashed it in 1996 when flying to do a show with his father. The accident put him into a coma for mounts. Matasko didn’t know he lost his legs for “six months.” His right hand still has nerve damage.

According to “PitchMen,” Matasko was watching an old gardener in the garden next door while hanging at his Dad’s house. One thing lead to another.

Watching the video you can see that Billy truly enjoys shooting the video for Matasko.

Comemrcial break :21 after

During the Awesome Auger shoot, the director goes, “Is that the ShamWow?” Wow.

Oh, wait, so you’re the one that hasn’t heard of ShamWOW? Here’s how Billy describes ShamWOW and its PitchMen, Vince Offer…
“I have ZorBeez. He came along and knocked ME off.”

“Can we get a ShamWow on the set?” Billy’s ready to work now! Billy n the director really get along well.

Matasko n Billy want to keep sales growing so Matasko will have funds to complete other like inventions. These guys get along so well with the shoot that they’re done by noon.

Commercial break :31 after

With Awesome Auger shoot wrapped up, Billy n Sully decide on Hand Straps. Billy n Sully test it with the crew.

“I think I’ve seen one of these hanging from the ceiling once,” wow, family show here, buddy.

Overall, the crew seems to have mixed results. Billy’s arguing how it could help those who couldn’t use their arms. It sounds like he might have Matasko on his mind. Good guy thoughts.

The price point is also throwing the crew for a loop. Any price point would take a 30 minute infomercial like Dual Saw.

Looks like Billy n Sully are having trouble deciding about Handy Straps.

Commercial break :40 after

Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan have decided on Handy Straps…they don’t want to sell it for over $20 and pass. Ron’s willing to change the price down to $39.99. Billy n Sully don’t want to dance. They want to sell products that will be better for the economy.

Billy n Sully get to do another reshoot: iCan Health Insurance. Billy is passionate about the product because of all the people who are uninsured. The whole Mays family is on the set.

Billy admits to being on the road alot and not being with his family, “You age 10 years in 5…my life started at 40.” Having meet the guy before, Billy Mays is sincere in being grateful for what he’s earned and for his family. Oh yeah, his song is on twitter: @youngbillymays.

He’s wearing a suit coat over his blue denim shirt. Nice.

The shoot is loaded with copy. Billy’s not even completely shouting either. Billy n have a Sully on whether Billy can get through a whole mountain of copy in one take. Ooooh, Billy goes to town.

Commercial break :51 after

iCan shoot wraps out. Another great wrap.

Now they’re A/B testing the old Awesome Auger video against the new Awesome Auger video. If the Auger keeps selling, Matasko can have the capital to develop products.

The results: the new video is dominating the old video and selling like a dream. If the new campaign sells close to the old campaign, then there’s another $10,000,000.00 in revenue with which to invent.

I look forward to seeing more Tom Matasko products coming out.

And if you’re looking for ideal home and garden products to help yourself in the yard, check out As Seen on TV Network.

Check back here next week for another LiveBlog of PitchMen.

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Who Is Dr. Nicholas Perricone?

- Clinical Professor - Yale School of Medicine

- Founder of Perricone Nutriceuticals

- Leading Board-Certified Dermatologist

- Author of 3-#1 New Your Times Best-Selling Books:

The Perricone Prescription
The Wrinkle Cure with Dr. Nicholas Perricone
The Perricone Promise: Look Younger, Live Longer in Three Easy Steps

- Renown Anti-Aging Expert

As the video explains, Dr. Nicholas Perricone started to develop the “Inflammation Theory of Aging” while in Medical School. From his theories and years of research, Dr. Perricone developed a “3-Tier Anti-Aging Philosophy” to decrease inflammation and improve your skin:

• Nutrition
• Nutriceuticals
• Cosmeceuticals

With Nutrition, one should have an “anti-inflammatory” diet consisting of small portions, leafy vegetables, fish, water…and to avoid starches and sugars.

In his second step, Nutriceuticals, Dr. Perricone recommends concentrated supplements with food substances  that contain much-needed vitamins and nutrients for nutrition with anti-inflammatory activity.

With the 3^rd step in the “3 Tier Anti-Aging Philosophy,” Dr. Perricone stresses “cosmeceuticals” - also known as “topicals.” According to Perricone in the video, “we call them Cosmeceuticals because they are as safe as any cosmetic out there but the ‘ceutical’ portion means they are as powerful sometimes as any pharmaceutical that we would get a prescription for.”

