CONSUMERS : Comfortable Way to Tote or to Sit
They’re a familiar sight at stadiums and outdoor concerts: people juggling coolers, tote bags and seat cushions and wishing they had a third hand to carry all the stuff.
Hide-N-Seat pack, a stadium cushion that unzips into a 14x15-inch bag, is useful to carry food, jackets and other belongings. When emptied, it becomes a comfortable cushion.
The combination bag/seat is made of water- and mildew-resistant nylon and comes in red, royal blue or black with a white HNS logo. There’s also a camouflage model. In August, Hide-N-Seat will be available in logos and colors of 28 major-league baseball teams, 28 National Football League teams and 150 NCAA teams.
Manufactured in Texas, the regular and camouflage Hide-N-Seats are $18.95; sports team seat/bags, $22.95. Shipping and handling costs are $3 for the first two bags, $1.50 for each additional one. To order, contact Bird Rock Marketing, 6986 La Jolla Blvd., Suite 200, La Jolla, Calif. 92037; (800) 821-5735.
Keep Beverages Cool, Safe From Spills
Two new beverage-oriented products just introduced by Minnesota-based Top Hat Corp. were designed with beach-goers, picnickers and campers in mind.
The Beverage Buddy keeps 12-ounce cans cold for an hour; the Sip-Top, with a clear plastic straw, caps an open can. Both items come in red, white or blue.
Beverage Buddy ($3.95) is 5 inches tall and easily fits any 12-ounce can. It has a silicone base that can be easily screwed and unscrewed into the bottom of the container. Just freeze the base for 30 minutes and insert into the Beverage Buddy.
Sip-Tops ($1.50 each) snap easily over the tops of all 12-ounce soda and beer cans. They’re especially handy while traveling, to keep accidental spills in the car to a minimum.
Beverage Buddy and Sip-Top are available nationwide at mass merchandisers. In Southern California you can buy them at Sears and Target stores. For an outlet in your area, call Top Hat’s toll free number, (800) 245-7180.
You Can Check Out Baseball Favorites
Baseball fans can now get bank checks with their favorite team symbols. Twenty-five major league teams have signed up with Atlanta-based John H. Harland Co. for the baseball checks. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers are not participating.
“I thought I’d seen all the baseball paraphernalia--clocks, pennants, posters,” says Braves fan Steve Barrett, an Atlanta CPA. “But these checks are the best thing yet. It’s fun to write a baseball check and listen to the comments from people in stores.”
Baseball checks, with the team’s symbol on the background of the check and the name of the city in the upper left corner, come in boxes of 200 wallet or 150 duplicate size ($14.95 plus tax). Each order also includes a blue vinyl cover with a red-and-white baseball logo and a pocket-sized autograph and quiz book.
Baseball checks are available at selected banks and savings and loans nationwide. Order them at Home Savings of America, Great Western Bank, American Savings Bank, Fidelity Federal Bank, Union Federal Savings Bank and Orange National Bank.
