Show 6B Standard-Examin- July 12 1981 Sunday er Waferbed businesses awash in success despite mild resistance So acceptable has it become By FRED FERRETT1 1981 NY Time NEW YORK — That curious and somewhat exotic vestige of the 1960s the waterbed currently ebbing and flowing in its second decade has emerged despite occasional opposition to it as a very big business In 1968 the first year that waterbeds were publicly marketed nationwide sales grossed $40000 according to the industry’s trade group in Los Angeles the Waterbed Manufacturers’ Association In the 12 years since the waterbed has changed dramatically from the plastic bag filled with water so beloved by the avant-gard- e young to an almost staid water-filleversion of a standard bed acceptable to Middle America that last try One of the chloride mattress that is filled with wabed ter — 150 gallons for a double-siz- e — and placed 180 gallons for queen-siz- e within a wood frame that is itself lined with a layer of heavy vinyl This basic bed the “Platform” as it is known comes as a unit with mattress largest waterbed retailers The most expensive waterbeds are fitted with custom headboards and from canopies They sell anywhere elabohow $1000 to $1500 depending on rate they are Not only does the waterbed provide a comfortable surface on which to sleep — perhaps a bit too wavy for some — but it also has come to be used more and more in hospitals most recently to reduce the incidence of breathing problems for premature infants And some motels make use of waterbeds advertising them as a liner platform heater and thermostat and it is sold generally for about $200 to $250 according to Howard Mandeville manager of Aqua Bed the largest retail waterbed outlet in New York City But there is also what Robinson calls the “Hybrid” In addition to making platforms at Trend West Robinson makes Hybrids which are virtual copies of box springs and innerspring mattress in the country the Bedroom which has six outlets in the San Francisco Bay area is approaching $20 million in annual sales according to one of its founders and vice president Irv Skeoch who says “Waterbed stores are all over the Coast Even the department stores are selling them these days” Waterbeds now come in all sizes and d sets The mattress is a waterbed but with its vinyl covered with ticking so that it resembles a traditional mattress The box spring is just that a box spring These can cost anywhere from $179 up he says shapes The basic waterbed and still the one most in demand is a polyvinyl year’s sales reached $1 billion an increase of $250 million over 1979 and says Henry Robinson the association’s president “we’ll keep getting bigger and bigger” Robinson is the head of Trend West in Carson Calif the largest manufacturer of waterbeds in the coun- gateway to some sort of nirvana And that new generation of Survivalists who have been stockpiling food rifles and ammunition has found in the mattresses a perfect storage tank for water Possibly because of its San Francisco origins the waterbed is still largely a West Coast phenomenon Nevertheless it is becoming more acceptable throughout other areas of the country according to Robinson But its spread in the East has been somewhat limited because of restrictions imposed by landlords who don’t want the waterbeds in their apartment buildings For this reason the more consistent growth in the sales of waterbeds has been in the New York City suburbs rather than in the city 150-gall- on love is mm iC“l A VSHW PRICES GOOD JULY 12 THRU JULY 18 1981 RETAIL QUANTITIES taking time out to be yourselves i j Til Reg T96 1 U S Pat Oft —all rights reserved SAVE ON FAMOUS BRANDS THAT YOUR FAMILY ASKS FOR! I os Aretes Times Syndicate Guidelines big help to buyer of hair dryer HAWAIIAN PUNCH Consumer Reports editor Light comfortable to hold and able to dry your hair at the speed and temperature you like without the noise you hate: those are the qualities you’re probably looking for if you want to buy a blow dryer By and large you have to make these judgments for yourself — but there are some guidelines Although no one