And with Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals, you get the benefit of years of research and testing. Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals contain “patented ingredients” and the latest technologies to help your skin stay healthier, smoother, and maintain skin tone.

You can find a Risk FREE Trial of Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals at either the As Seen on TV Network-hosted site or at AsSeenonTVNetwork.com in the Beauty Section. Your order will come with a 60-day supply of The Wrinkle Cure - Advanced Face Firming Activator, Concentrated Restorative Treatment, Face Finishing Moisturizer - as well as The Wrinkle Cure Recipe Book and DVD.

A younger You awaits.

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Make sure to tune in tonight for another PitchMen LiveBlog! as we dissect and analyze the newest PitchMen episode, “Spinning Green.” According to the Discovery Channel website, the featured product will be “Spin Gym,” by Forbes Riley.

And to mix it up a little, Billy and Sully go to Hollywood! Want to guess which one goes on The Tonight Show. Sparks could fly.

Here’s a Fox News Clip of Forbes Riley where she sneaks in a Spin Gym pitch:

PitchMen, “Spinning Green,” Episode facts:
Channel: Discovery
Original Air Date: 2009/05/27
Time: 10:00pm EDT and again at 1:00am EDT

Product:  Spin Gym
Inventor:  Forbes Riley

HERE WE GO

The final four products Billy n Sully had to choose from here is intriguing. Billy n Sully are off to Vegas to pick the product. Billy just wants to pick the best product and that’s it. This is they’re at ERA in Vegas and come across Forbes Riley. There are some giants at the show:  TELEBrands, livemercial…

Riley is trying to get Billy n Sully turned on to Spin Gym. Sully looks excited. Billy seems on the fence. Forbes got her inspiration from her father - an abstract inventor who didn’t know how to get his products to market. Forbes Riley claims she sells about $2,000 a minute when on”Home Shopping.”  Now she wants her name on a product and have the same effect. She didn’t’ invent Spin Gym, but she’s an inventor.

Billy and Sully will field test, but first  Billy has a Kaboom shoot. …take 8, take… Sully n Billy are fighting about how to wipe glass scum. I guess it proves that details make all the difference. Billy is giving Sully the death look while Sully does an onscreen rant.

“Maybe you should use a ShamWOW,” said the production assistant whose sure not to have a job much longer (unless that was Billy Mays III). If Billy only had a ZorbEEZ in his back pocket at that point.

“Maybe I’ll give you a ShamPOW!”

Commercial break :11 after

The Cleaning lesson continues. “See, if you listen to me I’ll make you look good every time,” Sully. But now the schedule is behind. Billy wants to get the shoot on schedule - so long as he doesn’t have to listen to Sully.

“Billy may have actually done something in one take - because he listened to me.”

Field testing the Spin Gym on the boardwalk - “Welcome to the gun show.”

The question:  Toy or workout device? They all tell Billy its a workout device but then tell the camera they think it’s a toy. That’s mean.

TELEBrands TIME! Forbes, Billy, and Sully meet with AJ Khubani. Riley is selling the idea to AJ - Grease Bullet in the background. (I bet Grease Bullet is about to relaunch right, about, now… )

AJ is concerned about Spin Gym’s credibility. Riley says it was the same thing with Ped Egg. AJ is testing the product. Now the learning curve is a concern.

Billy n Sully point out that it’s demonstrable, solves a problem…the ball is in AJ’s court.

Commercial break :20 after

AJ’s answer:  he’s willing to give it a go.

In the meantime, Billy n Sully are interviewing other inventors. A guy is showing a wine stopper with an air bag that keeps the air away from the wine. Billy’s afraid to promote alcoholic beverage but doesn’t know if it’s an As Seen on TV material.

An inventor has a plant watering device (very Aqua Globes-ish but without the work of art). Billy and Sully like the product. The inventor is in his 70’s and his dad - all 99 years old of him - is the co-owner of the product. Life springs eternal.

Forbes Riley comes to Sullivan Studios to discuss the price point. She brings in a team of exercise geeks to do a Spin Gym workout. Forbes, you don’t have to preach to the converted. AJ Khubani thinks that with his Chinese manufacturing that they can get the product down to $19.99.  The price point scares Riley. (Riley, most of the best infomercial products sell at $19.99!!!)

Uh-oh, Forbes Riley found out her Spin Gym trademark has been taken. She put in a call to the owner of the name and is waiting to hear it back. Now they’re doing product naming.

Commercial break :33 after

The name setback has her down.

