Community Corner
Store Spotlight: As Seen on TV...and More
All your favorite trifles are now in one place at the Freehold Raceway Mall
Show me a person that does not love As Seen on TV products, and I’ll show you a person with no sense of humor. The Slap Chop? The Shamwow? The Shake Weight? I defy you not to enjoy these trifles. And if you’re of a like mind with me in this, you will love the new store As Seen on TV…and More.
This store has only recently cropped up next to Hot Topic upstairs near Sears. It occupies the space left by Robot Galaxy, a store whose purpose I never understood… and apparently never will. As Seen on TV and More has that distinct look of temporariness; even the kiosks seem to have more roots down. The remnants of the gutted Robot Galaxy store remain in the bizarre space-themed mural on the back wall, and a plain sign has been affixed to the storefront.
The store itself may not be much to look at, but the wares are enough to keep you entertained for hours. If you ask me, a lot of this stuff is actually useful, but maybe I just watch too many late night infomercials. The store has about everything you can think of, from Big Top Cupcakes to Furniture Fix to Pajama Jeans, and neatly organized by purpose (i.e., if you want one ridiculous gardening tool, here are four more.) The prices all seem to accord with television’s proposed $9.99 and $19.99 standards, save the fine print shipping and handling.
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As for the “and more,” it appears mainly to refer to an assortment of large stuffed animals scattered about the doorway and top shelves like so many sentry giraffes. The back of the store also holds some sundry toys and puzzles, mostly for kids. Then there are two large spinning shelves full of dog-lovers stickers and magnets, such as I Love Chihuahuas or I Love Dobermans. Odd to say the least, this store is at least good for a few laughs.
How this store will fare remains to be seen. Based on their own setup, they don’t seem to be in it for the long haul; they already have a number of items on sale (including Pillow Pets front and center, perhaps hurt by the competition of the downstairs Pillow Pets kiosk?) It also seemed to me on inspection that far more people seemed to be browsing than buying. My verdict is that this store is something of a hoot, and a great opportunity to snatch up all the ridiculous gimmicks you never wanted to call an 800 number for.
