New York, November 12, 2001 —Hammacher Schlemmer, a world-renowned retailer of the Best, the Only and the Unexpected in consumer products, today announced that Tom Pasinski's Moveable Paint Tray Glider has been chosen as the grand prize winner in its National SEARCH FOR INVENTION® 2001 competition. Hammacher Schlemmer honored Pasinski's invention, as well as those of the competition's four category winners at a ceremony in the company's flagship store in New York.

Pasinski's Moveable Paint Tray Glider consists of a round tray on wheels that can glide across any surface without the risk of spilling the tray's contents. The tray is able to rotate in any direction and includes a dome-shaped reservoir that allows the device to be picked-up, briefcase-style and moved to a different room without having to empty and refill the tray.

A native of Chicago, Pasinski, 37, developed the idea for his invention while painting the interiors of houses. He observed that common paint trays were messy and cumbersome to work with and was inspired to "build a better mousetrap".

"I am both thrilled and honored to have my invention singled-out amongst so many other innovative products in such a prestigious competition," Pasinski said. "The importance of this award is further magnified by Hammacher Schlemmer's reputation for marketing the world's most innovative consumer products."

The four additional category winners include: (For product description, refer to SFI Product List.)

• Hook & Loop Hanger for Shower Curtain, Stephanie Eberhardt of Camden, DE in the Utilitarian Home & Garden category winner. This shower curtain and liner hangs from a Velcro® strip, allowing for quick removal for easy cleaning or changing of the bathroom décor.
• Child Emergency Locator (Herbie the Hydrant), Michael Lucas of New Windsor, NY in the Personal Electronics category winner. A standard clock and nightlight, this invention becomes a child locating device during emergency situations.
• Laser Fishing Rod, Wylie Wiggins of Independence, MO in the Recreation category winner. Internally illuminated by a laser, this fishing rod assists in fishing at night.
• Hands-Free Footcare Device, Pamela Brunderman, of White Plains, NY in the Personal Care category winner. A hands free callous exfoliation device for the foot, which can suction to a bath or shower.

Hammacher Schlemmer presented Pasinski with a $5,000 grant for his grand prize winning invention. Additionally, the company awarded the four category winners grants in the amount of $1,000. The five winning inventions will be displayed at Hammacher Schlemmer's New York store at 147 E. 57th St.

Currently in its eighth year, SEARCH FOR INVENTION® is the premier event of its kind, consistently attracting the nation's brightest inventors of innovative consumer products. This year's competition featured more than 550 entries, the most in the event's history. Hammacher Schlemmer's independent product testing organization narrowed the field to 22 semifinalist inventions in early August, from which the five competition winners were chosen. Semifinalist inventions included such unique products as a car-mounted, laser-assisted parking device; a mashed potato preparation machine; a wearable wireless keyboard; a bicycle alarm; and a hands-free personal watercraft.

This year's winners were chosen by a panel of eight respected consumer products experts. This year's panel included:

• Dick DeBartolo, ABC World News Now
• Ed Curran, NBC 5 Chicago & creator of Technogadgets
• Cory Greenberg, The NBC Today Show
• Cliff Gromer, Popular Mechanics Magazine
• Andy Gibbs, chief executive officer of the PatentCafé.com
• Rima Suqi, New York Magazine
• Steve Greenberg, Michael Holigan's Your New House
• Paul Moriarty, CBS KYW-TV

In selecting the five winning inventions, the panel searched for consumer products that uniquely addressed an existing lifestyle challenge. Selected entries must also have been patented at the time of submission with a working or non-working prototype available.

"The objective of this annual competition is to support the tradition of invention in this country and afford all inventors the opportunity to showcase their creations," said Bill Booth, president of Hammacher Schlemmer. "This year's group of winners displays the same style and imagination for which Hammacher Schlemmer has been known for more than 150 years."

Since 1848, Hammacher Schlemmer has built a reputation for introducing Americans to original products that fill consumer needs so well that they become household necessities. It was on the pages of the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog that consumers were first introduced to such staples of the American lifestyle as the pop-up toaster (1930), steam iron (1948) and microwave oven (1968). The catalog also introduced the first robotic lawnmower in 2000.

In last year's SEARCH FOR INVENTION®, Horst Lebrecht, inventor of the "Shade Stand with Swirling Canopy" took home the grand prize for his pole-mounted swirling fabric-type canopy, designed to provide the user with shade regardless of the sun's position.

In previous years, winning inventions have been made available in the company's catalogs. Lori Burchett's "Infant's Medicine Delivery Bottle," winner of the 1996 competition, was highlighted in Hammacher Schlemmer's Winter 1997 catalog. Additionally, Janice and Don Martell's "Timeless Container," a 1999 winner in the recreation category, and Gabe Neiser's Extend-a-Cord (1998) are currently featured in the company's Fall 2001 catalog.

Hammacher Schlemmer is the nation's longest continuously published catalog in the United States, nurturing the spirit of invention for more than 150 years. The company publishes seasonal catalogs throughout the year and operates retail stores in New York City and Chicago. Hammacher Schlemmer can be found on the Internet at www.hammacher.com

Continuous Loop Mouse Bicycle Alarm Laser Parking Apparatus Round Brush Footcare Device Water Faucet Flashlight Sprinkler Water Conservation Device Hook and Loop for a Shower Curtain Water Buggy/Water Walker Overshoe for Sliding on Floor Sports Whistle w/ Signal

Wrist Pendant Wireless Keyboard Herbie Hydrant Fresh Mouth Ozone Indicator Child Carrier Mashed Potato Machine Powermop Rotary Mop Laser Fishing Rod Beach Chair Towel Retainer System Paint Glider Moveable Paint Tray TV Pedaler