Is the world ready for this? At long last, "it" will be unveiled tomorrow...

Hi John,

I have also read Joe Sugarman's "Teeny Bopper" story.... But keep this in mind.

In 1966, Joe Sugarman knew of 250,000 "Twist'n Pops" sitting in a warehouse in Chicago. His deal (as told in his book, "Success Forces") was to promote them. In return, he would get 10,000 Teeny Boppers himself.

As you point out, the promotion flopped due to the bad luck of a tornado. Joe Sugarman got his 10,000 Teeny Boppers, but didn't do anything else with them after that.

By my calculation, that left 240,000 newly renamed "Teeny Boppers" sitting in a warehouse in Chicago. Joe Sugarman doesn't tell us anything beyond that - we don't know what happened to them from Joe Sugarman's book.

Now, keep this in mind as well....

Don Alm used to live in Chicago. His story is quite different - though it is using the same product.

Joe Sugarman wanted to promote the "Teeny Boppers" by starting a new club for teenagers. Don Alm promoted them by aiming them at chain stores (like Walgreen's) and promoting them through a TV commercial.

The location is the same - Chicago - but I know that both Joe Sugarman and Don Alm used to live in Chicago. And the product is the same - but given the same location, that's believable.

The two methods of promotion though, are quite different. And so were the two results....

I personally have no reason to disbelieve Don's story. In fact, when I think about it more - including the fact that Don Alm used to live in Chicago, and the fact that according to Joe Sugarman, there were still 240,000 unsold Teeny Boppers left - it actually fits into place.

Please remember, no personal attacks etc. here please (they will be deleted).

- Dien Rice