blow dryer is likely to please everyone certain basic criteria common to almost anyone’s selection include speed (how fast the appliance can dry hair) durability and safety Consumer Reports Ml' Flavor Crystal5 4 Necta Sweet Tablets SI7 Necta Sweet Tablets & Wilderness Apple Filling Assorted Fruit Drinks ASSORTED TOPPINGS s123 100 s115 75 Batteries $1159 $1129 U 45-o- for the Dryer Bounce SOFTENER Label 356 ounces z Crisco FABRIC 10C Off some tt but Gallon DEEP HEAT RUB tt Menthulatum BOUNUS PACK Sore-ld- a speed tests showed that the actual variety of air flow options that the unit could deliver did not always equal the number of their settings On the GE Super Pro for example three of the four Tube Hash Browns Sh2r4edoded Bubble Yum Bubble Gum Certs Assorted Flavors 24S © Luv's Diapers nearly the same What size dryer is best for you: That’s you’ll something to decide ie-o- 69 Label S1Q7 85 z liEL Eveready "D" 3 $1U 3UUC3I 55-o- Are the $1194 z 46 LABEL 4 PACK 39c 43c 9oz 75-o- Z 48-o- Plastic Nurser s129 roi Bag 64-o- z bottle oz evenio Plastic Sugar $0)85 $3)10 89 30 5-- COMPLETE 8-- Pure Cane Granulated LABEL 35C Nurser COMPLETE Plastic Nurser WITH NIPPLE 4-- bottle oz ft s309 Woolite Liquid COLD SOAP WATER $n 79 I 16-o- z i Excedrin Tablets STRENGTH EXTRA ESrin U Bottle 4 PACK WITH NIPPLE btl z C&H Downy Liquid OFF LAUNDRY DETERGENT comfort-able- ? 25C OFF 29 Plastic evenlp Nurser Oil 83 - 165-o- Z Grisco 30C Off 103 5-- ct ! Bar Zest Beauty Deodorant Soap HOE your- self Before you buy one hold the models you like in your hand evenflo Nursing Pads $1199 36 count 100-- ct REG $349 35 OFF LABEL switches easy for you to locate and use? See if the cord gets in the way Conveniences vary from model to model If you plan to travel Apple Juice Ban Frozen with your dryer is one 84-o- z convenientlyover-If SHOUT LIQUID you’re going seas you’ll want one that can operate on DETERGENT 10 OFF LABEL volts Dryers fold to whose handles form a stand will free 25-o- 22-o- bottle REVLON your hands for styling your hair None of the dryers z contained asbestos heat shields and all of them passed elec- S11 69 CALG0NITE DOUBLE ACTION 25C Off Label 48-o- z pkg trical safety tests balsam a PHOTON n BALSAM 6-- r rffooafc S Esme oz Soft Hairspray VTED YOUR sn 40 CHOICE 12-o- z 219 7-- oz can count 3 PACK Pink-Fo- r evenio Nipples Milk 3 count PACK btl Bottle FLEX NET HOLD AMtGTEIN $5)29 Vaseline Lotion FLEX CONDITIONER OR SHAMPOO 16-o- z r evenio Nipples Water $1139 CHOICE FLEX z Blue-Fo- Intensive Care $906 YOUR The big safety precaution however is up to the user The dryer should be used away from the water preferably in the bedroom to avoid shock hazard and unplugged when not in use The three models which received the Roll-O- n Regular or Unscented Tree Top that you’ll want small enough to pack i ' 13 © Jiffy Cake Mixes Assorted ©Jiffy Frosting Mix Fudge £2 Betty Crocker Frostings temperatures were 240 SH 166 oz ©Squeeze Parkay Margate ©ElCharrito © Betty Crocker laKxes Asst- However Are they Batteries Oil dry- ers were speedy oo and even the 1000-wamodels could hold their own in this competition The majority of the dryers offered two or more combinations of temperature and air have 4 PACK $173 models proved to be among the quickest 1200-wa- Eveready ”C" U 4 PACK 16-o- z ASSORTED FLAVOR CRYSTALS MAKES 10 QUARTS by staff members Most of the units evaluated cost less than $25 How fast could the units dry hair? The Bar Camay Beauty Buy Get One Free 3 PLAIN OR PEANUT HAWAIIAN PUNCH laboratory and in home evaluations Candies M&IVI i6-oz- s1 © Five Alive Fruit Punch ORc£wn2oZ99 OJ © Minute Maid 100 both in the tt z pkg 39c - KITCHEN TREAT BRAND 16-o- S3 21 oz MM sm s149 119 a 54-o- z qualities 1400-wa- 500 Wagner Orange Drink S Sweet'n Low Granulated Sugar Sub ©Minute Maid Orange Juice tested engineers in 26 these models soo c S25cSraam Hi-- C EL -- FLAVOR CRYSTALS MAKES 15 QUARTS 53 OUNCES out wS®! large Vv evenio Nipples Juice Orange-Fo- r 3 count PACK highest ratings — the GE Super Pro 6 JC Penney 1180 and Sears 1200 — were also among the fastest dryers tested r e - 4 -- i |