1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Guess what, Mango, what's that will? I'll come on, Gabe, 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: even when working on your Mango impression for what a 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: week now, knowing he's going on vacation, I think we're 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: just gonna have to be honest here and admit that 5 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: this is you. All right, You're right, I should just 6 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: be myself. I guess. All right, Well, we'll explain where 7 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: Mango is in a minute, but let's get back to it. 8 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: Guess what, Gabe, what's that will? Are you any good 9 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: at frisbee? Uh? I mean, I don't know. I guess 10 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: I'm decent. Well, it's something I thought I was pretty 11 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: good at until I was suddenly around people who were 12 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: really good at it. Now. You know, we didn't have 13 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: anything like Ultimate Frisbee leagues growing up in Alabama, and 14 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: frisbee was mainly just something you threw at the beach. 15 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: But in one of our first weekends on campus in college, 16 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: there was a field day for students, you know, to 17 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: get to know each other, and the Ultimate Frisbee team 18 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: was there, just demonstrating and recruiting people to sign up. 19 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: And I remember watching them and being amazed at how 20 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: good they were at this whole thing. You know, doing 21 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: that whole like forward risk flicking throw with such ease. 22 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: It was something I honestly had never really even tried before. 23 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: I just thought there was like this one accepted and 24 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: universal way to throw a frisbee, you know, the backhanded 25 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: way that most people throw. And it was in this 26 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 1: moment I realized, I know nothing. You know, like, this 27 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: is what college is for. Right Yeah, that alone seems 28 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: to justify the tuition bills right well, And it wasn't 29 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: the only thing that I learned that day. What else 30 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: you learn? Well, there was that hour of vigorous slip 31 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: and sliding, and I learned that that will leave you 32 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: nearly incapable of walking for a couple of days because 33 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: of the soreness. But the thing I didn't learn until 34 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: recently is that both of those life lessons wouldn't have 35 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: been possible without the tiny toy company Wammo. It really 36 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: is amazing how much the marketing genius of two people 37 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: had such an incredible influence on the industry and the 38 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: lives of children across America. Of course, so that's what 39 00:01:46,200 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: we're talking about today. Let's dive in a their podcast. Listeners, 40 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius I'm Will Pearson, and for 41 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: the first time ever, I am not joined by my 42 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: good friend Manga Ticketer. Instead, I am in luck because 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: we have our pal Gabe Loluesier on the line with 44 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: me today. Yeah, we're we're really an uncharted territory on 45 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: this one, but we'll see how it goes. Yeah. Well, well, 46 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: thankfully on the other side of the soundproof glass, I 47 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: have one bit of constancy that I can depend on 48 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: in this ever changing world, and that's our friend and 49 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: producer Tristan McNeil. Now Man goes just on vacation, so 50 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: don't worry listeners, he's off for a few days with 51 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: his family. We're happy that he's enjoying his vacation. It'll 52 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: be good to have him back. But Gabe, it's nice 53 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: to have you joining me today. Thank you. I'm happy 54 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 1: to be here. Yeah, now for today's show. Because we 55 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: knew Gabe would be sitting in, we wanted to find 56 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: a topic that really spoke to him, and and because 57 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: he's an avid toy collector himself, we decided to go 58 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: ahead and make an episode all about the Wammo toy Company. Now, 59 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: most listeners are probably familiar with at least a few 60 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: of Wammo's products, and you've got the Hula Hoop and 61 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: the Slip and Slide, the super Bowl, and of course 62 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: the Frisbee. So today we'll have some fun exploring the 63 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: history of these famous toys, and we'll also try to 64 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: get a sense of how toys that started as disposable 65 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: novelties became these time tested icons of playtime. For example, 66 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: I don't know if you knew this or not, Gay, 67 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: but there's actually a National Toy Hall of Fame and 68 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: WAMO has not one, but two of its toys inducted 69 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: at this point, and that's the frisbee and the Hula hoop. Yeah, 70 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: that's super impressive. And actually I did know that, but 71 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: only because the Hall of Fame has it's been something 72 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: of a sore point for me for a few years now. 73 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a really cool thing. 74 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: The Toy Hall of Fame was established by the Strong 75 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: National Museum of Play in New York, and it was 76 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: something they started in two thousand eight. A is just 77 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: a way to recognize, you know, classic toys that have 78 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: inspired decades of creative play at this point, all right, 79 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: so I'm a little confused by this, So what's your 80 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: beef with the Toy Hall of Fame? Then? Okay, well, 81 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: I admit I'm a little biased on this one. But 82 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: every year transformer toys make it to the final round 83 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: of voting, and every year the committee passes them up. 84 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: And meanwhile, you know, kind of generic stuff like the 85 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: cardboard box and blankets, they get inducted with ease. And 86 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: I mean last year, for example, transformers again made it 87 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: all the way to the final round and then it 88 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: got beat out by paper planes. Paper planes will wait, 89 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: but you were saying, you said cardboard box and blankets, 90 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: you do you mean literally, just like blankets have been 91 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. Yeah, I guess 92 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: it's like a pretty loose term. You know, toys, they're 93 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: a little loose with what they'll include with it. But 94 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: you know, everybody plays with a empty cardboard box or 95 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: a blanket at some point, so I guess they count. 96 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. That may make sense because paper planes 97 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: go back to ancient China, I think, and I don't know, 98 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: it feel like maybe we shouldn't steal a spot from that. 99 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: What do you think? Yeah, yeah, no, that's a fair point. 100 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: And you know, respect your elders and all that toy elders, 101 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: and really, you know, if there is one thing that 102 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: all sixty five of the current toy inductees have in common, 103 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: it's that kind of staying power that you're talking about. 