With a constant barrage of consumer products being promoted around the clock on T.V. and cable networks, do you ever wonder where it all began? Do you remember products from a bygone era such as the Pocket Fisherman, Veg-O-Matic and Mr. Microphone and wonder what ever happened to them? In The Rise and Fall of the First Popeil Gadget Dynasty, author Andrew Mateja delves into the world of the promotional product marketing with the original pioneers of telemarketing and reveals how they turned creative ideas into money-making holiday gifts sold by well-known retail chains across the country. Mateja discloses the internal differences between the two premier telemarketing leaders through his unique experience of working for BOTH companies during their heyday of dominating the TV airwaves with holiday "gadget" commercials. Nostalgia is plentiful in The Rise and Fall of the Popeil Gadget Dynasty with many familiar products not seen in decades and the origin of well-known familiar phrases such as "It Slices and Dices," "Isn't It Amazing," and "But Wait There's More."