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Ok, maybe I’m being a bit overzealous with this headline, but wouldn’t it be nice if the marketplace WAS free of plastic-y matte silver junk gadgets? It might happen, now that Sharper Image’s new owners The Hilco Organization and Gordon Brothers Group are closing the remaining Sharper Image stores.

The Sharper Image website says that something big is coming. I think their definition of big is not the same as my definition of big, kinda like their definition of cool gadgets is not the same as my definition of cool gadgets.

What’s so sad isn’t that Sharper Image is closing, but that the world is full of such cool stuff, and they barely sold any of it. I remember receiving an early Sharper Image catalog in the mail way back when. There was another mail order gadget place called JS&A (Joseph Sugarman & Association…yeah, the BluBlocker guy), and both the Sharper Image and JS&A catalogs had some of the coolest things I’d every laid eyes on at the time. A computerized chess board with a robotic arm that would move your opposing pieces. A gold-plated DeLorean. It was really cool, crazy stuff.

But then, you know, over the years, away went the truly innovative and out-there products and in came a plethora of overpriced pocket knives, golf accessories, memory foam products and air ionizers. Whoopee…exciting.

So I guess it’s no surprise that they’re going away…well, mostly going away. The new owners are going to license out the Sharper Image name to be used in other retail avenues.

Again, I say whoopee…exciting.