104 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: I mean, these things have been around for you know, 105 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: a long time, paper planes, blankets, which just makes it 106 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: extra impressive to me that a couple novelty toys from 107 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: what began is this tiny regional company have already made 108 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: the cut. I mean, if you look at the list, 109 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: we almost really a stand out in that regard. I mean, 110 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: there are plenty of generic toys that can't really be 111 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: ascribed to a single company. You've got things like Teddy 112 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: Bears and Marbles, and there are also lots of toys 113 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: from that the heavy hitting companies like Hasbro. You know've 114 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,799 Speaker 1: got things like g I. Joe and Monopoly. So none 115 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: of those are really big surprises. But you know, aside 116 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: from the Frisbee and the hula hoop, there really isn't 117 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: much of a showing from the small time toy makers 118 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: out there. Yeah, you're right. That's actually something I noticed 119 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: too while looking at the list. I mean, it's pretty 120 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: crazy that you know, Frisbee and Hula Hoop, those were 121 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: primarily out of as fad toys when they were first released. 122 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, hula hoops hit hard when they 123 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: debuted in the spring, and the company sold something like 124 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: twenty five million of them in just a couple of months. Yeah, 125 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: but by the fall of that same year, sales had 126 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: already dried up and it seemed like the hula craze 127 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: was gone just as quickly as it had come. Fast 128 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: forward though, and the Hula Hoop eventually went on to become, 129 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: you know, the first toy to ever sell more than 130 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: a hundred million units, and plenty of kids still play 131 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: with them today, which is something that nobody would have 132 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: predicted back then. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you don't really 133 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: see that many toy fads with with those kinds of lags. 134 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean, think about the fidget spinners of the past 135 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: year or so. They were gone with what a couple 136 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: of months after. I mean, still see some of them, 137 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 1: but it's still not nearly what it was there for 138 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,919 Speaker 1: a few months. Yeah. No, thankfully that that seems to 139 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: have already passed. But uh so, what do you think 140 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: is something you know special about whammos? Toys like what 141 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: helps them, you know, transcend the limited lifespan that seems 142 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: to define all the other fad toys out there. Well, 143 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: I mean, honestly, if you don't know, as the toy 144 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: specialist of the two of us, I definitely don't know. 145 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: But um, but we wanted to take a closer look 146 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: at at how the company got it start, So maybe 147 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: that'll help us PenPoint some of that whammo difference. So 148 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: do you do you want to start us off here, Gabe, Yeah, okay, 149 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: in that case, we have to start with some background 150 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: on you know, the company's founders, Richard Ner and Arthur 151 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: Spuds Melon and Uh. These guys were both born in 152 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: and they actually both became salesman at a really early age. 153 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: Ner built and sold rubber band guns when he was 154 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: nine years old, and Melan caught and sold fish door 155 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: to door around the same time. So naturally, when these 156 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: two entrepreneurs met years later while attending the University of 157 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: Southern California, they hit it off and decided to go 158 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,559 Speaker 1: into business together pretty much right away. And at first, 159 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: the pair, you know, they weren't set on being a 160 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: toy company at all. Instead, they just started looking for 161 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: products they could easily sell out of their garage, and 162 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: one of the very first ideas that came up was 163 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: a homemade slingshot that the pair head designed and built themselves. Well, 164 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: I mean, wouldn't you say that a slingshot is a 165 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: toy as well? Right? Well, yeah, I mean it definitely 166 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: can be. But neur and melon slingshot was actually made 167 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: to fire bits of meat upward at falcons, So, you know, 168 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: maybe not so much a toy in this case, but 169 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: apparently they were both really big into falconry and the 170 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: slingshot was something they used to help train their birds. Wow, 171 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: I would say that a falcon feeding slingshot that that 172 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: to me seems like the definition of a niche product. 173 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: It So did they make any money selling something like 174 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: that out of a garage? Oh? Yeah, you know, just 175 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: most of their customers were people who had happened to 176 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: wander by the garage with their pet falcon and right 177 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: of course, right uh. They actually sold them through the 178 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: mail by taking out ads in Field and Stream and 179 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: a few other magazines aimed at outdoorsmen. And not only 180 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: did the slingshot give the company its first sales, it 181 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: provided the company name too. WAMO was meant to evoke 182 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: the sound that the founders heard when they tested their 183 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: sling shot by firing ball bearings at a target. Oh wow, 184 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: Actually never knew that. Well, hopefully the targeting question at 185 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: this point wasn't the falcons, and it wasn't no, no, 186 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: no way. They loved those birds too much. But anyway, 187 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: Whammos stayed in the projectiles game for a few years 188 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: after that, before venturing into toys and beyond sling shots, 189 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: they sold blowguns, tomahawks, throwing knives, fencing swords, and also 190 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: something they referred to as a jungle machete. Right of course, 191 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: you know, for the kids to enjoy, right, right, Actually, 192 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: definitely not. But Ner and Melon did make good money 193 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: this way. They racked up as much as a hundred 194 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in annual revenue during these early days as 195 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: weapons makers. That would have been a ton of money 196 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: at that point. So I'm curious that when did they 197 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: make this switch from selling weapons to selling toys. Well 198 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: that's the thing. At first, they tried not to switch 199 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: at all. They just sold both. So WAMMO was a 200 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: small operation with no board of directors or shareholders to 201 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: answer to. So This meant Ner and Melon were free 202 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: to pursue any product idea they wanted, whether weapons, toys, 203 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: or anything else. And later, when it became clear that 204 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: the two sides of the business were it odds with 205 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: each other, you know, weapons and toys, they even tried 206 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: splitting the market and selling the weapons under the name 207 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: WAMMO without the AH. That's different enough, right, that's just 208 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: so clear. I love how it sounds exactly the same. 209 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,559 Speaker 1: But taking out an H was somehow going to differentiate 210 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: those That was going to make the difference. Surprisingly, it didn't. 211 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: People didn't go for the idea at all, and you know, 212 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: the weapons were eventually phased out completely and they just 213 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: focused on toys. But it wasn't just the creative freedom 214 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: of being your own boss that inspired Ner and Melon 215 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: to get into the toy business in the mid nineteen fifties. 