Commercial shoot time. How do they keep doing shoots without trademark on product names. She’s frantically offering $10K for the naming rights…she got it. That’s called listening to Billy - “take it or leave it.”

Forbes Riley is doing the promo herself. Billy, Sully, and Riley in the same room. They could make the whole episode around them arguing how to say, “Here’s how to order…” Billy Mays name drop time!

Now they’re arguing price point reshoots. She earlier discussed how she didn’t get her MBA. If she had, she’d understand the value of price point instead of the prestige. She’s willing to walk away because she’s that afraid of the prestige of the price point.

Commercial break :43 after

“I don’t know what her problem is. I think she’s more concerned about a associating a Forbes Riley product for $10 bucks than she is selling the product. I mean, What the f###?” - Sully.

“This whole thing can go from a $10 Spin Gym to an $80,000 paperweight.” - Sully

She’s getting nauseous over the price points. It looks like her nerves are calming down after the shoot. Working out with the Spin Gym for 3 hours in front of the camera can do it to.

Billy n Sully are off to Burbank - NBC Studios. Billy’s going on “The Tonight Show.”

Sully got called, “his chauffeur,” by the NBC Security guard.  NICE

Billy is doing an Orange Glo / Shakespeare spot on the episode. He’s getting ready to do a live take. Billy’s practicing. The’re enjoying the fact they have a signed script from Jay Leno. Sully’s pumped, being ubersupportive. They both understand the significance of this moment for the Direct Response industry.

Commercial Break :52 after

Billy claims The Tonight Show was “nerve-racking,” but according to Sully, Billy Mays killed it. He got to hang out with Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and Jennifer Aniston. Billy wants to meet her again. Sully wont’ let him go alone

Media Test Buy for Spin Gym Results:  the tested $19.99 against $29.99 both tested bad. The best it could do was a $196 CPO for $19.99 price point. Sully is coming back with saying the $10.00 price point could have worked. “Always go with the best offer,” Billy Mays. Have to agree with Billy n Sully.

AJ dropped the product. Billy n Sully suggest she drop the product.

Forbes Riley still won’t get over her fear of the $10.00 price point. She’s breaking down. “That’s why you’re driving the Bentley and I’m not.”

Sometimes the best lessons are the hardest to learn. Check back her next week for another LiveBlog! of PitchMen.

And if the episode got you in the mood to work out, check out As Seen on TV Network’s Health and Fitness products. Hopefully there is something there to help.

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The country seems to be falling in love with Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter and its siblings:  Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter.

And it’s easy to understand why:  before Topsy Turvy made the process easy, people used to (and still do) hang tomato plants upside-down out of milk jugs and coffee cans to help tomato plants grow better. My grandmother even tried to hang one upside down off of my basketball hoop in the back yard.

Speaking of family, I myself got a Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter for my mother and I’ll be sharing our experiences with the planter - do’s and don’t’s and the like - in the coming weeks. But from our experiences, as well as the common questions I often hear asked, As Seen on TV Network decided to give out (unofficial) tips on how to use your Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter.

1)      A Tomato Plant Does NOT Come with the Plant and Soil (and Be Thankful). This is a common question. You’ll want to pick a nice seedling from your local gardener. And for us, we decided to use pay a little extra and go for the fertilizer / soil combination.

2)      The Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Get HEAVY. When the instructions say to hang it onto something secure, they’re not joking. You’ll be putting over a cubic yard of dirt into each Topsy Turvy Planter bag and saturating the soil with water. The Topsy Tree bag will hold even more. And that’s before the plants grow to 6 feet tall while bearing ~ 15 tomatoes off of it.

3)      Topsy Turvy Planter - Hang It High: The Topsy Turvy Planter bag measures 15 inches tall when assembled. The hanging wires account for another 9 inches. Now factor in the length of the hook or nail used and that’s over 2 feet of down hang. Then figure that a tomato plant can grow to 6 feet tall and you’re looking at hanging the thing over 8 feet high to keep it from dragging on the ground when it reaches full growth. Luckily, not all the tomatoes grow at the tip of the plant so the overwhelming majority of the plant will be safe from dragging on the ground, but you get the idea. I wouldn’t recommend hanging it off of a porch railing or a picnic table.

4)      Topsy Tree -Look for Stable Ground. The Topsy Tree isn’t something you’ll want to place on rocky ground. Find a place level and flat to evenly distribute the weight. The tree can hold the weight, but if you place it on unsecure ground then one of the legs will have to do more than its fair share of the work. I would think twice before place a Topsy Tree on the side of a hill.

