Life is full of problems, big and small, and while we can’t always tackle the big ones — like saving enough money to manage an emergency or quickly replace a car on the verge of dying — we’re grateful to know there are solutions to the niggling ones, like an overabundance of facial or nose hairs, or cracked heels.

At this very moment, a budding inventor may be thinking of a solution to your next dilemma. If he or she is lucky, that newfangled thingamajig will make it onto the shelves of the As Seen on TV Store Hawaii.

This month, the store is celebrating its ninth anniversary at Ward Warehouse and third anniversary at Ala Moana Center with sales and a gift of a purse-size perfume atomizer with purchases of $50 or more. In addition, go to the company’s Facebook page and hit the "like" button, and you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate at the store, where only a handful of items top $19.95.

The store is where the curious can congregate to see their favorite TV gadgets in action. Display models of nearly all the products carried are available for shoppers to see, touch and try.

Once the province of late-night infomercials, and available in only limited quantities at drug and big-box stores, As Seen on TV products represent an array of independently manufactured and marketed items. After a long career in direct-response advertising, Hashem Sharifi gathered the products under one roof to open his first As Seen on TV Store Hawaii at Ward Warehouse.

He started the old-fashioned way in 1984 in Boston, hawking practical wares at trade shows, state and county fairs, and other places people might be receptive to a good sales pitch.

Although the products promise to make our lives or various tasks easier in some way, it’s not always evident when looking at a gizmo sitting on a store shelf, whether it’s the Yoshi Blade ("Guaranteed to stay sharp!") or Oxi-Clean ("So versatile you’ll never need another stain remover!"). It took a strong pitchman like the late Billy Mays to call attention to products and convince TV viewers their lives are not complete without Oxi-Clean, Orange Glo wood cleaner, the Ultimate Chopper kitchen tool, and the Samurai Shark knife sharpener.

Sharifi said a good pitchman can sell more merchandise in a few hours than a typical retail store, but once a product becomes a television hit, people are eager to seek it out. Chances are most Americans didn’t know they needed a Snuggie — the sleeved fleece blanket — before it hit TV. Since its debut in 2009, 30 million Snuggies have been sold. Those who cozied up to the Snuggie ($19.95) now can buy its successor, the Forever Lazy fleece blanket pajama ($19.95).

Sharifi said Hawaii is a good market for his stores because his prices are relatively low and because shoppers are impatient with the four- to six-week wait associated with mail-order shipping.

And, not all the advertisers ship their products to Hawaii.

"Nothing beats the opportunity to see and touch the products on the shelves. In most cases, there are testers on the floor that customers are welcome to play with," said Sharifi, who still hits the trade shows, but now as a buyer on the lookout for the next big thing.

He says coming into the store can be overwhelming to some shoppers, who may only vaguely remember having seen something on TV they might need.

"We walk them around and show them products that might remind them. We have up to 500 products so people feel like they’re kids in a candy shop."

The stores are organized by categories, and because most of the shoppers are women, Sharifi said, the most popular category is health and beauty, followed by kitchen goods. Recently, he’s begun to add more fashionable — but still practical — items to store shelves, including a wide-brimmed sun hat that folds into a little straw clutch for travel and beachgoing ease, as well as comfortable Sidekicks folding ballet flats that also tuck into a little pouch to throw into your car or purse for those times when you know your day will outlast your tired, heel-clad feet.

The business relies on a continual flow of new products and novelty, and among the most popular items today are the Bake Pops kit for making cake pops for the kids, the eco-friendly Orgreenic nonstick ceramic skillet, and the Swivel Sweeper for quick cleanup tasks. The No. 1 product since last fall has been Flex Seal, the quick-fix rubber sealant in an aerosol can that promises miracles on a par with duct tape.

"When it rains, people find out they have a leaky roof and they can’t afford to replace it, so they buy this for $14.95," Sharifi said.

Prices in the store generally range from $9.95 to $19.95, the upward limit to what most people are spontaneously willing to spend. Sharifi believes that’s a small price to pay "for products that make life easier and provide simple solutions for everyday problems."

We took some of the As Seen on TV health and beauty products on a test spin:

Neck Magic Air Cushion

When I placed this inflatable cushion around my neck, I felt like I’d become one of the Kayan women of Burma who wear brass coils to elongate their necks. Here, the coils are of a plastic/vinyl material that closes around the neck with Velcro strips.

Sitting up straight, with feet on the floor, you squeeze a ball pump a little at a time to reach the desired pressure and comfort level. The cushion was designed to relieve tight muscles, neck discomfort and tension headaches, and to help improve posture. It does the third well by lifting your chin and holding your neck straight. One of my slouchy friends used it and said she felt like her guts finally had room to breathe. But for stress relief, the plastic wasn’t very comfortable and it had a strong plastic smell that lingered during the two weeks I used it, despite several washings.

My neck felt a little looser after using the Neck Magic Air Cushion, but for my purposes, a fabric neck cushion does the trick just as well. Price: $19.95.

— Nancy Arcayna

Micro-Touch Max All-In-One Personal Trimmer

The invention of bright little LED lights has given a new lease on life for certain products. Sales are lagging? Add an LED! That’s pretty much the case with this pretty standard little trimmer that operates by running a cam that flicks a blade between tiny teeth, like a little bitty hedge trimmer. It sounds like a frightened gerbil on a unicycle when operating, but does the job — the rapidity of the cutting, plus the safely sheathed cutting teeth, ensure hair is cut closely without pulling. The resultant smoothness is in between that of shaving and trimming with scissors. The trick is getting the right angle, plus overcoming any natural wariness of jamming a tiny hedge trimmer into the holes of your head.