216 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: They were both taken with a relatively recent innovation of 217 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: plastic injection molding, and this was a new medium that 218 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: came as really a revelation to the traditionally wooden toy industry, 219 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: and the guys at WAMO were eager to see what 220 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: they could do with it, and their first chance at 221 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: bat came in nineteen fifty seven with the frisbee and 222 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: need us to say, and I mean, you know it 223 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: was a home run for them, Yeah, I would say 224 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 1: pretty much right out of the gate. Now, we should 225 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: point out though, that the guys at Wamma weren't the 226 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: inventors of the frisbee. And in fact, something I came 227 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: across a few times while doing the research for this 228 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 1: episode is that neur and Milan we weren't so much 229 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 1: inventors as they were re inventors. I guess you could say, yeah, no, 230 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: that sounds right. I mean, they definitely didn't invent the 231 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: sling shot or the blowgun, but they did find the 232 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: right approach for introducing those things to the mainstream American market, right, 233 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: And so it pretty much went the same way with 234 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: the frisbee. I mean, the idea of throwing around this 235 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: flat flying disc you can look back and see that 236 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: goes all the way back to you know, ancient Greece 237 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: with the idea of throwing a discus at that point. 238 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: But you know, for the modern incarnation we can look 239 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: back to I want to say it's about nineteen thirty seven, 240 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: and that's when a seventeen year old named Fred Morrison 241 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: and his girlfriend were playing a game of catch with 242 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 1: a lid from a popcorn tin, and apparently they had 243 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: such a good time with this that they started looking 244 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: for something more durable to throw around, and that's when 245 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: they came across one of Fred's mom's pie tins, and 246 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,959 Speaker 1: this quickly became the pairs go to disk. In fact, 247 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: it was actually this disc that they were playing with 248 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: on a beach when a passerby noticed how much fun 249 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: they were having, and so the guy stopped and asked 250 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: Fred if he would actually be willing to sell the 251 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: pieton for about a quarter and of course, since it 252 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 1: had cost him a lot less than that to buy 253 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: brand new, Fred happily agreed to do this, and soon 254 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: after that encounter, Fred's had to work on these what 255 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: he called flying cake pans. He started selling them all 256 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: along the beaches of southern California. Oh man, that's awesome, 257 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: But are all right? So this is still the thirties 258 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: and WIMO didn't take notice until the fifties. So what 259 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: I mean did Morrison just sell cake pans on the 260 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: beach for the next twenty years, Well not exactly, I 261 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: mean Fred's beach side business was put on hold during 262 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: World War Two and he was serving overseas as a 263 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: fighter pilot at the time. But all the while he 264 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: kept thinking about how to improve these flying disks that 265 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: he and his girlfriend who was then his wife at 266 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: this point, had had so much fun playing with. And 267 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: by the time the war ended, Fred had come up 268 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: with an answer, and he found it. By adding a 269 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: sloped edge, his disc would fly better and stay in 270 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: the air longer too. And so today, that same slope 271 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 1: that you see on these Frisbees, it's on all of 272 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: Wammo's Frisbees at least, and that's known as Marson Slope 273 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: in Fred's honor. Oh wow, that's pretty cool. Well, I mean, 274 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: and speaking of names, when did the name Frisbee come along? 275 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: Was it with Morrison's new post war model. Actually, the 276 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 1: Frisbee proper was still a few years off at this point, 277 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: but Fred did try a few different names in the meantime, 278 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 1: you know, hoping to take advantage of the growing space 279 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: craze at the time. He dubbed his new disc the 280 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: Pluto Platter for a while. And you know, once he 281 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: was armed with this far catchier brand name, Fred was 282 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: traveling up and down the California coast, selling these Pluto 283 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: platters and just doing this out of the back of 284 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: his station, wagging at the beaches and at local fairs. 285 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: And so then he fast forward to nineteen fifty five, 286 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: and he had pretty modest sales at that point, but 287 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: he was selling some of these and had caught the 288 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,959 Speaker 1: attention of the WAMMO founders, and so they of course 289 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: quickly snapped up the rights and released their own plastic 290 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: version of the Pluto platter. This was in nineteen fifty seven. 291 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: Within a year, they'd sold a million of these disks. 292 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: I mean, that's really impressive to have sold that. No, 293 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: definitely that quickly. So WAMMO kept Morrison's space name at first, 294 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: I mean, not to be the dead horse. But when 295 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: did it finally switch to Frisbee? And come to think 296 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: of it, why did it switch to Frisbee? I mean, 297 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: both of the earlier names seemed to be, you know, 298 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: much more descriptive of the actual you know product, Pluto platter, 299 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: and I mean that at least you know what that is. 300 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: What's a frisbee right right? Well, and this is where 301 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: things get a little bit more modeled, and so we 302 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: kind of have to go on legend, And according to 303 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: this legend, Ner and Melon were taken with Fred's disk 304 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: in part because they had recently taken a trip to 305 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: New England, and while on that trip, they had seen 306 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: some Yale students who were playing catch with pie pans 307 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: that they had gotten from this local place. It was 308 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: called the Frisbee Baking Come Penny, and the students would 309 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: take the empty pans from the dining hall and toss 310 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: them back and forth while yelling Frisbee, you know, to 311 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: kind of warn people of incoming pans. And the practice 312 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: supposedly dates as far back as the nineteen twenties, and 313 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: it was pretty common in both Connecticut and New York. 314 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: But that said, Whammo's own website admits that the founders 315 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: might just as easily have been inspired by this comic 316 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: strip of the era that was called Mr Frisbee, So 317 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: we don't really know, but whatever the reason, Whammo relaunched 318 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: their flying desk under the name Frisbee in nineteen fifty eight. 