Dynasty Computer
Open-knowledge reference entry
Dynasty Computer Corporation was a short-lived American multi-level marketing company active from 1980 to 1983 and based in Dallas, Texas. The company exclusively sold home computer systems through door-to-door demonstrations (a la Avon) and was the first company to sell computers via direct selling. Dynasty's line-up of computers comprised only two systems: the Smart-Alec II, a rebadged Exidy Sorcerer; and the Smart-Alec Jr., a rebadged VTech Laser 200. Dynasty went defunct in November 1983 amid mounting competition from IBM and their upcoming PCjr.
History
Dynasty Computer Corporation was founded in April 1980 by Larry Hagerty in Dallas, Texas. Hagerty previously worked as an attorney in Texas before working for Ideal, Inc., a multi-level marketing (MLM) company also based in Dallas that did direct sales of cosmetics, for six years. The increasing popularity of home computer systems during the turn of the 1980s inspired Hagerty to found Dynasty to perform direct sales of computers to households. On its foundation in April 1980, Dynasty was the first MLM dedicated to computers. After recruiting several hundred resellers by 1981, Dynasty began operating in July 1981, with its resellers selling computer hardware and software door-to-door in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The company made $1 million in sales in its first year.
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This entry incorporates text from “Dynasty Computer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.