5)      Be Gentle with the Plant - the plants are gentle living creature that are being moved from their homes. Put the plant in from the bottom gently. Also be careful with the sponge.

6)      Be Gentle with the Dirt - If you pour the dirt in to fiercely you run the risk of popping the plant and support sponge out of the bag.

7)      Remove the Plant from the Dirt it Came with Before you Place in the Planter - just in case some weeds are in the store’s dirt.

8)      You Can Place 2 Plants in the Planter. It’s even a tip in the Topsy Turvy instructions to grow more tomatoes. They will grow out the same hole.  For the Topsy Tree, I believe you can put two out each hole for 6 in all.

9)      Topsy Turvy Might Grow them Quicker, but It Doesn’t Do all the Work! Follow the instructions. Water regularly. Make sure you put in a fair amount of fertilizer. Keep the plant trim.

10)   Water It Even when It Rains! The lid does a better job than you realize in protecting the dirt from the elements. I’m learning this tip the hard way.

a.       And when watering, water SLOWLY. I started to implement a brewing technique called sparging where we spaced the water off a wooden spoon and spread it around. This way, the water spreads in gently and doesn’t create tunnels. The spray on a garden hose might have a similar effect but with sparging the effect will be easier to control.

b.      And Water with Frequency! Otherwise calcium gunk and rot will build up around the plant at the hole and you’ll have to get a new plant.

And most importantly, have some fun.

Where to Find Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

As Seen on TV Network is your home for all things Topsy Turvy. You can find The Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, Topsy Tree, and Strawberry Planter on As Seen on TV Network-hosted sites as well as at the shopping cart site on AsSeenOnTVNetwork.com. And remember if you want all three, pick the Topsy Turvy Planter from its cart site page and you get a second planter FREE (just pay for the second’s S&H). And then when you get the Topsy Tree, you’ll get the Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter FREE (just pay for the second’s S&H). That way, you won’t have to order a Strawberry Planter separately unless you’re like me and simply want one.

Prepare to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labor.

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Tune in to the As Seen on TV Network Blog as we LiveBlog! the adventures of Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan in another episode of Discovery Channel’s, “PitchMen!” Tonight’s episode includes the Grabit and, a product that can be found on As Seen on TV Network, Tool Band-It.

What Is Tool Band-It?

Have a looksee as the product is pitched by none other than Billy Mays himself.

PitchMen, “Tool Guys,” Episode facts:
Channel: Discovery
Original Air Date: 2009/05/20
Time: 10:00pm EDT and again at 1:00am EDT

Product #1: Grabit
Inventor: Ivan Desaulniers

Product #2: Tool Band-It
Inventor: Mike Shurm

Here We Go

The show starts with its product pitch choices section.

Tool Band-It is part of the choices. Which one will they pick?  Mark Shurm’s Tool Band-It. Off Shurm goes to Tampa.
Tool Band-It - lightweight, magnetic arm band. Made for jobs in confined spaces - cars, crawl spaces…

This is the part of the story where we learn that Shurm is risking a lot. He’s a Purchasing Manager for a restaurant chain in San Diego. Shurm got the idea while working on a door jam with his dad and got upset that his dad kept putting the nails in his mouth. Necessity being the mother of invention…
Discovery animation explaining the powerful magnets that power the Tool Band-It. Discovery Channel makes everything look cool.

Tool Band-It investment: ~250k and “every spare moment.”

Billy’s testing it. Billy - The Tool Band-It holds metal tools but doesn’t hold metal tools to the tools on the band.

Sully, “So why do you need us?” Shurm’s answer: lack of time n resources to grow it further.

Billy n Sully put their heads together. Sully likes it. Billy’s unusually quiet which seems to often mean he’s supportive n rooting for the idea. They both like how that it’s a finished product and ready to go. They want to test it.

The other product. Grabit. I’ve used it before. It pulls out stripped screws. Billy Mays has his set designers testing it out.

The set designers appreciate it. Billy’s sold.

Commercial Break :10 after

Grabit:  Ivan Desaulniers has spent ~2 million dollars patenting the idea and lost 1 million dollar in bad product because the prototype wasn’t properly tested. The secound round has been tested to the hill:  geometry, heat testing. Another 10 years of testing and $13 million dollars went into the second prototype. If the Grabit fails, the company goes down.

Comic relief section:  Billy’s gonna try to fix Sully’s boat so they can move it so the workers can fix the dock lift and test the Tool Band-It. Looks like Billy needs a Tool Band-It.

“We can row it faster than this,” Sully.