319 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: It immediately caught on at playgrounds and college campuses all 320 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: over the country. Well see, I asked about it because 321 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: I'm just always so impressed when a company you know, 322 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: pulls a name out of thin air that just perfectly 323 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: encapsulates the product, despite the fact that it's you know, 324 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: kind of nonsensical and doesn't have any direct connection to 325 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: what they're selling, you know, like apple or BlackBerry. I 326 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: read an interesting article in the New Yorker actually about 327 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: this company called Lexicon, which is a firm that invents 328 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: names for new products. Yeah, I've heard of these guys. Yeah, Well, 329 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: the CEO had a really great insight about what makes 330 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: for a good product name. He said that the best 331 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: brand name functions like a poem. They compress all these 332 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: various meanings and associations into a single pleasing word and 333 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: it just somehow sums it all up. That's pretty interesting, 334 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: you know. And the guys that wammo must have felt 335 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: strongly that they had the right name for the job, 336 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: because they actually had to change the spelling of Frisbee 337 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: from what was at first an ending of I E 338 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: two E in order to you know, kind of make 339 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: it more unique and and give it this, you know, 340 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: this feel of this nonsense word that they could actually 341 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: trademark from there. And of course, the funny thing is 342 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: that these days everybody just kind of loosely called any 343 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: flying disc of Frisbee right, which is something that Wammo hates, 344 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure because any time a brand name, you know, it, 345 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: gets popular like that, it runs the risk of becoming 346 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: generic size. In some ways, going generic is you know, 347 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: the biggest compliment a company can get, because it means 348 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: that they picked a really resonant name for their product. 349 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: But on the other hand, becoming the de facto term 350 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: makes it harder to defend your own trademark. And my 351 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: favorite example of this is Transformers, which yes I'm bringing 352 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: up for a second time today. Can't let it go, Gabe, 353 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: can't let it go. In order to keep their brand 354 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: name from becoming the catch all term for any toy 355 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: that transforms from one thing into another, Hasbro is careful 356 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: to never use the word transform on their packaging. Instead, 357 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: the figures are said to convert from one form to 358 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: another completely different, and that way the name remains connected 359 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: to their specific characters, you know, the Transformers, instead of 360 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 1: becoming a description for a whole class of toys that 361 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,880 Speaker 1: happened to include transformation as a play feature. I mean, 362 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: it is interesting that they have to think about that 363 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: kind of thing, but it makes sense. But all right, 364 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: well we should get back to the Whammo toys because 365 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,919 Speaker 1: the Frisbee really was just the start for them. But 366 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: before we do, let's take a quick break. You're listening 367 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: to Part Time Genius and we're talking about Whammo. You know, 368 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: this fledgling toy company that sparked America's novelty craze in 369 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties. All right, so we talked about how 370 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: the founders of Wamma were always on the hunt for 371 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: these off beat ideas to turn into new products, and 372 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: you know, the Frisbee was just the first of these 373 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: to hit the toy market. And I'm curious, as a 374 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: toy freak, what is your favorite thing that Whammo has 375 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 1: ever made? Okay, well, first of all, toy enthusiasts would 376 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: be the preferred nomenclat My bad, My bad. But to 377 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: answer your question, I've always been partial to the hula hoop, 378 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: though really that's only in theory, Like I don't think 379 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: I could spin one to save my life, But I'm 380 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: all about the idea of the hula hoop, you know, 381 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: the idea. So what is that exactly? Like let go 382 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: and look silly or what's the idea of the hula hoop. 383 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean, yeah, that's pretty much it. Like 384 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: did you ever see that Cohen Brothers movie The Hudsucker Proxy. Yeah, 385 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: it was funny. Yeah, Well for anybody who hasn't. It 386 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: was this fictionalized account of how the hula hoop and 387 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: the frisbee were invented, and the whole thing is, you know, 388 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 1: really silly as you would hope. But there's this great 389 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: line about the hula hoop from the inventor's secretary that 390 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: I always think back to, and she says, quote, finally 391 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: there would be a thing of a jig that would 392 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: bring everyone together even if it kept them apart spatially. 