"Build a better mousetrap..." and other mistakes.

A high school friend and I found a device in the cellar of his house.  Eventually we worked out that it was a mousetrap.  It had a cage where the mouse entered to take the bait and where, once inside, it's weight triggered a trapdoor imprisoning it.  The mouse, now panicked, would run up a wire tunnel into a second cage a little above the first.  Bad news for the mouse, the floor of this cage was a trapdoor through which it would fall into a bottle of water.  As the second trapdoor opened it operated a link which raised the first one, re-setting the trap.  The mouse drowned in the water and was joined by any others of his family to come along, each one re-setting the trap for the next victim.

Here was a "better" mousetrap.  It was re-set after each capture so stayed in action.  The mice were contained in a bottle from which they were easily disposed of without having to touch them.  Clearly it was superior to conventional mousetraps.  So why, remembering the adage: "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door", is that mousetrap not selling like hot cakes?

Truth is, I don't know.  There may be several reasons but I bet the main one was lack of marketing.  The "world" just did not know about it and still doesn't.  No one will beat a path to any door for any product unless they are aware of it.  Even the best ideas need to be marketed, made known to world, or they will die unmourned.  There are any number of good ideas that went this way.

One good product that has been languishing for lack of exposure is a device for unplugging three pin plugtops. At some time or another all of us have had difficulty with a stuck plugtop, you need the strength of Samson to unplug it, especially on extension cords.  Not everyone, but many, feel excruciating pain when disconnecting any appliance because they suffer from arthritis or another disease giving them continuous pain in their hands. The product I referred to above solves both problems.  Have a look at them at Unplugeasy plugtop extractors .  For the cost of a packet of cigarettes you can eliminate an irritation and live a less stressful  life.  Better still, you can give them to a loved one who has painful hands. They will love you for them.

Clifford Thackwray