INPEX® Inventors Community - Exhibitors Newsletter

Best Buy to Sell DV-Grip

The DV-Grip is now on sale at Best BuyEdward Spellman of Grafton, Ohio exhibited at INPEX®, America's Largest Invention Trade Show, in 2005. "I heard good things about INPEX after I attended the ERA (Electronic Retailers Association) show in the fall of 2004, so I decided to exhibit my inventions."

Spellman's inventions, the DV-Grip and DV-GripIR, are mounting systems for portable DVD players. The system fits securely on the adjustable head restraints of most vehicles and allows users to watch DVDs with ease almost anywhere.

At INPEX, Spellman visited the Inventors Resource Center. The Resource Center gives inventors the chance to individually meet with representatives from a variety of organizations who will speak with them about topics such as marketing, product development and invention technology. On the fourth day of the show, Spellman spoke with Colin Anderson, co-founder and past-CEO of Digital Innovations, about business planning.

Anderson established Digital Innovations in 1995, a company that provides creative solutions for protecting, maintaining, fixing and optimizing consumer electronics products and digital media. After speaking with Spellman about his invention, Anderson thought the DV-Grip would be a good match for his former company, which was looking to expand its product line.

Anderson presented Spellman's product idea to Digital Innovations and just two weeks after INPEX ended, the company requested product samples from Spellman. After negotiations, a licensing agreement between Spellman and Digital Innovations was signed in August, two months after Spellman's first conversation with Anderson at INPEX. "I couldn't believe that everything happened so quickly," said Spellman.

According to their web site, Digital Innovations sells its products in many retail locations in the U.S. and around the world including Best Buy, North America's number-one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances.

The DV-Grip, renamed the Universal Car Mount for Portable DVD Players, appeared on Best Buy shelves in mid-October. It is currently being sold for $29.99.

Spellman is currently providing Digital Innovations with the tooling for his invention and they are handling the assembly and distribution. However, the product will be manufactured in China in 2006.

Spellman's agreement allows him to continue selling his invention under its original name on his web site, www.sackso.com, and in small market magazines. He is currently working on an advertising campaign to feature his product in a holiday gift guide that will be distributed in Cleveland area newspapers.

Most recently, Spellman has been working on new inventions that he plans to exhibit at INPEX 2006. "I had such a positive experience at INPEX. It was a great show and I am definitely looking forward to attending next year."

While the above exhibitor's experience is not typical of what most INPEX exhibitors can expect from attending the trade show, the events reported are a result of what can happen from attending INPEX – The Invention Show.