393 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: I had forgotten that quote actually, but it's true too. 394 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: I mean, like the hula hoop with the whole country 395 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 1: into this frenzy when it came out in and just 396 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,959 Speaker 1: about everybody, girls and boys, children and adults. They they 397 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 1: were united by this simple joy of trying to see 398 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: how long they could keep a plastic hoops spinning around 399 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: their waist. And he'd already mentioned the crazy sales that 400 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: hula hoop pulled in, but it really is hard to 401 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: overstate just how big of a hit this was with 402 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: the American public. I was actually flipping through a book 403 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: called American Fat Ads by social historian named Richard A. Johnson, 404 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: and one thing he points out is that the hula 405 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: hoop was the first modern fad in a way because 406 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: it was the first to spread through this new medium 407 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: of television. And really because of that, the hula hoop 408 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: is still, according to Johnson, quote, the standard against which 409 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,439 Speaker 1: all national crazes are measured. Yeah, that seems true, and 410 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you know that success it also highlights how 411 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: there's really no rhyme nor reason to what can or 412 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: can't become a toy fad in America. Like, for example, 413 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: the hula hoop was inspired by this bamboo hoop that 414 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: Australian kids used to exercise within gym class, and a 415 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: friend of the Whammo founders, you know, brought one back 416 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: from vacation and pitched it to the company as a 417 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: possible product. So alright, so one country's gym equipment became 418 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: another's biggest toy craze or what right? Yeah, Ner and 419 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: the and melon they saw the potential right away, just 420 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: as they had with Fred Morrison's Pluto platter. But you know, 421 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: they also recognized that it wasn't exact an original idea, 422 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: like we were saying, hoop toys like flying discs have 423 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,479 Speaker 1: a long history, you know, they go back to ancient times, 424 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: like I'm pretty sure the Egyptians had their own version 425 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: made from like these twisted reads. And this meant that 426 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: securing a patent for Wamo it was unlikely, so the 427 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: toymakers instead they shifted focus to finding the perfect name 428 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: so that they could at least get a trademark for it. 429 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: And it took some brainstorming, but once they made the 430 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: connection between the hip gyrations of the hula hoop and 431 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 1: those of Hawaiian dance moves, the rest was history. Well, 432 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: and you know, listening to you lay it all out here, 433 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm noticing that Whammo borrowed a technique from Fred Marson's 434 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: playbook on this one. And you remember when he came 435 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: up with the Pluto platter name as a way to 436 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: capitalize on that space crazy. I mean, Wamo was doing 437 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: this with the hula hoop and it kind of does 438 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: the same thing with the whole exotic getaway. You know, 439 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: this Polynesian pop trend that really took off. I guess 440 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: it was probably around the late fifties that this was exploding, right, Yeah, yeah, no, 441 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: that's a good point. And I mean, you know, there's 442 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: no denying it's a great name, right, I mean, the alliteration, 443 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: the fun vowel sounds, it's like the total package in 444 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: terms of brand name. And again, this is all stuff 445 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: the naming experts now site as the makings of a 446 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: strong brand name. For example, the word hula was a 447 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: safe bet to use because it follows a consonant vowel 448 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 1: consonant pattern, which gives it a soft, pleasant sound. And 449 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,400 Speaker 1: since those are also the easiest kinds of letter combinations 450 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: to pronounce, they're usually the first that infants learned to say, 451 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: no matter which language they speak. Yeah, that makes sense. 452 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: In fact, my kids first words were get this. There 453 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: were Gatorade and Amazon, so that there were a lot 454 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 1: of mixed emotions in both of those cases. Yeah, you 455 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: must be proud. I mean, yeah, there you go. It 456 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: works right. But aside from the catchy name, hula Hoop 457 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: also benefited from an elaborate and unorthodox marketing campaign. For instance, 458 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: WAMO held publicity events at California playgrounds to demonstrate how 459 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: fun the toy was and they even handed out free hoops, 460 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: so the kids could you know, advertise to their friends 461 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: who had missed out on the freebees. Well, you know, 462 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: and even if the hula craze went belly up a 463 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: few months after going to market, it still gave Wamo 464 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: this this national exposure and it had never dreamed of 465 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: having this kind of exposure when they were just you know, 466 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: these regional toymakers. And so he didn't make the most 467 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: of this newfound buzz, Wamo relaunched the Pluto platter as 468 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: the Frisbee, and that was in nine and so this 469 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 1: time the toy company played up this athletic angle and 470 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: even developed the sport of ultimate frisbee. And this was 471 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: a way to drum up interest among other athletes. And 472 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: so the plan involved paying college kids to throw the 473 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: disks around on campus and it was a huge success. 474 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: You know. Frisbee went on to become Wammo's best selling 475 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 1: product to date. Actually, yeah, and Wammo really trended upward 476 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: after that for a long time, like they held fast 477 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,240 Speaker 1: to their open door policy, you know, happily taking product 478 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: pitches from pretty much all comers, and in the early 479 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 1: sixties the practice paid off for them again when a 480 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: chemist named Norm Stingley. He brought WAMO a highly volatile 481 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: chemical compound that actually later became the super Bowl, And 482 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: according to Richard Ner, it took us nearly two years 483 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: to iron out the kinks of super ball before we 484 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: produced it. It always had that marvelous, springing, nous recovery 485 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: rate after hitting a hard surface, far beyond that of 486 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 1: any other ball, but it had a tendency to fly apart. 487 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: We've licked that with a very high pressure technique for 488 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: forming it, and now we're selling millions. I'm not exactly 489 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: sure what a recovery rate after hitting a hard surface means, 490 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: but it doesn't seem like exactly a humble guy. Was he? Oh, 491 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: not so much, No, but I mean he was honest. 492 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 1: Wammos sold six million super balls when they debuted in 493 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,439 Speaker 1: nine By the end of the decade, those sales had 494 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: surpassed twenty million. At the high of production, WAMO was 495 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: making one hundred and seventy thousand super balls each day, 496 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: and they were so popular that President Johnson's National security 497 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: advisor he actually ordered five dozen of them and gave 498 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: them out to his staff to use as stress relievers. Wow. 499 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: I'd say that's a pretty ringing endorsement. So WAMMO started 500 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: to rack up the successes in the late fifties and 501 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: early sixties. But I mean, let's be honest about this, 502 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: they weren't all winning ideas. I mean, these are fun 503 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: to talk about, and even some of the ones that 504 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: were hits turned out to be a bit of trouble 505 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: in the long run. I mean, just just look at 506 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,239 Speaker 1: the slipping slide. Oh yeah, I mean, there are just 507 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,959 Speaker 1: so many horror stories out there about kids getting like 508 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: nasty friction burns from sliding across two little water or 509 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: you know, people who tore up their backs by sliding 510 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: over a rough patch of dirt or a hidden rock. 511 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: Slipping slide was no joke. Yeah, And and and honestly, all 512 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: those stories of injuries just made me feel bad for 513 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: the guy who invented the slipping slide, because if you 514 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: look at the origin story, that was exactly the kind 515 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: of thing he was trying to prevent in the fur place. 