Take A Trip Down Memory Lane... Do You Remember These 37 Strange Fads?

It's funny that these are listed as "fads" because....

We've got an ant farm - I figured that they had been popular since I was a kid

The Metric system - We use it daily in the shop and couldn't live without it. I find it hard to believe that us Americans haven't totally adapted to it because it makes so much more sense than the silly system we currently use.

Pac-Man - Still my favorite game when I go to the arcade. My son loves it too.

Rubik's Cube - For 30 years, I've never been without one and have probably never gone a month without trying to figure it out. It's always been like a lifelong goal to solve the thing and I finally did late last year. Actually, "solve" is a big word. I watched some videos explaining how to do it and I'm now convinced that almost anybody can do it with a couple hours of instruction.

Waterbeds - I haven't been without one since I was 10 but I've upgraded to a Somma

Fads? I don't know, but I'd sure like to see that Toga Party thing get revived.

And thanks for the link about the spud gun. We were just talking about building one of these the other day.

Jim

it is a cycle ...of sorts...

was reading an article ( my add keeps my memory blocked on exactly )..but a marketing firm researched new products according to the old book
CYCLES...

occur every 13, 27 and 54 years....just look at the products, and the dates of their popularity ...interesting ...


thanks
bob

I go back to holly hope but not the telephone thing that is before my time. You guys can't be that old. I thought I was older than dirt.

I know I spelled it wrong please forgive me I just got up. I don't know how to spell it anyway. Holla hops maybe?

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Joetrevison

I know I spelled it wrong please forgive me I just got up. I don't know how to spell it anyway. Holla hops maybe?

Hi Joe,

Hula hoops...!

I just came across some interesting info about hula hoops... And how its history actually holds some "money-making" lessons...

Apparently, they're an ancient "invention" - in ancient Greece, they were used to help people lose weight! It was also popular in England in the 14th century.

Then, in the 1950s, the Wham-O company brought it back into fashion with a plastic version (and a marketing campaign). They couldn't patent it - because the invention was at least 2,500 years old! However, they did protect themselves by trademarking the name "hula hoop". So they are the only ones allowed to "officially" use that name for their product!

(Wham-O also performed a similar trick with the Frisbee - they didn't invent it, but they came up with the popular name, and own the trademark.)

I think this shows some important things...

• Ancient toys (and maybe other items?) can be brought back from history and become popular today in a "modern" form...
• Even if you can't protect your product with a patent, you may be able to protect it with a trademark - if your name enters popular usage...!

You can read more about the history at the "hula hoop" article on Wikipedia and at About.com ...

By the way, the history also suggests another idea. I wonder if the hula hoop could come back again - but this time as a "weight loss" product?

Cheers,

Dien

I just saw a girl at my gym a few weeks ago using a hula hoop to some music that she brought along with her. She was having fun.

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Hi Joe,

Hula hoops...!

I just came across some interesting info about hula hoops... And how its history actually holds some "money-making" lessons...

Apparently, they're an ancient "invention" - in ancient Greece, they were used to help people lose weight! It was also popular in England in the 14th century.

Then, in the 1950s, the Wham-O company brought it back into fashion with a plastic version (and a marketing campaign). They couldn't patent it - because the invention was at least 2,500 years old! However, they did protect themselves by trademarking the name "hula hoop". So they are the only ones allowed to "officially" use that name for their product!

(Wham-O also performed a similar trick with the Frisbee - they didn't invent it, but they came up with the popular name, and own the trademark.)

I think this shows some important things...

• Ancient toys (and maybe other items?) can be brought back from history and become popular today in a "modern" form...
• Even if you can't protect your product with a patent, you may be able to protect it with a trademark - if your name enters popular usage...!

You can read more about the history at the "hula hoop" article on Wikipedia and at About.com ...

By the way, the history also suggests another idea. I wonder if the hula hoop could come back again - but this time as a "weight loss" product?

Cheers,

Dien

Hula Hoops Lost money did you know that. There was no copyright so that might have been the reason. I am not sure. Maybe someone of you know more than that. Tell us more.

Jim,

Check out this ant farm for the 21st century:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/6fd6/

Originally Posted by James Anthony

It's funny that these are listed as "fads" because....

We've got an ant farm - I figured that they had been popular since I was a kid

The Metric system - We use it daily in the shop and couldn't live without it. I find it hard to believe that us Americans haven't totally adapted to it because it makes so much more sense than the silly system we currently use.

Pac-Man - Still my favorite game when I go to the arcade. My son loves it too.

Rubik's Cube - For 30 years, I've never been without one and have probably never gone a month without trying to figure it out. It's always been like a lifelong goal to solve the thing and I finally did late last year. Actually, "solve" is a big word. I watched some videos explaining how to do it and I'm now convinced that almost anybody can do it with a couple hours of instruction.

Waterbeds - I haven't been without one since I was 10 but I've upgraded to a Somma

Fads? I don't know, but I'd sure like to see that Toga Party thing get revived.

And thanks for the link about the spud gun. We were just talking about building one of these the other day.

Jim

A great guru invented this type of Ant Farm before him they were made of wood. His name is E. Joseph Cossman. He passed away a few years ago. His son took over the business and from what I see is doing a good job. He revised some of the dad work including outsourcing on a disk with urls.