Helping one of us could actually help all of us -- NON BDSM --

[DVS]

I hope that thread title got your attention! I didn't know what to call it, to make it seem interesting enough.

I've been thinking. I do that, from time to time, and here's what I came up with. We've all seen them...commercials and infomercials that do their best at getting us to buy their products. They're all over the TV, magazines and radio, spewing the product's worth and telling you that you can't live without them. Right?

There are quite a few people who read these forums...world wide, even. So, I thought it would be a good idea to have a place where we all could come and ask someone who's maybe purchased, tried or known someone who's experienced just what we're thinking about doing, buying or whatever, to get someone's first hand experience, before we do.

Like a kind of product clearing house, where we can all input what we've found out by our own experiences...and who better to pass this information on to than our fellow Litsters?

This is just like a BDSM situation, where newbies will come and ask our opinions about their submissive or dominant thoughts. Where better to come for answers than a place where there are diverse and intelligent and experienced people? Right?

So, I know there is someone out there in our vast bunch of BDSMers, who's purchased these things, and can tell the rest of us if these claims are true, or if they're false. I'm sure not all infomercials are money hungry gimicks, and some products actually work. But, because many of us are skeptics at heart, we never bite the bullet and purchase them.

One infomercial I saw this morning was for those shoe inserts that claim fabulous results. They are orthotic shoe inserts (their web page is www.walkfit.com) and they boast that their shoe insert is the greatest thing since...well, since shoes themselves, I guess. Is there anybody out there who's tried these? And do they actually work?

And, I'm sure that there are others among you who would like to know if something else is worth buying. It could be anything, not just something in an infomercial. Come on...post the product information in this thread and see if someone has already tried it. It might be just another gimick looking for your money, or it could be a great product that could change your life!

Post your questions here, and we all benefit from someone else's experience...just like a bunch of newbies asking the wise lifestylers for their vast knowledge. Helping one of us could actually help all of us.


ADDITIONAL:
One thing I do want to stress. There are look alike products out there, that will feed off of your lack of knowledge about a product, and you will end up purchasing the fake, thinking it's the real deal. Please be specific about the product you are asking about, and also, when giving advice, be sure you are giving the advice for the same product. Information is only helpful with it's given for the product requested and from a reliable source. Please keep this in mind and we'll all benefit.

 

[DVS]

Here's another thing I'd like to ask about. Because gold has continously gained in value, there is a place that offers to pay you for your old gold, if you just send it to them, in their handy and insured package.

Now, what bothers me about this is...
Gold products always have a stamp on them that tells the amount of gold that's in the product. Be it a ring, a pendant, or even old eyeglass frames, there is an emblem of some sort and a number (10k, 12k, 24k, etc.) telling you how much gold is in the product.

The problem with that is, that tells someone how much the product is worth, in gold value, and how is a consumer suppose to know they are getting a good, current market value, if they don't know anything about it, themselves? Aren't they trusting a stranger to tell them what their ring is worth?

It seems to me that it would be best to get your gold item tested, and then check the market to see what the current gold rate is, then taking your jewelry to a local vender to haggle over the price with. Granted, you won't get the going rate of exchange, unless you had the gold in a pure form, but your ring is still worth something, and you should be entitled to that, and not fall for the gimick of someone's fancy packaging skeem.

Has anybody got any smarts on this product? I'm sorry, but I don't recall the actual commercial to mind, at the moment, but it doesn't have to be a commercial, when talking about gold jewelry. This would stand true in any gold tansaction.

And, keep in mind, the older the jewelry, the more gold it could have in it. Since the 1970s, I think gold has actually doubled in value. It was easier to buy 24k rings back then, when today, it could be pretty expensive to buy just 10k, or 12k.

