PrintLegendary NYC Vegetable Peeler Salesman Joe Ades, 75
"... no one believed his answer to the 'So what do you do?' question: 'I sell potato peelers on the street.'"
One of Joe Ades' vegetable peelers. Photograph from La Mariposa on Flickr
If you live in New York or have visited as a tourist, it's more than likely you've seen the compelling salesmanship of Joe Ades, vegetable-peeler extraordinaire. Mr. Ades died on Sunday. He was 75.
Mr. Ades' five-minute pitch was hypnotic, and whenever I saw him on a corner—in Midtown, at Union Square (he had various favorite locations)—I'd always stop to watch, even though I'd seen his spiel countless times and even though I had already bought a couple of his peelers. (They really do work well and, as he claimed, mine has never needed sharpening.)
With bins full of vegetables, Ades would demonstrate the utility of the stainless steel Swiss peeler that made him a wealthy man ("one for $5, two for $10, five for $20"). He'd deftly remove the eyes from potatoes and show how easy it was to julienne carrots or to slice them into stars ("you do that for the kids and they'll eat their veggies"). [A video of Mr. Ades in action appears after the jump.]
Always nattily dressed in a suit and tie, no matter the weather, Ades was the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles that recounted his almost Dickensian trajectory from Manchester, England, to the streets of New York City.
As the New York Times says in Mr. Ades' obituary:
His was a particular kind of street theater in a city that delights in in-your-face characters who are, and are not, what they seem. For he was the sidewalk pitchman with the Upper East Side apartment. The sidewalk pitchman who was a regular at expensive East Side restaurants, where no one believed his answer to the “So what do you do?” question: “I sell potato peelers on the street.” Mr. Ades (pronounced AH-dess) died on Sunday at 75, said his daughter, Ruth Ades Laurent of Manhattan. She said he never talked about how many peelers he sold in a year, or how many carrots he had sliced up during demonstrations. She said he stashed his inventory in what had been the maid’s room of the apartment.
So entrancing was his pitch that I'd always wanted to muster the resources of Serious Eats and do a short video documentary on Mr. Ades. But like many of the city's unofficial landmarks and quirky treasures we take for granted, he passed from the scene far too early. This video, though, captures the essence of this charming self-described grafter.
Our condolences go out to Mr. Ades' family and friends. He will be missed.
Joe Ades, the Peeler Guy of New York
Related
His Stage, the Street; His Rapier, a Peeler [New York Times]
RIP Joe Ades, Union Square Peeler Peddler [SE Talk]
The Gentleman Grafter [Vanity Fair]
Perfect Pitch [New York Daily News]
Potato Peelers Put Him on Park Avenue [MSNBC]
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38 Comments:
I love this guy! He's so passionate about these darn peelers and he offers buy 4 get 1 free, a deal you cannot pass up. At first they didn't seem to work right, but when you hold the entire peeler almost flush with the surface it works better than any peeler I've ever used, it really is incredible. Don't miss him if you go to NY!
nstrand at 12:22PM on 02/03/09
Well I clearly didn't read the first paragraph, this is horrible news.... Such a nice man and so passionate about his product, he truly was a NY icon and will be missed.
nstrand at 12:24PM on 02/03/09
What a salesman! Truly a dying art form.
This video makes me regret not buying a peeler when I had the chance.
tacorific at 12:37PM on 02/03/09
I am kicking myself. He was so ubiquitous that I always figured I'd just buy one "next time".
Michele Humes at 12:38PM on 02/03/09
Poor choice of words there 'tacorific'...
Chefhorn at 12:43PM on 02/03/09
Wow, I wish I had been or lived in NYC to see him. Is there anywhere we can get these peelers now that he has passed on?
Rest in Peace Joe.
elpipetuanis at 12:50PM on 02/03/09
Priceless sound bite: "You only want one!? You have no friends."
Joe DiStefano at 12:51PM on 02/03/09
I'm a turd....completely missed that. sorry.
tacorific at 12:53PM on 02/03/09
I'll truly miss this guy. I bought one and still use it, but I am curious how as to how he passed...
