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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Knife ads
Message-ID: <518@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Oct-85 23:24:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.518
Posted: Wed Oct 23 23:24:02 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 08:04:15 EDT
References: <858@cvl.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 51

> Recently in the Washington Post Magazine and through direct-junk-mail,
> I have seen ads for the "MALIN M-15 Survival Knife."
> ...
> The ad claims that it is an advertising campaign - you have probably seen
> the type.
> 
> Does anyone know anything about this (beyond having seen the ad)?
> My cataloge does not use the name "MALIN M-15"; has anyone heard of it?
> The most suspicious thing is the name and address of the company.
> It is "A & C" at a PO box in Hicksville, New York.
> I think that this is another reincarnation of the infamous
> Abernathy & however, alias Gem Collectors International, alias
> Cheeselovers International (or some such) alias whoever it was
> who I bought a super-cheap "UDS computer telephone" from a few years ago.
> There was a discussion about them in net.consumers a year or so ago.
> They are usually a junk dealer; worse than that, I had to threaten them
> with the postal authorities before they would come up with the phone.

	>>> RIPOFF WARNING <<<

	This firm is the infamous Abernathy & Closther, a/k/a Carter & Van Peel,
a/k/a E.M.P. Sales, a/k/a Marine Surplus Depot, a/k/a Romar Sales, a/k/a ad
nauseam.  There was a recent "Fight Back" TV show segment on one of their fine
quality diamond inlaid watches.
	This outfit is notorious for naming products such that they sound
similar to legitimate ones.  `Malin" is probably supposed to stand for `Marlin'.
My favorite name was when they were selling 35mm cameras for $ 5.00.  I had to
read the name `Yahama' at least five times before I realized that it was NOT
`Yamaha'.  They also think they are clever in defeating fradulent advertising
laws when they say a product is `Nationally Advertised', because they claim
that `Nationally Advertised' is a *trademark* and not a literal statetement.
	Any `merchandise' which they have to sell is, to put it bluntly,
pure shit.  I must say, I do enjoy reading their ads literally.  My favorite
line is when they described as a *feature* that their `mini-binoculars' have
lenses which are `non-prismatic' and `unbreakable plastic'.  Gee, if only Zeiss
offered those features...
	Does anyone remember the $ 39.00 `mini-motorboat'?
	This ripoff company hides under a number of names, addresses, and post
offices boxes, none of which has an obvious telephone.  HOWEVER, there IS a
telephone number for the `parent' operation, E.M.P. Sales of 535 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N. Y., which is 212/682-1540.  Call 'em up and tell 'em that you
won't fall for their advertisements!  Better yet, call collect!  This outfit
is a cancer and should be eradicated from the face of the earth.

===  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York        ===
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