Also, in the form of eyeglasses (and probably also in other products), the gold content changed a lot, in the 1980s. Old eyeglass frames had 12k and even 24k gold filled, and then in the late 1970s and into the 80s, they went with the gold plated frames. So, while it could still have gold in it, and it could still be 12k and maybe 24k gold, the fact that it was gold PLATED (and in some cases it said rolled gold plated or even gold electroplated) that would drastically reduce the amount of gold in the product. Gold FILLED is the term you should be looking for. That means the whole product has gold in it, and not just the surface.

 

[Netzach]

If you have scrap gold or sterling, selling it to a reputable dealer, like Rio Grande is the only way I personally would go with that. Anything that sounds really hype-driven is a no-go. There are a LOT of predatory scammers using the spikes in the PM markets to capitalize on people who don't understand them, which is most people.

even 14KGF is something used in costume/bridge jewelry - I don't know many places that take GF scrap, though GF is a great alternative to karat gold

 

[FurryFury]

My mother recently urged me to sell any gold I have.

I replied that I had no gold to sell.

She said, yes you do, there is my wedding ring and grandmother's . . .

Those are family heirlooms to me and not for sale. Thank goodness I have them and not her!

 

[DVS]

My mother recently urged me to sell any gold I have.

I replied that I had no gold to sell.

She said, yes you do, there is my wedding ring and grandmother's . . .

Those are family heirlooms to me and not for sale. Thank goodness I have them and not her!

I wouldn't even think of selling things like that, either. But, you could go get them appraised. You might find that you want to insure them, or maybe put them in a safety deposit box, for safe keeping. LOL.

 

[WriterDom]

If you have junk silver coins your best bet is probably ebay. Those mail in gold places, I bet you are getting between 50% to 70% of the true value. A retail place will probably stick you up the ass as well. They want their cut too. But at least you can haggle with them. Or shop it around to two or three places.

 

[FurryFury]

I wouldn't even think of selling things like that, either. But, you could go get them appraised. You might find that you want to insure them, or maybe put them in a safety deposit box, for safe keeping. LOL.

That's where I keep them.

*nods*

 

[DVS]

If you have junk silver coins your best bet is probably ebay. Those mail in gold places, I bet you are getting between 50% to 70% of the true value. A retail place will probably stick you up the ass as well. They want their cut too. But at least you can haggle with them. Or shop it around to two or three places.

Now, when talking about coins, they are sometimes worth more because of the age, than they are for the gold or silver content. But, you need to go to a collector for that sale.

It's sometimes considered strange, but people will pay a pretty penny (no pun intended) for something you might think is junk. I've got some old coins that I wouldn't even think of selling for the silver content. Coin collecting is just a whole different area. Jewelry isn't that collectable, but it can have sentimental value. And, heirlooms can sometimes be worth something, too. But, who wants to sell an heirloom?

 

[00Syd]

It's sometimes considered strange, but people will pay a pretty penny (no pun intended) for something you might think is junk.

Hell yeah! People throw away beautiful old clothes all the time, without realizing how much some people (like me) want them. The amount of money I've spent vintage shopping... almost as much as I've spent on hairspray!

 

[DVS]

Hell yeah! People throw away beautiful old clothes all the time, without realizing how much some people (like me) want them. The amount of money I've spent vintage shopping... almost as much as I've spent on hairspray!

Well, of course! Those are heirlooms, too. I think I've got some old platform shoes from my younger years somewhere. But, I wore my blue paisley shirt with the big floppy collar so much, I wore it thread bare.

The shirt matched the shoes, of course. And they had about two inch soles and I'm six foot, already. Ah, the good ol' days. Man, I looked like a cross between the Flying Nun and a snazzy Frankenstein monster wearing those things. What in the hell was I thinking?

Oh, but heirlooms, just the same. I'd guess the thrift shops are gold mines for you.

 

[simply_subbie]

i was hoping to get info about a site rather than a product actually.

does anyone know anything about the british fetish clothing site, Honour?
http://www.honour.co.uk/

i was thinking about getting something from them.

