Blue Ridge must really be on the map now

I was approached by the guys in the infamous white van the other day with a deal I couldn’t refuse: the chance to try out my new video cam and my first video blog post that might also happen to get me whacked. As this was my initial, hurried stab at undercover investigative reporting, I was a bit nervous, and the looks on their faces when I pulled out the video cam reminded me of a possum caught in the headlights (frozen yet snarling) and was enough to convince me to keep the lens pointed at the product and the recording brief.

Dripping with old-school bling (goldenelle) and sweaty, cheap cologne, usually a group of 3-4 of these sheisters will surround you and flash a flurry of business licenses, business cards, and music magazine ads showing their product—hah, they bought an ad that month! Unfortunately, they were all out of brochures when I inquired. They even have a website with their elevated “retail prices” posted so you can see what a killer deal you’re getting out of the back of Guido’s van.

For those unfamiliar with this scam, these guys troll bank and strip mall parking lots offering “killer deals” on mediocre speakers probably made in China. The best part about these “Theater Research” Elite speakers is how they look, not how they sound. Nonetheless, I have read anonymous forum posts that basically said they were good-looking and OK-sounding at the ebay prices. So if you must have them, don’t spend more than a nice dinner (I’d opt for the dinner) and know that returns and warranty work are not options.

What blows my mind is they attempted this one on me in Atlanta when I was a teenager and it’s apparently still producing, though it’s evolved to include the Internet and most likely their target market has moved way beyond the burbs. Caveat Emptor: don’t buy speakers from the back of anyone’s truck, even in Blue Ridge.