StarvingArtist at 12:56PM on 02/03/09
@tacorific: Don't worry about it. We know you didn't mean any harm by it.
Adam Kuban at 12:58PM on 02/03/09
Awww, what a sweet gent. Don't think I ever had the pleasure. He had the same cadence and speech pattern as Cary Grant and some of the old time movie stars.
PerkyMac at 1:04PM on 02/03/09
I'll miss him...he was a regular two minute stop for me while shopping at the market on saturdays in union square....
@Michele Humes -- same. i always thought "next time"....
korovka at 1:12PM on 02/03/09
I saw Mr. Ades in Union Square and Borough Hall. After 4 years of hearing his pitch, I bought one of those peelers.
God protect the person who breaks or loses it. It's my baby. I love it.
R.I.P. Joe Ades. My condolences to the Ades family.
Sigma_Greg at 1:27PM on 02/03/09
Wow, I really want one of those peelers now. Any New Yorkers want to volunteer getting one from his daughter & shipping it to me in Arkansas? I'll reward you handsomely with baked goods....
graciecat at 2:00PM on 02/03/09
I'm pretty sure this is the same peeler:
http://www.cheftools.com/prodinfo-new.asp?number=06-1327
I'm glad I bought one from him when I had the chance. He will certainly be missed as a regular at the Farmers Market. RIP.
bearsonawire at 2:03PM on 02/03/09
Not being anywhere near the city, I was sold on the product by the video alone.
Sadly I somehow doubt he had an online store, and I'm just suspicious enough that I don't know if I'd trust it were he not involved in setting it up. You can't get more trustworthy than someone who makes a great honest living out of it.
comicsan at 2:03PM on 02/03/09
I wish I had gotten one, too. I always loved hearing his voice and to see those carrot pieces flying.
Laurel E at 2:05PM on 02/03/09
This guy was cool. I had seen him on several trips to NYC.
For some reason, he reminds me of Peter Bennett, the guy that plays glasses in Jackson Square in New Orleans (as well as other places, I've seen him in Cambridge, MA as well). Street performers (which is what Ades was doing as much as selling) that are good are surprisingly memorable.
kaszeta at 2:20PM on 02/03/09
I bought him two peelers the same day he was featured at the TODAY show... (October 2008) After the sales pitch, it was hard not to buy them from him. It is one of the best peelers I have... the best for root vegetables - Yautias, ñames and sweet potatoes I have ever seen... effortless.
He will be missed, certainly. Hope someone else continues with the tradition and business.
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 3:04PM on 02/03/09
Last spring when I went to the Whitney Biennial (God knows why I do this this every other year, the art is so disappointing that I fear for the future of culture in this country) a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks. It came from the video portion of an installation piece. There was Joe Ades doing his peeler thing voice booming out of the sound system and image, as dapper as ever, for all to see. Just by chance I happened to see him a week later at his spot at Union Square. I went up to him and told him about his cameo at the Whitney. "Yes, yes, he bellowed at me, 'I know, I know'. And without missing so much as a beet (Ok, forgive me that one) he kept on peeling. I'll miss him.
ohmygod at 3:19PM on 02/03/09
i love this guy!!
thecheekychef at 4:17PM on 02/03/09
aw i love this guy! my aunt and uncle have lived in union square for decades and i lived with them for awhile....every saturday at the market i'd chill with joe for a few minutes - gotta admit i never bought a peeler though. rip joe!
sarahlucy at 4:21PM on 02/03/09
Peeler Man!!!
Oh, man, he'll be missed.
:(
missbhavens at 5:56PM on 02/03/09
It's the Star Peeler, and you can find them online. Though I (like so many others) finally broke down after years and bought one from Joe. It really is a great little peeler.
I saw him in Union Square a few weeks ago, and thought that he looked really sweaty (on a cool day) and unwell. :::sigh::: Rest in peels, Joe.
growler at 6:52PM on 02/03/09
This is a great article on Mr. Ades that ran in Vanity Fair a few years ago:
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2006/05/grafter200605?currentPage=all
norman at 7:26PM on 02/03/09
i bought one of his peelers ages ago and never used it. now i'll never be able to take off the wrapper!
i'll miss him at the greenmarket.
cybercita at 7:34PM on 02/03/09
I own one of these! Except I didn't get it in New York.
