The Skyliner, Our First Prototype & QVC

We will never forget when the first prototype of the Skyliner was ready to demonstrate. We handed it to a friend who brought it to a football game. After the event he called to tell us that a gentleman asked him where he bought it. He explained that it was the first one made and he was investigating people's reactions. The man said I'd like to buy it. Our friend said, "It's not for sale." The man said, "I'll give you fifty dollars." Our buddy told him, "I can't sell this since it's a prototype." To be brief, the man eventually offered him five hundred dollars. When we were told this we said, "You should have sold it! We could have made another one cheaper." We felt from the response of others at the game that we had something special. We didn't have a great deal of capital, and we needed television exposure. 

What do you do when you want free TV exposure? You visit QVC. We did. They loved it, and ordered 20,000. We cried with pride and hope that maybe we had something good. 

On QVC at 3:30am we sold 5000 Skyliners in about ten minutes. We had a product. We did a few more spots on QVC, and then approached the large novelty chain Spencer Gifts. They ordered 20,000. We were in business and brought viability to our company Versatile Visions, llc., a Maine company. Our next stop was DisneyWorld prior to New Years Eve. DisneyWorld tested about a thousand units. Within two days they sold out and they ordered two thousand more. Michael Eisner was in the park, saw the Skyliner and wanted to purchase some for his kids. He sent some one through the park trying to find a half dozen Skyliners, however, they were sold out. The next day Disneyworld ordered ten thousand units. And we were told that the buyers were given instructions from the "top" to keep DisneyWorld stocked with Skyliners. It worked, and we were now in DisneyLand, and DisneyWorld. We knew they would frown on us being in too many places outside their domain so we remained low key and waited until now to offer it world-wide directly through us. 

Presently we are receiving calls from Brazil where they are looking to find a way to deter the high importation taxes to make the Skyliner a reasonable purchase for their customers. 


The Skyliner still amazes everyone, including the jaded high techies!