Cell Phone
No - A New Way to Save Your Sole
by
Christina Zona
Dance Notes Nov/Dec 2002
If you're tired of being jabbed or cut by your old wooden shoe brush, try this innovative new brush for dance shoes designed by dancers. Bernard Matos and Marcia Halpern d.b.a. Bermar Holdings, LLC are the owners who have turned the ugly, wooden shoe brushes into works of art. Check out their website at www. ballroomshoebrush.corn to get your very own folding shoe brush. Wholesale or special orders contact Bernie or Marcia at 561-622-8560 or email: info@thesolesaver. com
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How
did you get involved in dancing?
Marcia:
I've
been a ballet and jazz dancer for 30 years. A dancer friend started ballroom and
introduced me to ballroom dancing.
Bernie:
As
a bandleader and sax player, it never occurred to me that I should learn to
dance. But when dating a particular woman, she made it her business that I learn
dancing or I didn't get rewarded! After we parted, I stopped for a while and
found I really missed dancing, so I began the long road of
learning “The Dance ”.
How
did you get the idea for a folding shoe brush?
Marcia:
I had
a tortoise shell barrette that opened up into a hairbrush. I thought it was very
clever. I was aggravated always getting stabbed or scratched by the wooden
brush, which is so ugly. One night I said, "Why doesn't someone make a nice
looking shoe brush like this barrette/brush?" We looked at each other and
said, "Why don't we do it?" So we did!
Bernie:
Being
a male and knowing I was given an order to design a brush to solve my love's
problem, I removed myself to the garage and with wood and
epoxy in hand, the Folding Shoe Brush was born. Having stabbed ourselves many
times, we felt there was a need for something like this. The old brush is such
an eyesore amongst all the glitz and glamour of the ballroom world. It was time
for a change.
Why is it better than a regular shoe brush?
Marcia: It is better because it folds in half to cover the bristles, which are the same bristles that are stapled on that big chunk of wood that continually stabs everyone. It is attractively designed and engineered. It almost looks like a small cell phone. It fits in a pocket or can be thrown into a purse or shoe bag and not hurt anyone or anything. And we now carry our brush in a variety of colors.
Have
you had any problems manufacturing the
brushes?
Marcia: I've been very concerned about a problem we had concerning quality control with the manufacturer. The glue wasn't holding the bristles. It was drying out and the bristles came out. We have resolved the problem with help of the 3M company to find the right glue. The ones that are being manufactured now are working fine. We don't have the old ones anymore. But I have wondered why no one ever called to complain. Recently I did get an email from a man who had bought 10 brushes and he said most of them were having this problem. We are sending him replacements. My concern is that there are people out there who have bought a brush and the bristles came out and they now think the brush is a piece of junk and may tell others. If anyone has purchased one of our brushes in the past and are having a problem with the bristles, we will take it back and send them a replacement.
Do
you have a store?
Bernie: We work from our home offices,
running several businesses. We do have a website where we use the Paypal system
to take credit cards.
Do
you sell to shoe companies or other dance supply retailers?
Marcia: Yes we do. Many retailers
carry the brush. Showtime Dance Shoes carries them with their logo on it. It is
also available to Arthur Murray franchises with the Arthur Murray logo.
Customizing is available in both private label logo and color at an additional
cost. At the Emerald Ball, Wayne Eng gave them to his package holders as a gift.
Laura and Armando Martin gave them away at a Fred Astaire comp. Even the
University of North Carolina's college dance team used them as a fundraiser.
Bernie puts a lot of time in perfecting their logo designs so that they fit
nicely on our brush.
What are
the most often asked questions about the folding shoe brush?
Marcia: Does it work like my old
brush? The answer is yes. A coarser bristle brush will also be available shortly
for those who desire the "Killer of Brushes."
Bernie: I love seeing people's faces
when I hand them one of our brushes for the first time. They say things like,
"What is it? Is it a cell phone?" "I wish I had it 5 minutes ago;
look at my cut finger." "It's still sore and I jabbed it 3 days
ago." "That's cool! I'm surprised no one thought of it before."
Contact Information
Bermar Holdings, LLC
142 Lost Bridge Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410
Phone
561-622-8560 Fax 561-622-4076
info@thesolesaver.com