The unit comes with a couple of "comb" attachments; one fit well and the other didn’t. These are used to make sure your hair is trimmed to a certain length. This is handy if you want to get rid of your grandpa eyebrows but are afraid of trimming them down to grandma eyebrows.

If you already have a micro-trimmer in good operating condition, this new one isn’t necessary. But if you’re in the market for one, the Micro-Touch does the job. Price: $11.95.

— Burl Burlingame

The Belly Burner

The idea of wrapping this neoprene belt around the waist and watching inches disappear, if it works, would be a dream come true to many a middle-ager with a middle to show for the years. So I was up to the task, except, the salesperson emphasized, "You have to be active." As in, exercise.

Noooo. The reason most people would buy this belt is to lose inches without the bother of exercise. If you exercise regularly and eat sensibly, of course the inches will eventually come off. I thought I’d give it a shot to see what would happen with normal sedentary use. I wore it under many an empire dress for two weeks, 10 hours a day, on days I was unlikely to be hugged. It never took long to work up a sweat, and knowing I had it on provided awareness of picking up the pace on the long walks to and from my car. The perspiration was contained, so didn’t feel particularly icky until the washable belt is removed and you feel your heated, damp belly.

At the end of the two weeks, my 30-inch waist was down to 28, 6 inches away from my college size, but I suspect it’s more fluctuating water weight than lost fat. Local fitness expert Egan Inoue said you could get the same effect by wearing a sweatshirt during a workout. Consumer Reports also put the Belly Burner Belt to the test with a metabolic analyzer to calculate calories spent while jogging. The result: "We really didn’t find big differences in calories burned," said writer Alex Willen.

The belt is not likely to do any harm, unless your skin is sensitive to perspiration, and it comes with a handy and sensible two-week meal-planning guide, a calorie-counting list and booklet on how to achieve successful weight loss, such as exercising, avoiding sugary foods and eating regularly to keep your metabolism steady. If you follow the guidelines, you’ll likely lose inches, with or without the Belly Burner. Cost: $24.95.

— Nadine Kam

Sure Clip Nail Trimmer

This product belongs in the "better mousetrap" category. Nail clippers, which use curved blades biting down via lever action, hit their ultimate design potential decades ago, and if you look past the attachments cobbled onto the Sure Clip, there’s a traditional nail clipper hidden within, a big sturdy one. It’s the gimcracks that make this special. They are well-thought-out, enough to make this a recommended purchase, particularly if you’re at an age when seeing and reaching your toes is problematical.

The Sure Clip has four improvements: an LED light to illuminate the work area; a magnifying lens, to enlarge the work area, that’s on a rubberized axle for easy positioning and removal; enlarged, rubberized levers that make the action of clipping more sure-handed and lighter; and an opening recess that collects the clippings so they don’t go flying off like shrapnel.

Under the top lever is a metal file for sanding down the newly cut nails. Price: $12.95. — Burl Burlingame

Creaclip

Now that I have bangs, my hairstylist told me to come in any time for a complimentary trim. "Don’t cut your own bangs," she warned, as if she could read my mind. Unlike an English sheepdog, accustomed to having its long hair covering its eyes, I like to see without feeling like there’s a miniature curtain in front of me. Little did my stylist know I was about to experiment with the CreaClip, a leveling device created by local hairstylist and inventor Mai Lieu that can be clamped around hair, allowing you to trim your own (or the kids’) bangs with confidence.

Without knowledge of the intricacies of cutting hair, and with natural waves that take off in every direction, I would be leery of performing an all-around cut, adding layers and such. But for my quick-growing bangs that are straight-ahead and straight across, using the CreaClip beats a trip to the salon. Price: $19.99. — Nadine Kam

Walkfit Platinum Orthotics

WalkFit Platinum Orthotics may offer relief for folks suffering from collapsed arches or other foot problems. The inserts, which come in sizes for men and women, have soft, gel heel pads. The packaging boasts they are designed to put your body back into proper alignment, relieving shoulder, lower back, hip, knee and foot pain.

I wore them for a couple hours the first time and tried them for longer periods on successive days, as the instructions say it can take a few weeks for your feet to adjust to the inserts. I’m not sure many Hawaii women would wear them on a daily basis because, although comfortable, they are intended to slip into closed shoes, not the open-toe and strappy sandals typically worn here. They did fit perfectly into my boots and sneakers, and my feet — often achy after work or exercise — felt fine when I used the inserts.

You may want to consult a podiatrist before purchasing this product to make sure it’s right for you, especially if you have diabetes or circulation problems. Price: $24.95. — Nancy Arcayna

Sidekicks

A few weeks ago, one of the straps on my shoes broke. At that moment I wished I had a spare pair of heels at hand. Enter Sidekicks, which look like ballet flats and are perfect to wear in the office or to swap out after a long day or evening in painful high heels.

The shoes, in basic black, stylish colors, metallics and animal prints, can be folded up into a small matching pouch that can be thrown into a purse or the glove compartment of a car. They’re also the perfect traveling companion. Slip them on and off for airport security, and when you’re on the plane as well.

Although they are comfortable, the sole doesn’t provide much support, so the Sidekicks are not suitable for walking for long stretches. Price: $19.95.

— Nancy Arcayna

Contact the As Seen on TV Store Hawaii Ala Moana store at 593-7712; at Ward Warehouse, 944-4780.