Quirky selects easy-to-manufacture things so people are not submitting their best ideas. It goes round for months.

Quirky is looking for potentially marketable products. I think we all embrace the philosophy of invention and re-invention.

Henry Ford didn't invent the car and borrowed the way arms mfrs made their products in an assembly line fashion so did he invent anything?

Whoa! Now wait a damn minute, That flower pot idea is a great idea. Now I will have a place to store extra dirt for my potted plant!

Welcome to the Island of misfit product developments.

Quirky has a room full of chimpanzees that throw darts at a board to select which product gets picked anyway.

I myself am on STRIKE! with Quirky.

NO submissions, NO voting, NO evaluations.

Not until they change their "Terms and Conditions" to protect the interests of the inventor.

Right now, if Quirky selects your product idea/invention you give up all rights to your intellectual property. And after nine months if they can't make a go of it you have to pay them a 10% royalty on "all revenue generated" to get it back. It's a total rip off!

STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!

I'm afraid I actually like the flowerpot idea. Good for the NYC market where they probably do need the extra 12 cubic inches or so of space to store the fertilizer and a trowel.

Not every invention will work for every consumer. Nearly every inventor thinks their idea is best. Nearly everyone else thinks they have a way they can improve on the invention. That said, I've made no secret of the fact that I think Quirky needs to spend a lot more time thinking about the potential profitability of products.

If the item can only get a profit of $1, I'd like to see them guestimate that it would sell at LEAST 100,000 of them (what I perceive as the Bandits model)
If the item can get a profit of $100, then fewer units need to be sold, say 10,000.
While I know it can be difficult to predict exactly how much profit a particular design could make before design is complete, there are definitely rules of thumb for categories in various market categories. (Grocery and clothing are particularly slim margin items generally, but designer purses clearly make much more per unit than the 10.99 types you pick up at Walmart)

Gizmoe, you forgot to add we get it back with no hopes of getting it licensed with no protection...if they ever decide to create a company that wants to produce new products to the market instead of just great designs with a tweak, that will be the day I give my best ideas a whirl here...I have accepted quirky for what it is...

We're on the the island of misfit products?

Wow, I had Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer flash back @Uno

@Douglas Larson

You are entitled to your opinion, of course. Not everyone is going to do things the way you think or do. That’s what makes this an artistic place, a place that colors outside the lines. I love Quirky for allowing anyone, from 18 to 105 the ability to submit an idea/invention. These inventions and ideas are an effort to make things BETTER and EASIER.

Please realize that some of the ideators here are children (with parents guiding). Children (and others) don’t always have luxury of wisdom or experience to research their ideas or maybe thoroughly draw out a schematic. But they have an idea they want to submit, something that helps make things BETTER. Who knows, maybe Quirky becomes the next “America’s Got Talent” for inventors and the youngest one has the most extraordinary idea that the world should know about.

Edit: Parent with child.

@Suzanna, none of the ideators here should be children. The terms & conditions (that everyone agrees to when they create an account) state: "This Site is intended solely for users who are eighteen (18) years of age or older. Any registration by, use of or access to the Site by anyone under 18 is unauthorized, unlicensed and in violation of these Terms of Use. By using the Services or the Site, you represent and warrant that you are 18 or older, and that you agree to and will abide by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement." If you know of an account that belongs to someone that is underage, you should report it to Quirky.

@I have seen people with their children here, so perhaps a parent is guiding them with their ideas.

You've seen people with their children here? What do you mean? I've seen people with their children in their avatar but that's the extent of it. Yes, I'm sure many members here have children.

A real winner invention would be to find a way to make everybody happy:)...

my 2 cents on the above... Ford is often mistaken to have invented the automobile, primarily because he was the pioneer of the assembly line. It seems nearly impossible to pinpoint the actual visioneer/inventor of it(after google searching), as there were so many people back then worldwide who had their ideas in on the mission, different variations, trials and errors, etc... (sound familiar??) Just like we have here, people chiming in with their 2 cents (cuz we know everyone has a measly 2 cents). SO, having said that, that is the nature of the invention world, we kind of need to accept that. Kind of like a LIFE thing... Everything is reinvented anyway, everything. Yes, I agree and feel you on your point with some of the silliness and "c'mon, for real?" take on some of the ideas, but I think it's safe to admit, ideas lead to other ideas, and who knows? And for 10 bucks, it's a fun and wholesome way to pass some time. And if one thinks Quirky (or anything, for that matter) is silly, perhaps it isn't for them. (Kind of like a bad date... just not meant to be, move on). I mean, it IS called QUIRKY. And the cause is all good. As for any alleged derogatory claims against Quirky, whether true or not, they are just as worldy as anyone and anything... Heaven is the only place I can imagine any guarantees. The opportunity to submit an idea out there for $10 with potential to exposure, recognition, feedback, be out on the market, is great. Again, to make everyone happy... that'd be the day.

Judging ones idea is fair, it's what we are here for, but raining on a parade was not in the forcast for this community, so I understand. Matter of fact comments are welcome.