516 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: And I know that may sound weird, but the inventor's 517 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 1: name was Robert Carrier, and he was the upholsterer who 518 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: just wanted to make an activity called body planing a 519 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: little bit safer. Okay, wait, what is body planing exactly? 520 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: I have to be honest, I had no idea until 521 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: doing the research for this episode. But and I couldn't 522 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: find a ton of information on this. But according to Carrier, 523 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: body planning was a popular pastime in some circles. It 524 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: basically consisted of hurling yourself into shallow water and then 525 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: sliding along a slick coating of mud, which which kind 526 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: of sounds fun. It does, yeah, I mean it kind 527 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: of just sounds like a naturally occurring slipping slide, right, 528 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: and and that's pretty much what it is. But you know, 529 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: the problem was that body planning was pretty dangerous and 530 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: also just kind of a hassle. As Carrier put it 531 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: in his patent filing quote, the primary disadvantages with the 532 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: ideal natural environments for body planing and sliding our first 533 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: the scarcity of such places. Second, the fact that mud 534 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: and clay frequently carries sharp and abrasive material, reals which 535 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: are dangerous. And third, such material is extremely messy and 536 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 1: generally distasteful or unpleasant. Oh man, talk about thorough that 537 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: is that is quite a description. But I mean he 538 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: really took his body planing. Seriously, it sounds like, yeah, 539 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: and he just wanted to give people a way to 540 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: enjoy sliding on a thin layer of water without all 541 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: the mud and sharp, pointy objects that had given body 542 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: planing such a limited appeal, you know, and that was 543 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: kind of the dream WAMMO could get behind. Well yeah, 544 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 1: I mean, but for all their enthusiasm, you know, they 545 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 1: sure went about marketing it in a weird way. Like 546 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: I found this one early ad for Slipping Slide where 547 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 1: the tagline was just it's crazy people scoot like seals. 548 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: I saw that. I've loved that line. You know. Actually, 549 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: at at one point the announcer assure as viewers that 550 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 1: quote girls slide as well as boys, you know, in 551 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: case that needed clarifying for some reason. Yeah, nice to 552 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: know WAMO was, you know, so progressive on the hot 553 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: button issue of equal opportunities sliding exactly. Yeah, and just 554 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: think this was all they marketed the successful toys, like, 555 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: can you imagine what they came up with for the duds? Well, actually, 556 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: we should stop imagining this. I mean, I think we 557 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: should take a little time to highlight some of the 558 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 1: more ridiculous failed ventures that WAMMO has tried over the years, 559 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: and some of them are just too bad to stay forgotten, 560 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: to be honest with you, Yeah, yeah, I mean that 561 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,439 Speaker 1: sounds like a lot of fun. But first, let's take 562 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: a quick break. Okay, Well, so, what's one of the weirder, 563 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: lesser known wammo toys that you came across while researching? Well, 564 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: it's hard to choose, but I think my favorite is 565 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: probably instant fish. And and this was an idea that 566 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: Melon came up with while he was on this research 567 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: trip to Africa in the nineteen sixties. And I love that, Like, 568 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: Melon is like the toy world's answer to Willy Wonka, right, Like, 569 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: isn't that how Wonka like supposedly found that blumpas Yeah, 570 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: you might be right about this, but in Melon's case, 571 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: all he found were kill a fish, which are these 572 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: small breed of freshwater fish and actually lay their eggs 573 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: in the mud before the start of Africa's dry season 574 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: and so then once the mud dries out, the eggs 575 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: are just there and their dorm and until the rains 576 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: come back, and that's when they begin to hatch. Okay, 577 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: so instant fish, I mean it's kind of like sea monkeys, right, exactly, 578 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: and so sea monkeys have been released a few years 579 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: before this, and Melon and Nerd thought that, you know, 580 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: this small cube of mud containing these dormant kill a 581 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: fish eggs would be more interesting than these microscopic Brian 582 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: strump and so kids could simply drop the mud into 583 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: a tank of water and wait for their new pets 584 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 1: to hatch. And so for a while it looked like 585 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: wammo had a hit on their hands there with the 586 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: New York Toy fair and Melan and Nerd took something 587 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: like ten million dollars worth of pre orders from retailers 588 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: that were just hungry for these instant fish. It's kind 589 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: of crazy. Well, they unfortunately hit a snag when they 590 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: realized that the fish that they brought back from Africa 591 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: weren't breeding fast enough to meet demand, and so wammo 592 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: was forced to refund all of these orders and the 593 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: dream of instant fish was suddenly dead. Ah and what 594 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: a beautiful dream it was. But for my money, though, 595 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: wammo's weirdest offering was the Mr Hoodie egg rag. This 596 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: was something that released in the late nineteen fifties. I mean, 597 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: say what you will about the name instant fish, I mean, 598 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: at least you know what you're getting. But did you say, 599 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: Mr Hoodie egg Ray? I mean, none of this makes 600 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: sense to me? What is this? Well? Maybe this ad 601 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: copy will help. It reads fabulous. The only wooger Snatcher 602 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: for eggs takes egg woogers and bits of eggshell off 603 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: the yolk quickly and neatly. But that's not all. Will 604 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: the Mr Hoodie egg rac also quote attacks onions, olives, 605 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: and bar fruit in small jars without fear? So not 606 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: only did that answer is zero of my questions, I 607 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: now have several new ones, like, first of all, what 