Computerland - Failure Museum

ComputerLand

ComputerLand was one of the largest personal computer retailers in the world in the 1980s, but it collapsed in the early 1990s. In the early PC era customers needed help choosing and installing computers so ComputerLand focused on distribution thro ...

TRS-80 Color Computer - Failure Museum

TRS-80 Computer

Launched in 1977 by Radio Shack, the TRS-80 had difficulty keeping up with Apple and IBM who were building ecosystems. Radio Shack sales staff were trained to sell batteries and CB radios, not complex business systems, while corporate buyers prefer ...

ColecoVision - Failure Museum

ColecoVision

Launched in 1982 and discontinued in 1985, ColecoVision, was a video game console that brought arcade-quality graphics to the home. It was launched just before the North America video game crash as retailers were drowning in unsold consoles and gam ...

Sega Saturn - Failure Museum

Sega Saturn

Launched in 1995, Sega Saturn had difficulty competing against Sony's PlayStation resulting in selling 9 million units worldwide vs. PlayStation selling over 100 million. PlayStation had simpler, developer-friendly architecture leading to low devel ...

Saks Fifth Avenue - Failure Museum

Saks Fifth Avenue

In 2026, Saks was the biggest name in high-end retail to file for bankruptcy since the pandemic. For more than a century, Saks served as a gateway for U.S. shoppers to discover coveted European brands. However, consumers can now turn to the intern ...

iRobot - Failure Museum

iRobot

iRobot depended too heavily on robot vacuums, which became commoditized, and had limited success expanding into adjacent home robotics. Post-Covid demand collapsed, retail inventory piled up, and promotions destroyed margins.

Jolt Cola - Failure Museum

Jolt Cola

Launched in 1985, Jolt Cola had "all the sugar and twice the caffeine." However, in the 1990s energy drinks exploded (Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar). Those brands delivered more caffeine than Jolt and were marketed more aggressively to younger consume ...

Presto Burger - Failure Museum

Presto Burger

Launched in 1974, the Presto Burger was a small, electric hamburger cooker marketed as a "mini-appliance" designed to cook a hamburger quickly (in about a minute) with minimal mess. However, grease spattered everywhere, the device frequently produc ...

Hot Dogger - Failure Museum

Presto Hot Dogger

Launched in 1974, the Presto Hot Dogger was an electric hot dog cooker that could cook several hot dogs at once by electrifying metal prongs that pierced the ends of each hot dog - essentially using electricity to heat the meat directly. However, ma ...

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - Failure Museum

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League lasted from 1943 to 1954. The league was founded during World War II when many male baseball players were serving oversees. Once the war ended and MLB returned in full force in 1946, fan attentio ...