Vincci at 8:37PM on 02/03/09
I loved seeing this guy. In a city where most of us are largely anonymous, it was comforting to see familiar faces and Joe Ades was one of them. Rest in peace Mr. Ades. I wish I had bought a peeler from you when I had the chance.
BrooklynBrownie at 9:04PM on 02/03/09
he was somethin' i bought a peeler from him years ago and loved it! it did everything he said it could. then a roommate moved out and took it. bought another one, and another roommate took it. i guess i really should have gotten 5 for $20. he is one of the many reasons i love NY! i could buy a replacement from some online store, but it wouldn't be the same...buying something from a soul less corporation. RIP mr. ades, we will really miss you!
empressoftheskies at 10:45PM on 02/03/09
He used to show up once in a while near Court Street in Brooklyn. He was always fascinating to watch. I just mentioned to my co-worker that he passed away and she said she had bought four of his peelers,but that she could never work them like him. After reading several stories about him on the Internet, I'm sorry I didn't ever buy a peeler. I just hope Mrs. Ades reads some of the posts about him to see how much people will miss him, even though they didn't even know his name. Whether he made a fortune doing it or just got by, I won't feel differetly either way, although I'd kind of like to know. He reminds me of that pitchman in an old Twlight Zone episode. I hope he got to make one last, great pitch before he moved on.
madmoose at 3:35PM on 02/04/09
Sad to see this story. I had no idea.
A little more than a month ago I saw him coming up the stairs at the subway stop on 86th and Lex and he seemed to be struggling with his luggage carrier. When I tried to help he refused....
I never thought it would be my last encounter with this legend!
jerrydos at 4:31PM on 02/06/09
My wife bought five. She cried when I showed her this clip. Me too. I shall use the peeler tonight and think of Joe and his family. What a treasure.
Ricardo222 at 2:19PM on 02/07/09
I was reading one of the related articles and found the following address listed for his daughter. If you would like to send a condolence card, you can send it to her at this address that was listed in the MSNBC article written when he was interviewed by one of their writers -
(Ruth Ades Laurent in care of the restaurant her family owns)
Ruth Ades Laurent
La Ripaille Restaurant
605 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
pjacob01 at 9:24AM on 02/09/09
I JUST saw him recently at Macys and then at Unions Square about a month ago. He looked fine! I am shocked (was in LA for 3 weeks so didnt see this news). I am sorry now I did not ever buy a peeler. But I did always stop and listen for a bit. He will be missed- a true New Yorker!!!
shozgirl at 1:40PM on 02/09/09
"REST IN PEACE JOE ADES MAY GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL !"
Condolences to his family and am sure he will be missed by all that knew him .
I have never been to NY and totally missed out on him and his peeler I'm sure I would have bought 5 if not 10 as I'm a gadget freak and hoarder [ it drives my wife crazy ] but would have shared some with family and friends , hence the purchase of 10 . Will try the site mentioned to get some , if they arent the same product and somebody finds a source for the real thing , maybe his family , please post it for all of us who missed out on it . Maybe the ZAM-WOW , CHOPPY/GRATY guy is gonna pick up on it , if so hope he keeps the price down and quality the same .
No matter what 'Joe Ades' will be missed , what an individual !
shipwreck at 4:27PM on 02/09/09
Just checked 'chefs tools' site looks the same and swiss made so I ordered 2 . $5.95@ plus $4.50 s&h . 5 for $20 what a deal oh-well
shipwreck at 10:58PM on 02/11/09
Well, that explains why he was so nasty when I asked if I might take his picture recently. He must not have been feeling too well. RIP, and condolences to his family. Had his most recent wife predeceased him?
chuckles at 11:05AM on 02/14/09
He sold the best vegetable peeler in the world! I saw his daughter selling them earlier this year, if I ever do so again, I'll buy a bunch of them. And I'll check out Chef Tools.
But Mr. Ades will be missed. RIP, and condolences to his near and dear.
miminqueens at 2:57PM on 04/19/09