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

i was hoping to get info about a site rather than a product actually.

does anyone know anything about the british fetish clothing site, Honour?
http://www.honour.co.uk/

i was thinking about getting something from them.

I've never bought from them, but I have friends who have. They seemed to be very happy with the products. Most of the stuff is not cheap and you need to be sure about the measurements. Otherwise?

There are some rather large stores in the US; even some that carry items from Honor. You might want to check them out -either on the web or in the store itself. This is a local store (for me) and has been reliable:

http://www.fetishfactory.com/

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

I hope that thread title got your attention! I didn't know what to call it, to make it seem interesting enough.

I've been thinking. I do that, from time to time, and here's what I came up with. We've all seen them...commercials and infomercials that do their best at getting us to buy their products. They're all over the TV, magazines and radio, spewing the product's worth and telling you that you can't live without them. Right?

There are quite a few people who read these forums...world wide, even. So, I thought it would be a good idea to have a place where we all could come and ask someone who's maybe purchased, tried or known someone who's experienced just what we're thinking about doing, buying or whatever, to get someone's first hand experience, before we do.

Like a kind of product clearing house, where we can all input what we've found out by our own experiences...and who better to pass this information on to than our fellow Litsters?

This is just like a BDSM situation, where newbies will come and ask our opinions about their submissive or dominant thoughts. Where better to come for answers than a place where there are diverse and intelligent and experienced people? Right?

So, I know there is someone out there in our vast bunch of BDSMers, who's purchased these things, and can tell the rest of us if these claims are true, or if they're false. I'm sure not all infomercials are money hungry gimicks, and some products actually work. But, because many of us are skeptics at heart, we never bite the bullet and purchase them.

One infomercial I saw this morning was for those shoe inserts that claim fabulous results. They are orthotic shoe inserts (their web page is www.walkfit.com) and they boast that their shoe insert is the greatest thing since...well, since shoes themselves, I guess. Is there anybody out there who's tried these? And do they actually work?

And, I'm sure that there are others among you who would like to know if something else is worth buying. It could be anything, not just something in an infomercial. Come on...post the product information in this thread and see if someone has already tried it. It might be just another gimick looking for your money, or it could be a great product that could change your life!

Post your questions here, and we all benefit from someone else's experience...just like a bunch of newbies asking the wise lifestylers for their vast knowledge. Helping one of us could actually help all of us.


ADDITIONAL:
One thing I do want to stress. There are look alike products out there, that will feed off of your lack of knowledge about a product, and you will end up purchasing the fake, thinking it's the real deal. Please be specific about the product you are asking about, and also, when giving advice, be sure you are giving the advice for the same product. Information is only helpful with it's given for the product requested and from a reliable source. Please keep this in mind and we'll all benefit.

In my experience, all the things that are offered in the infomercials are rather trial balloons. The ones that really work and are durable usually wind up in the retail stores at half the price.

The Ab-Doer was on TV for something like 4 payments of $29.95. I bought one at Target for $49.95. Look for such products at Target, Walgreen, Linens and Things, etc. I think some show up a Wal-Mart or K-Mart also; neither of which I shop. The ones that don't, usually aren't any good. Buying from the TV usually means paying top price for an untested product.

I also bought one of the Scunci Steamers at (I think) Walgreen. I think it was also @ $50 with about 25 accessories and a storage case. The Ab-Doer ONLY works if I use it (sort of a standard problem with exercise equipmet).

For the instant gratification junkies, TeVo is developing a remote control that can accept your address and credit card info, so that you can buy anything you see on TV with one click of the "BUY" button on the remote. AND SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THE SUB-PRIME MESS COULDN'T BE TOPPED!

 

[DVS]

Anybody heard about DVD recorders being defective, recently? My Memorex recorder developed issues and I finally gave up on it a couple of weeks ago. It was just out of warrenty.

