The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 427

1 What yuppies want, yuppies get- many of them get it from Richard Thalheimer. His highly successful, -filled catalogue, The Sharper Image, has a circulation of more than 50 million. In the late '70s, lawyer Thalheimer made his seed money selling watches to joggers. Today he heads a San Francisco based company that this year will take in more than $100 million of the upwardly mobiles' disposable income. His eight stores include one in downtown Los Angeles and another, just opened, in La Jolla.

So Says Richard Thalheimer BY DAVID RENSIN If you're a cardinal in the yuppie hierarchy, who is the Pope? Are you proud of being a yuppie? We'd have to define yuppieand there are several criteria- -but if you did it just on money, I think that Steven Jobs (co-founder and former chairman of Apple Computer) would have to win hands down. Perhaps you'd also put George Lucas and Steven Spielberg in that category. But that's not to say that those people are necessarily enjoying the accouterments. Steven Jobs has hardly furnished his home, for goodness' sake. I guess I (am) perhaps the ultimate yuppie.

I used to think that was a disparaging thing, but it's become sort of respectable. Do you mind paying taxes? No, but I think it's a shame that the money is not used intelligently. I'm not referring to philosophical choices like defense or social services. I mean that once we make a decision to spend money in an area, we don't necessarily get our money's worth. What do you do with junk mail? Throw out about without reading it.

Most advertising in this country is an insult to the consumer. Do Americans generally get what they pay for? In many areas, yes. It's amazing how many items such as TVs, washers, VCRs, even cars, are bid down to a competitive level. But there are other areas where you get very little for your money. Contracting, for in- David Rensin is a Los Angeles writer.

stance. Try to put an addition on alogue reflect the man? your home, and the plumber wants $52 hour. Who in Well, I'm a fitness freak, so I an your company makes $52 an hour? have the $4,000 Universal Home Gym. It's a high end luxury product that most people can't afford or Ever have any shopping night- don't have for. I also have the room mares? Nautilus home machines and the Every Christmas, because I have Acu-Massage Table, a portable bed a lot of trouble buying things for that gives you a heavy back massage people.

Most retail stores don't offer through built-in rollers. But I hate to give Because I'm a business person, I exciting things. from The Sharper Image, have a cellular telephone in my car. presents because it looks like I didn't work I have Insta-Dial, which is a calculaat it hard enough. tor-size product that automatically dials your numbers and holds 85 of them.

I have had a duck phone at What do you want for Christ- times. I also have the suit of armor. mas? I've wanted one all my life, so I wouldn't mind a castle in there's one in the office and one at France. home. The Sharper Image Catalog is reQ: Who is your favorite new entre- ally just a reflection of a life style preneur? that is somewhat material goods, travel and leisure -time activities.

I've never met her, but probably Certainly there are other things in Debbi Fields of Mrs. Fields Cookies. life besides those, but in that realm She started something, it's grown the catalogue reflects my life. rapidly, and she's done a tremen- Exactly. dous job.

And at the same time she manages to raise a family. I don't know how she does it. What scares you? One simple thing: It scares me You once issued a catalogue for that we have created a technology women. What did you learn about that, because we are imperfect still, them from the experience? is hurting us in random ways of That one shouldn't generalize which we are not aware. At one about men and women.

I'd gotten point in the past, there was so little so heady with success that I thought technology that it was hard to get I could figure out anything. I don't hurt. At some point in the future, we know anything about what women will be so technologically advanced want. But if one still wants to gener- that we will know the consequences alize, then most men and some of our actions. Right now we're livwomen want to buy the newest ing in the Middle Ages.

Nuclear things, but most women would rath- power plants are a perfect example. er buy clothes. We're living with something chancy. So, I just wonder if I will end up in Which of The Sharper Image that or who will suffer from items are indispensable to you? In the byproducts of these new things other words, how much does the cat- we've created. 0 PHOTOGRAPH BY RON SCHERL 19.