Though we’re avid DM history buffs, we were surprised hear that the Veg-o-Matic is part of the Chicago Historical Society collection, along with about 60 other o-matic-type gadgets developed by infomercial pioneers Samuel J. and Raymond Popeil.
“Chicago is a manufacturing center…and the Popeil brothers started here in 1945,” explains architectural historian Tim Samuelson, who studies and writes about industrial design.
After World War II, the Popeils picked up on a new, cheap substance called plastic, and Samuel – who was known as the gadget-master – designed a donut maker. A flood of labor-saving devices followed: the Mince-o-Matic, the Whip-o-Matic and the Dial-o-Matic, “with planetary action.”
“There’s the impression that these were cheap gadgets that didn’t work, but they were attractive and did their job well,” Samuelson maintains.
The Popeils perfected their unique shill on street corners and county fairs. In 1958, when they moved their operation on the air, their sales style became part of the popular culture through late-night TV infomercials.
“It’s the art of the classic sales pitch,” says Samuelson. “You describe the product, tell how it will make your life easier and can do 10 different things, and when you finally name the hard price – suddenly – there’s more! A special campaign with a low, low price just for them: `But wait, there’s more! Order now and receive this special recipe book!'”
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