608 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: the heck is an egg wooger? And why is a 609 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: rake the best way to deal with it? Well, apparently 610 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: woogers are what Melan called the stringy substance that connects 611 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: the yoke to the egg shell, So I don't know. 612 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: For some reason he thought people would be interested in 613 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: a tool to remove that stuff. Oh and to help 614 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: rake olives out of little jars too, I guess. But 615 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: I think it's safe to say it wasn't wamo's biggest seller. Yeah, well, 616 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: I think it's safe to say that no one bought 617 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: that thing. Ever, I was actually just pulling up the 618 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: ad that you read earlier, and this Mr Hoodie guys 619 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: actually pretty terrifying. First of all, I don't know what 620 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: those guys were thinking, Like, did they have a bet 621 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: that year to see who could make the creepiest product 622 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: or what? No, but I checked out a book by 623 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: Tim Walsh called The Wamo Super Book, and he says 624 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 1: that Melan and Ner most likely drew up the concept 625 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: as a joke just to make themselves laugh, but then 626 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: they decided to just go ahead and actually really us 627 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: the thing, because I don't know why not. I love 628 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: that they were in a position to be able to 629 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:06,959 Speaker 1: do that, and I kind of love the spirit of 630 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: these guys because they I mean, they were brilliant in 631 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: their own right, but they were also a couple of goofballs. 632 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: I mean Mr Hoodie egg raik. I mean, that's just 633 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: so bizarre. But you know, they embraced this inventiveness at 634 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: every turn, and they took these frequent big risk you know, 635 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: just for fun for fun sake, And it's really fun 636 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: to be able to see them doing this, and so 637 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,479 Speaker 1: many other companies would have never even thought to try 638 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: these things. And I don't know, maybe most importantly they 639 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: were having just as much fun dreaming up these off 640 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: the wall products as their customers were actually playing with them. Yeah, 641 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it was sad to dive into the research 642 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: on this one and see how that approach the toymaking 643 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: eventually fell out of fashion. You know, in the wake 644 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: of video games and other electronic toys in the seventies 645 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: and eighties, there was a sense that wimows old school 646 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: products were a little past their prime. By that point, 647 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: the country had moved on and found brighter, shiny, you're 648 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: more expensive toys to play with, which is probably a 649 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: big part of why Melon and Nerve eventually agreed to 650 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: sell Wamo Ino. It just wasn't fun anymore. Well that's true, 651 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: But you know, the Wamo brand has pressed on in 652 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: the years since then, regardless of this. And and actually 653 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 1: this year, Wamo turns eighty years old, and the latest 654 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: group of executives in charge of keeping the company afloat 655 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: in this digital era, they're they're trying to think of 656 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,360 Speaker 1: anything they can to help make Wamo seem younger. I mean, 657 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: just just listen to this description of Wamo's latest venture 658 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: from an article in the l A. Times. It says 659 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: Wamo is developing a frisbee app that will essentially allow 660 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: the disk to be thrown quote thrown from one mobile 661 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: device to another, says all the gratification of backhanding a 662 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: low slider to your body without any of that running 663 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: into a tree messiness. Well, I mean, not to be 664 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: a toy snob or anything, but it doesn't sound like 665 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: there's much gratification in something like that at all. I mean, 666 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,479 Speaker 1: so many of Wamo's classic products were built on what 667 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: I would make be described as a I don't know, 668 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 1: a pure notion of play. Like. Most of their toys 669 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: have two things in common, right, They encourage people to 670 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: move around outdoors, and they're all pretty simple in design. 671 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: Who would disc a ball. Those qualities together are probably 672 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: another reason why Wammo toys have been more enduring than 673 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: all the other fad toys that have come after them. 674 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,399 Speaker 1: And I'm sorry, a frisbee app it just has none 675 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: of that appeal, if it's any consolation gave. Wamo is 676 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: also gearing up to release some new physical toys, so 677 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: that's a good thing. And for example, there's the Aquabo, 678 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: which can shoot water balloons up to a hundred and 679 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 1: fifty yards, and apparently there's also gonna be a big 680 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 1: shake up to the frisbee design pretty soon gave what 681 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: that's okay? Uh A little a little hesitant about this 682 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 1: if they said, what will be different about it at all? Well, 683 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,760 Speaker 1: they've been pretty tight lipped about this, but the president 684 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: did spill a few details in an l A Times 685 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,959 Speaker 1: article and reportedly the new frisbee will be quote shape 686 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: more like a square and can thus self correct and 687 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: fly longer and straighter than the saucer shaped disc and 688 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 1: you know, for what it's worth. The company president also 689 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: boasted it would quote change everything. I'm sure that's true. Again, 690 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: I think they might be getting away from that whole 691 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 1: fun for funds sake idea, you know, the one that 692 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: made the early Wammo toys such evergreen products for all 693 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: these decades later, Like the frisbee was never meant to 694 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: change everything. But you know, since it's a dependable source 695 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,799 Speaker 1: of fun that just about anybody can afford, it makes 696 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,839 Speaker 1: for a great toy anyway, and it always will, right 697 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,359 Speaker 1: because something like a super ball won't stay a kid's 698 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: favorite toy for very long, but it is one that 699 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,359 Speaker 1: can always return to for these quick bursts of simple fun. 700 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,799 Speaker 1: And you know, to me, there's a special kind of 701 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: staying power because it seems to tap into something primal 702 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,959 Speaker 1: and something universal. Maybe. I mean, you know, no matter 703 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: how old someone is, if you put them in a 704 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 1: room with a super Bowl, they're gonna be entertained for 705 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:02,879 Speaker 1: it least a couple of minutes. Well amen to that. 706 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: And I think it might be time to admit that 707 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,839 Speaker 1: Mango never went to Mexico at all? Did he will? 708 