Then, I started shopping for a new one. Because of price, I can't get the best out there, but I still try to get name brands. I won't buy anything I've never heard of, etc. or store brands.

I recenty had a Toshiba recorder that did strange things during recording. It kept telling me my DVD RWs weren't formatted, when it had just formatted them not long before. I tried several disks, both DVD -RWs and DVD +RWs, with the same result. I took it back to the store.

Then, I got a Magnavox recorder. I didn't like it from the get go, because it only recorded 6 hours, not having the SLP option. I try to get the most out of my DVDs and 8 hour recording is the norm, in most cases. And, when this recorder was recording, it had a message that came up on the screen that said it couldn't record copyrighted material, and when playing back in those areas, the screen went black.

I understand if there was some movie that was copy protected when this happened, but I was recording a network news broadcast, and sometimes the recorder did this, when the anchor was on the screen. I took that recorder back.

Then, I got a Sony recorder. That thing did everything but wash the dishes. It was a little pricy for me, but I was going through all of the lower market recorders, and not having much luck. I figured if anybody would not have problems, it would be a major name brand.

Well, right off the bad, during setup, the thing locked up and I couldn't get it to change, no matter what I did. I turned it off, but as soon as it came back on, that same setup screen was there, again. I did this several times. Finally , I unplugged it. When I turned it back on, went into setup again, it locked up again, in the very same spot. I took that one back.

Instead of getting my money back, I decided to exchange that Sony for another one, hoping it was just a strange run of luck I was having. There wouldn't be an issue with another Sony unit...odds are against it.

So, the next one was an exact copy of the other Sony, and I was sweating it out, when I went into setup. There was one time when it hesitated longer than I thought it should, but it did continue on. Just to be on the safe side, there was a "Fast Setup" option I chose, so I couldn't set anything odd, that might cause a problem. Like I said, this thing did a lot.

Well, I put in a DVD +RW DVD and started recording. I did different things...timer recording, realtime recording, etc. and it worked fine.

Before I go on, I guess I should explain for some of you...most DVD recorders have titles and chapters. The title is the recording period, such as a two hour movie, etc. and the chapters are set within the recorder at your option...sometimes every 5 minutes and sometimes 10 and/or 15 minutes. These chapters make it easy for you to search for a section of the recording for viewing, if you are looking for a specific spot. So, there should be just one title for each recording, but there could be quite a few chapters, depending on the recording's length.

OK, as I said, the recording went fine, but during playback of any of these recordings, I'd get a lot of titles and no chapters. Each area that should have been a chapter was a title, and there were no chapters at all. This recorder has the option for 5 minute chapters or 15 minute chapters, and with the 5 minute setting, I'd get 5 minute titles...and 15 minute titles with the 15 minute setting.

I decided to turn the auto chapter option off, thinking that would fix my problem. But, after I did that, there was no pattern on how long each of these titles would be, but they still were there. Some could be 15 minutes, some could be 30 seconds. And I had LOTS of them, on each recording.

When trying to view these titles, the unit would sometimes lock up and I'd have to exit out of the viewing screen. And when watching the playback of any of these recordings, I'd get a jerky screen when switching between these titles, and sometimes it would pause for several seconds, right in the middle of a movie. Obviously, there was something wrong.

I decided to try another DVD+RW, thinking it was a disk error. I got the same results. So, I decided to try a DVD-RW. Everything is fine with a DVD-RW. (Actually, the recorder has special options for a DVD-RW, having different format options for them, so I guess I could have expected it would be worse, but it turned out better).

Yes, everything is fine with a DVD-RW and although I have yet to try any DVD-Rs or DVD+Rs, I plan to. It will also use a DVD-R DL, which will allow you to record up to 14 hours at the SLP setting. But, those are pretty new on the market, and I don't think I'll be messing with those, for now. Maybe, once everything goes digital, I might use those, to record some super high quality recordings. The better the quality, the more space is needed for the recording.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I want to keep this unit, although it has a problem with the +R RW disks. I could live with that, as long as it doesn't develop more problems down the road. And because my Memorex seemed to have a virus, because of the way it was acting (at this time, there is no way for a DVD recorder to get a virus, folks...just some humor), so I don't want to deal with this happening again with this Sony.