Sure enough, Billy fixed the boat.

The workers use the Tool Band-It while Billy n Sully go boating around. I think the workers hope they get to keep the Tool Band-It. They say they’d spend about $30 for one of these.

Billy n Sully callled Shurm to tell him they love the Tool Band-It.

“Quit your day job,” says Billy.

Commercial Break :21 after

Desaulniers uses 20 machines to make the little Grabit. Wow. $110,000 a machine. The process is intense. Discovery Channel doesn’t need animations to make this look cool. ~ $16 million dollars spent on the little bit - for want of a nail, or crowbar (as a co-worker points out)…

As if the the Grabit deal isn’t complex enough, AJ Khubani n TeleBRANDS wants in on the action. After negotiations, a marketing company and two infomercial giants, AND Billy Mays is working Grabit.

Sully says that “everybody on the planet except me,” is on the Grabit project.

Shooting conflicts:  Sully says Billy double-booked. Billy says he didn’t double book Grabbit n Tool Band-It. DOH!

Billy won’t apologize so Sully thinks revenge. Wait, there’s 2 Billys. What’s that about?

Commercial Break :32 after

We’re back. (Had to take a couple seconds to watch the Cubs get shut out a second straight night in St. Louis. GRRRRR. Oh. Soto walked. It ain’t over yet)

Tool Band-It n Shurm has found a company to help out:  Vertical Branding. You’d know Vertical Branding from such products as Billy May’s ZorbEEZ! They’re trying to decide the right “Wow” sell for the commercial. All sides are at odds. Sully has 12 hours to come up with Wow for the commercial.

Commercial shoot time:  2 things missing from the shoot:  1) the Wow idea. 2) Anthony Sullivan, aka the director. It is amazing how many products are shot at Sully’s house. Sully’s got a head-spinning flu. Billy’s having fun.

“When I look bad I put makeup on,” Billy Mays.

Shurm would be upset, but h@ll, Mike Shurm has Billy Mays pitching the product. Unfortunately, the shoot is going slow. Still now WOW. Talk about working without a net.

Commercial Break :41 after

(for prosperity’s sake, the Cubs scraped around a run in the top of the 9th. Runners are now at first n third. 2 outs. Reed Johnson is up, facing an uphill battle working back from an 0-2 count. We think he’s wearing a Tool Band-It. Nasty slider just got him. Cards win 2-1. Thanks for indulging me. Commercial Break is almost done.)

Recap. Tool Band-It is still without Sully and the Wow factor. Sully sounds hungover. Billy’s even throwing in his “World Famous Hercules Hook,” into the Tool Band-It offer.

Billy Mays is off to the Grabit shoot. The shooter is a rival to Anthony Sullivan.

“Forget all that time on Focus Groups. Just spend a little money on TV and you’ll get your answer,” Billy Mays.

Billy n Sully are back working on Tool Band-It. Sully still thinks it needs a “Wow,” demo. Sully thinks of a “heavy weight.” Should have said something a couple days ago. They’ve pulled out the freeweights to see what works.

“Do you know how much 25 lbs. weighs?” Billy.

“25 lbs.,” Sully.

They’re reshooting with the 25 lbs. freeweight. The Tool Band-It holding the 25 lbs. free weight is actually pretty cool.

Back to the Grabit edits. The inventor thinks the commercial can do better.

Commercial Break :52 after

The Grabit commercial got completely reshot and redited. AJ Khubani n TELEBrands ran the TV Test. Results:  poor. DeSaulniers looks devistated. Khubani suggests a reshoot because he believes in the product and the need. DeSaulniers thinks the shape of the economy has a lot to do with it. Khubani n TELEBrands is fronting all the money for the TV commercials and want to do it again. Retail sales for the Grabit also confirm that the product should end up doing well.

Tool Band-IT Results:  Shurm is trying to not to get too high, not get too low. It’s sorta anticlimatic for us because you can find Tool Band-It on As Seen on TV Network so you know the outcome. Shurm looks like Andy Dick’s older brother, but in a humble enough way where you can still get can get behind his story. Tool Band-It hit 3.5 - 1 on its add buy and should make about $700k a week! Nice job, Shurm.

And remember, you can find the Tool Band-It on the As Seen on TV Network-hosted site. You can also find Tool Band-It as well as many other great infomercial As Seen on TV  Products on AsSeenOnTVNetwork.com. Way to go Mike. Way to go, Ivan!

See you next week as we LiveBlog! another episode of PitchMen.

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