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:09,879 Speaker 1: You just locked him in a room with a bunch 709 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 1: of super balls, right, you know I gave I didn't 710 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 1: lock anything. He can come out of there any time 711 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: he wants, well, wherever he is. I don't think he's 712 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: gonna make it back in time for today's fact off. 713 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: So I mean, what do you say, are you ready 714 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: for a new challenger, because I don't know. I'm kind 715 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: of itching to try my hand at one of these, 716 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,320 Speaker 1: all right, But don't think I'm gonna go easy on 717 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,280 Speaker 1: you just because he's a new guy. But I will 718 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: let you go first. So you know those little cozy coops, 719 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: the cars that it seems like every toddler has, the 720 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: little red cars with the yellow top. That's what I 721 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 1: had as a kid. Well, many years later, little Tyke 722 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 1: sells in the neighborhood of half a million of those 723 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: every year, which makes it the best selling car in America. 724 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: That's pretty impressive. Half a million, that's actually a ton. 725 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 1: That's that's pretty impressive. Well, it won't come as a 726 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 1: surprise to any of us that George Lucas has made 727 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,439 Speaker 1: a fortune off of the toys from the massive Star 728 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 1: Wars empire, but how he did it maybe actually even 729 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: more impressive. So even though he was already a pretty 730 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: big deal by the time he started work on the 731 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 1: first of the Star Wars films, he had a strategy 732 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: to this. He actually agreed to accept a salary of 733 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: only a hundred and twenty five thousand dollars to work 734 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,439 Speaker 1: on the film. He could have actually asked for much 735 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: much more, But in doing so, he was actually able 736 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: to keep the rights to direct the sequels and the 737 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: rights to all the licensing, including toys. So of course 738 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 1: all those sales made him several multiples of that salary 739 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: difference in that very first films. So forward thinking on 740 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: his part. Wow, well, okay, this is a quick one. 741 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 1: The first toy ever advertised on TV, Mr Potato Head, 742 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: back in nineteen fifty two fifty two. I didn't realize 743 00:37:57,560 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: it had been around that long. That was what was 744 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 1: that a you decades before he stopped smoking? I guess right, 745 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 1: that was. I think it was in the late eighties 746 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,399 Speaker 1: he decided to give the pipe. Potato Head ever smoked? Well, 747 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 1: I don't know, Yeah, yeah, no, this was a big deal. 748 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,359 Speaker 1: He gave up his pipe at some point as part 749 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 1: of like the Great Americans smokeout or something, and he 750 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 1: became there like I think they called him there spoke 751 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,399 Speaker 1: Spud or something like that. It was. It was pretty wild, 752 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: all right. Well, I've got a pretty good quick fact too. Um, 753 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: did you know that the world's largest distributor of toys 754 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 1: is McDonald's. Oh wow, I didn't that. That makes a 755 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 1: lot of sense though. Well, did you know that there 756 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,480 Speaker 1: are now travel companies, including one called Nagi Travel in Japan, 757 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 1: that lead tours for your stuffed animals? Yeah, that's right. 758 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 1: For thirty to ars somewhere in there, you can send 759 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: your stuffed love one on a pretty incredible journey. You'll 760 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 1: get photos which are uploaded to Facebook and lots of 761 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 1: other fun updates. And I'll admit, at first I thought, 762 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,640 Speaker 1: why in the world would someone want to do this, 763 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 1: But then I read a sum are sent by kids 764 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: who maybe aren't able to travel, you know, if they're 765 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,360 Speaker 1: in the hospital or for some other reason, or sometimes 766 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,839 Speaker 1: they're sent just for education purposes. You know, I will 767 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: admit that's actually a pretty nice idea when you say 768 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,760 Speaker 1: those are the ways that could possibly do it. But alright, 769 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 1: so did you know they're over forty three quintillion combinations 770 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: on a Rubik's cube. But the even crazier thing is 771 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 1: that no matter what the combination is, there's a solution 772 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 1: within twenty moves of that not for me? All right, Well, well, 773 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: I remember you saying you were a fan of the 774 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: hey Man cartoon when you were a kid. That's right, 775 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: But did you know that the cartoon was not exactly planned? 776 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 1: But apparently a marketing director at Mattel claimed in a 777 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: meeting with some toy executives that a cartoon series was 778 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,680 Speaker 1: in the works even though it wasn't, so you know, 779 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:53,360 Speaker 1: they were kind of forced to make it. Wow, that 780 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: is impressive. And and I can remember as a kid 781 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,240 Speaker 1: standing in my den with my sword in my hands, 782 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:02,400 Speaker 1: screaming by the power of ray school. So I guess 783 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 1: I kind of owe Thank you to that marketing director 784 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: for some high quality animated entertainment, and Gabe, I have 785 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: to admit it, you really delivered on that one in 786 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: your very first fact off from a full episode. So 787 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you this week's fact Off trophy. Oh man, 788 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 1: it is a true honor. Will thanks so much and 789 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 1: thank all of you for listening. Man Guesh will be 790 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,320 Speaker 1: back from his vacation and joining us in the next episode. 791 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 1: If you have any great facts that we forgot to 792 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:30,239 Speaker 1: mention in this episode about toys, we'd love to hear 793 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: those from. You can email us part Time Genius and 794 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works dot com. You can also call us 795 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,880 Speaker 1: one fact hotline that's one eight four four pt Genius, 796 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks so 797 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: much for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius 798 00:40:58,080 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 1: is a production of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be 799 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,919 Speaker 1: possible without several brilliant people who do the important things 800 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 1: we couldn't even begin to understand. Noel Brown made the 801 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 1: theme song and does the MIXI MIXI sound thing gave. 802 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: Louesier is our lead researcher, with support from the Research Army, 803 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 1: including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown, and Lucas Adams. If you 804 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,359 Speaker 1: like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe. And if 805 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:25,279 Speaker 1: you really really like what you've heard, maybe you could 806 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,759 Speaker 1: leave a good review for us. Jason who