OK, at times, I do have runs of bad luck. And I've said before, Murphy's law follows me around wherever I go. Murph and I are good friends. And I'm no idiot when it comes to setting up electronic devices. In fact, I usually don't need the book unless to find out the special things a unit will do. This Sony was one of the first ones I had to read the book for the basic setup, because of the strange issues that came up.

I know in the mass production world, whole lot numbers can be bad, before they are found. Hard drives can have bad runs and they are still sold to the public, because they can't or won't eat the damaged product. And some of the public will just toss a bad drive in the trash and get another, not bothering with the warranty replacement, and companys know this.

And we all know of non-published recalls of cars where a dealer will fix something for you, if you are aware of the recall, but if not, you just eat the loss. I remember an non-published clear coat paint recall for General Motors, several years ago. I still see cars running around with a bad clear coat. I'm wondering if they were aware of the recall that would have fixed their paint for free.

So, now that I'm finished with this long-ass explanation, I was wondering if anybody out there has had a problem with a DVD recorder in the last few months. Or is this just another time when Murphy is messing with my head?

 

[ShyGuy68]

I have had a Panasonic harddisc/dvd recorder for a little over 2½ years, and it have worked perfectly so far. It was a bit expensive when I got it, but I decided to buy what I consider a high end product, and have been very satisfied with it until now. I like the option of being able to record on the harddisc, and then just erase it when I've watched, and only burn on dvd's when it's something I want to save for good

 

[Harmony_1985]

Sometimes teh cheaper brands can be just as good as the expensive brands.

I've got a cheap brand TV with a built in DVD player and I've had it about 6 years now, still works perfectly!

 

[DVS]

I have had a Panasonic harddisc/dvd recorder for a little over 2½ years, and it have worked perfectly so far. It was a bit expensive when I got it, but I decided to buy what I consider a high end product, and have been very satisfied with it until now. I like the option of being able to record on the harddisc, and then just erase it when I've watched, and only burn on dvd's when it's something I want to save for good

I thought about getting a DVR, but I really couldn't afford the cost. And being an old computer repair guy, I know how quickly a hard drive can fail. I had visions of Murphy slapping me on the back again, and making my hard disk die, a week out of warranty.

So, I've decided on the RW disks, as my alternative. You can reformat them and use them over and over. Rarely do I save shows, as I just use my recorder like a VCR. I work nights and anything I want to watch is when I'm sleeping or working.

I've even thought about a Tivo (spelling?), but you have to sign up for their service and I'm just not into that. And, I could change my cable subscription to a satilite company and rent their DVR. My sister does that. But, again, renting isn't what I want. Eventually, you've paid for one, that way.

Sure, you don't have the issues I'm experiencing, but I'm just having a run of bad luck right now. I've never had this much trouble finding a workable unit before. Damn Murphy!

 

[DVS]

Sometimes teh cheaper brands can be just as good as the expensive brands.

I've got a cheap brand TV with a built in DVD player and I've had it about 6 years now, still works perfectly!

I understand your point, but you can't record with a player, cheap or expensive.

And, I've heard that many companys just put their shell on units made by one manufacturer. I know that was the case with VCRs, years ago. Mitsubishi would make the guts and places like Panisonic, RCA, Sanyo and others would just put their shell and name on them.

So, in some cases, you were just buying a name, because the insides were the same, no matter what brand you bought. That could still be true today, I don't know.

 

[Harmony_1985]

I understand your point, but you can't record with a player, cheap or expensive.

And, I've heard that many companys just put their shell on units made by one manufacturer. I know that was the case with VCRs, years ago. Mitsubishi would make the guts and places like Panisonic, RCA, Sanyo and others would just put their shell and name on them.

So, in some cases, you were just buying a name, because the insides were the same, no matter what brand you bought. That could still be true today, I don't know.

I know you can't record with a player My point is, don't be so fast to poo poo a cheap and unheard of brand because they often work just as well as the more expensive ones.

9 times out of 10 the cheaper brands are exactly the same inside as the expensive brands, they just have passed the quality test perfectly.

 

[DVS]

I know you can't record with a player My point is, don't be so fast to poo poo a cheap and unheard of brand because they often work just as well as the more expensive ones.

9 times out of 10 the cheaper brands are exactly the same inside as the expensive brands, they just have passed the quality test perfectly.

HEY, don't stick your tongue out at me, or I'll just put a clothespin on it!

Yes, you make a point, and I understand that. I just assume that the name brands aren't going to give me the troubles I've experienced. Off name brands do sometimes work just fine and I've purchased many, in the past. But, when you have issues such as mine have been, I'd like to think the larger company names would have more to lose, if their machines got a bad name.

Then, again, an up and coming manufacturer could have a worse time of it, if they had the same issue. They might not be able to recover and go out of business.

 

[Harmony_1985]

HEY, don't stick your tongue out at me, or I'll just put a clothespin on it!

Yes, you make a point, and I understand that. I just assume that the name brands aren't going to give me the troubles I've experienced. Off name brands do sometimes work just fine and I've purchased many, in the past. But, when you have issues such as mine have been, I'd like to think the larger company names would have more to lose, if their machines got a bad name.

Then, again, an up and coming manufacturer could have a worse time of it, if they had the same issue. They might not be able to recover and go out of business.

k, its out my system.

My first laptop was an unknown brand and it lasted me 4 years before I had any real problems with it.

My current laptop is a Hewlett Packard and I'm having problems with it after nearly 2 years.

Strange how it works sometimes lol.

 

[FurryFury]

I have no experience with a DVD recorder. However, I have had a lot of bad experiences with various sony products.

I'd google up some reliability studies and statistics if I were you. That's usually my number one stop before buying expensive things. When I skip it I'm always sorry.

Personally, I have had some okay experiences with the local walmart brand, some good experiences with panasonic and mitsubishi.

 

[DVS]

k, its out my system.

My first laptop was an unknown brand and it lasted me 4 years before I had any real problems with it.

My current laptop is a Hewlett Packard and I'm having problems with it after nearly 2 years.

Strange how it works sometimes lol.

Well, HP has had their problems, too. They have a woman president, after all. OK, just kidding. But, they have had problems, since they absorbed Compaq, a while back. In the old days (the 90s) they were the best with extreme quality.

I've found that no matter what you buy, it can just be luck in finding something that will last. Shit, in my case...maybe it's Karma for being such a bad boy. But then, the ladies like bad boys, so that can't be it.

 

[DVS]

I have no experience with a DVD recorder. However, I have had a lot of bad experiences with various sony products.

I'd google up some reliability studies and statistics if I were you. That's usually my number one stop before buying expensive things. When I skip it I'm always sorry.

Personally, I have had some okay experiences with the local walmart brand, some good experiences with panasonic and mitsubishi.

Maybe I'm not searching correctly, but all I can find is prices on DVD units. Nobody talks about issues, except for the forum posts that you have to join to follow.

I didn't know Walmart had their own store brand. Tells you how much I know. I got the Magnavox unit in my first post at Walmart. I didn't see any store brands.

I like Panasonic and Mitsubishi makes a lot of things well. I'll probably be taking this Sony back. And if I do, I'm going to look at Panasonic. I once had a VCR of theirs that lasted a very long time. Not that that means I'll get a DVD recorder that lasts more than a week.

Um...could someone keep Murphy's attention, while I go to the store?

 

[FurryFury]

*Tries doing a Murphy's attention getting dance*

RUN!