arthur spud'' melin net worth

They just banned Elvis Presley's hips from the Ed Sullivan show.' This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. So they marketed abroad, first in Europe, then everywhere, although Japan banned them as lewd, and the Soviet Union called them "an example of the emptiness of American culture". Wham-O eventually branched out from slingshots, selling boomerangs and other sporting goods. Increasingly, kids were turning less to outdoor play and more toward higher-priced electronic offerings, which meant bigger profit margins for companies. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The ball was uninjured. On January 31, 2011, Wham-O announced an agreement with ICM, the agency representing Atari video games, to represent Wham-O in movies, television, music, and online content based around its toys.[30]. But Wham-O continued to make other novelties, like Silly String and the Slip 'n' Slide. Youd never see a company making both toys and weapons now. COSTA MESA, Calif. Arthur "Spud" Melin, co-founder of the toy company that introduced the world to the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and other faddish gems of American Try again later. Melin, who had Alzheimers disease, died Friday in Newport Beach. Wham-O was resold to Mattel Inc. in 1994 and to a group of investors in 1997. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Millions of rings sat in piles like gargantuan wrist bracelets. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Arthur Melin, the co-founder of Wham-O, which introduced fads like the Hula-Hoop and lasting diversions like the Frisbee, died on Friday at a care center in Costa Mesa, Calif.He was 77 and had lived in Irvine, Calif. While the hula hoop never went away, it has had a bit of a revival in the past five years with popular hoop fitness classes. Make sure that the file is a photo. The childhood friends formed WHAM-O in 1948, as college students, when they began making and selling slingshots in a garage. More importantly, they were actually having as much fun as people thought they were. Left strictly to their own sensibilities, items like the Bowmatic bow-making machine and the Super Foam Machine probably wouldn't have kept the lights on. Resend Activation Email. A series of equally ingenious toys including Slip 'N Slide, Silly String, the Hula Hoop and the insanely bouncy Superball would soon follow. When the rains came, the eggs hatched. As Wham-O changed ownership, its new management adjusted this formula to accommodate the changing toy industry, which had increasingly complex toys and fewer distribution channels. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Before the elephant arrived, he sent a telegram posing as his partner: Am sending live animal home, please feed it and take care of it until I get home. They began demonstrating the toy in parks and on television, and the fad quickly went viral. Born in Los Angeles, Mr. Melin, known by his childhood nickname Spud, formed Wham-O with a friend, Richard Knerr, in 1948, while they were working for their fathers and attending the University of Southern California. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. ''Mr. Melin and Knerr were boyhood friends, mugging for cameras and dreaming up ideaslike a mink button that could cover a womans naveltoo ridiculous for larger companies to ever consider. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? A giant promotional specimen accidentally dropped from a 23rd-floor hotel room window, rebounded 15 floors and destroyed a parked convertible as it fell again. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie.But the connection was not coincidental to the success of the Frisbee, which found its earliest acceptance at Eastern colleges. Richard Knerr (19252008[2]) and Arthur "Spud" Melin (19242002[3]), two University of Southern California graduates who were friends since their teens, were unhappy with their jobs and decided to start their own business. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Arthur Melin (27070295)? [4] The powerful slingshot was adopted by clubs for competitive target shooting and small game hunting. (The name had been used since the 18th century, but till then was not registered as a trademark.) However, the Hula Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. In 1958, they renamed it the Frisbee, either because that was the phoneticisation of the trade name as heard by Knerr on a college tour, or after Mr Frisbie, a US comic strip. Please reset your password. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? It was like a new medium, says Tim Walsh, a Wham-O historian and author of The Wham-O Super Book. Failed to report flower. Headrick was in charge of sifting through ideas, of which one in a thousand might be viable enough to pursue. When a ball dreams, it dreams it's a Frisbee," they said. Melin and Knerr shrugged. She didn't know what she was going to do with it.. In 1957, Wham-O, still a fledgling company, took the idea of Australian bamboo "exercise hoops", manufactured them in Marlex, and called their new product the Hula Hoop. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 3 1 greengrenades To be the man, you gotta Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He always had kids test his toys to see if they had play value. Long story short, after much effort and rejection, Spud finally got financing for his Hula Hoop, and Wham-O went on to sell some 25 million hoops the first year, making Spud tens of millions of dollars and making at least fifty bankers and investors sick. But as quickly as it started, it was over. All rights reserved. They expanded their Wham-O company to the corner of a failed grocery store, then to a factory, and went into pellet guns, throwing knives and boomerangs. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Hula hooping teens became an iconic image of the 1950s, and the fad grew when Wham-O began manufacturing a smaller version of the hoop for the younger set. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. He patented a design for a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle. Stingley and the company spent two years trying to create a manufacturing process that would result in a stable ball (prototypes were prone to exploding). WebEd Sullivan (2): Directed by Franklin Heller. 1997: Wham-O becomes independent again when an investment group purchases it from Mattel, January 2006: Wham-O is sold for ~ US$80million to, 2008: Wham-O introduces the EZ Spin Foam Frisbee Disc, a soft foam version of the Frisbee, 2009: Wham-O sold to investment firm The Aguilar Group. He had lived for many years in San Gabriel before his retirement. ''Spud brought it home and showed it to me,'' Mrs. Melin recalled yesterday. With only network channels to choose from, the odds kids would see ads for the Super Ball were substantial. Wham-O headquarters in Carson, California, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Richard Knerr, 82; co-founded Wham-O, maker of the Hula Hoop and Frisbee", "Super Bowl Owes Its Name to a Bouncy Ball History in the Headlines", "12 Lesser-Known Wham-O Products You Have to See to Believe", "Airgun makers that spawned firearms | Air gun blog Pyramyd Air Report", "Monster Super Gorilla Giant Horseshoe Magnet by Wham-o", "Super Sneaky Squirtin Stick Trademark #73131837, Owner: WHAM-O", "RETRO REVIEW: Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (April 1967)", "MTU Physics Alumni Department History Exhibits BS Degrees", "Get Yourself a Magic Window, just like the popular 70's toy for all ages! Wham-O would never have seen that success if not for their open-door policy: Anyone could telegram, mail, or show up in person with a toy idea. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them offhand that in his home country, children Mattel Inc. bought the company in 1994. They did not know what to make of it until another friend from Australia showed them how to gyrate their hips, thus spinning the hoop. Neon bending! At first, they focused on sporting goods, rather than toys, but they kept an eye out for unusual items like boomerangs and crossbows. He was 77. In 1959 Wham-O marketed a slightly modified version, which they had renamed the "Frisbee" two years earlier in 1957 - and once again a Wham-O toy became a common part of life through the 1960s. Ads claimed it could make bubbles "as long as a bus". Try again later. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. It was a little like excavating for toy gold, but the results were worthwhile: Slip N Slide, invented by an upholsterer, became one of the companys biggest perennial sellers. In 1955, the founders of the Wham-O toy company, Arthur Spud Melin and Richard Knerr, saw Morrisons flying disc. In 1958, the founders of Wham-O toys, Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, Vintage plastic Mr. Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, USA. Thanks for your help! Fewpeople in the history of fun can have had such success as Arthur (Spud) Melin, who died on June 28th aged 77, the co-inventor of the Hula-Hoop and manufacturer of the Frisbee, the Superball, the Hacky Sack and a long inventory of wheezes. They also offered mail-order sporting goods, such as pellet guns, crossbows and daggers. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. By 1948, they had moved into Knerr's Los Angeles garage, where Spud Melin cut slingshots with a handsaw, Knerr sanded, and both sold, personally first, then by mail-order and through dealers all over the United States. With some of their biggest successes selling for under a dollar, no one was priced out of enjoying them. Summary. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. In 1982, Spud Melin and Knerr sold Wham-O to the Kransco Group for $12 million, but Spud Melin kept up his interest in gadgets - at one point, he patented a two We didnt want it used as a toy, Melin told the Pasadena Star-News in 1998. Melina and Knerr were inspired to develop the Hula Hoop after they saw a wooden hoop that Australian children twirled around their waists during gym class. Bookbinding! In 1982, Spud Melin and Knerr sold Wham-O to the Kransco Group for $12 million, but Spud Melin kept up his interest in gadgets - at one point, he patented a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle. They were flat broke. An hour later, Knerr had the elephant returned to the circus. version made of colorful plastic tubing. They bought a saw at Sears, Roebuck & Company on a monthly payment plan, set it up in a garage and began making and selling slingshots. Knerr, Walsh says, had sellers remorse right away. During the first half of the 20th century, the best way to see someone use a hula hoop was to watch Chinese acrobats twirl multiple hoops on their arms, legs and torsos. ", Ben Martin/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images. Potato Heads can be worth from $200 to $695 dollars. According to company legend, a visiting Australian casually mentioned to Spud Melin how, back home as a kid, he had rotated a rattan, or bamboo hoop, around his waist in gym class. WebArthur Spud Melin . ). Wham-O first tried to sell the disk as the Pluto Platter, an attempt to cash in on the country's fascination with unidentified flying objects. "They were like John Wayne and Ernest Hemingway all rolled into one. Everyone is just too litigious. Turning the Titans into an offensive juggernaut. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Wham-O, in fact, hired students to sell Frisbees on campuses until it could get distribution in stores. If Headrick firmed it up and added ridges to make it more aerodynamic, they might have something. The enterprise ended with the oysters being dumped into a nearby bay because they could not get the venture off the ground. It was inexplicable. Sales skyrocketed, reaching 100 million before Mattel eventually bought out Wham-O. In 1957, they purchased the rights to Morrisons toy. Overview. Knerr and Melin left behind a considerable legacy in the toy world. (It was also 1958, before the advent of more sophisticated distractions.) For years, college students, especially at Yale, had played a game of catch with pie tins (or in some versions of the story, lids of cookie jars) made by the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Knerr said in an interview yesterday that the similarity of the name of Wham-O's disk to the name of the student game was a coincidence. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). All Knerr's creations had a way of bringing out the most mysterious aspects of physics, Knerr says. Both born in 1925, Knerr made rubber band guns out of apple crates and peddled them at the age of 9; Melin caught and sold halibut door to door. Arthur 'Spud' Melin, novelty inventor, born December 30 1924; died June 28 2002, The man who brought us the Hula-Hoop and the Frisbee, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Then, in 1958, Wham-O toy company founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin saw the potential in the humble hoop and began to mass-market a 40-in. When lawsuits were brought over serious injuriesincluding one death and two broken necksthe company ceased production.. COSTA MESA, Calif. Arthur "Spud" Melin, co-founder of the toy company that introduced the world to the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and other faddish gems of American pop culture, has died. [5] When they outgrew the garage, Knerr and Melin rented a building on S. Marengo Ave in Alhambra, California; and then, in 1955, moved their manufacturing plant to neighboring San Gabriel, California where they remained until 1987, when they sold the plant to Huy Fong Foods. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. READ MORE: The History of Must-Have Holiday Toys. Anyone, anywhere, could submit an idea to them and potentially get a royalty deal. Many products were not successful. Read more:12 WackyProducts from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe.. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The two never publicly commented on the injuries, but for a company that was built on levity, it had to be sobering. In 1955 inventor Fred Morrison began marketing a plastic flying disc called the Pluto Platter. Guest panelist John Payne identified the inventor and manufacture of the Hula Hoop. Other companies began making their own versions, and within four months Americans were spinning 20 million of the hoops and organizing national competitions. After buying a hand saw at Sears, they started churning out the weapons and selling them via magazine ads in 1948., As business partners, Melin and Knerr had an easy camaraderie. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. They extensively researched new product ideas, including traveling around the world. Ed Headrick looked over the leftover plastic from the Hula implosion and had an idea. They knew if they spent the money, theyd see a return on their investment, Walsh says. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Retailers in the United States were skeptical, but the two sensed a hit. Almost certainly not, Vanessa Hudson to replace Alan Joyce as Qantas chief, Covid graduates struggle with teamwork - Deloitte and PwC, Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton quits Google and warns over dangers of machine learning, Permanent TSBs interest income jumps 86% on Ulster Bank deal and rising rates, Ukrainian forces shell village in Bryansk region, says Russian governor. They were buddies to the end.. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hula-hoop-patented, Marvin Miller elected first full-time MLB Players Association executive director, Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler hits #1 with Ballad of the Green Berets, Impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson begins, Jim Morrison is charged with lewd behavior at a Miami concert. The domestic size sold 20m. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Today, Woodmans net worth is estimated at $800 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which is actually much lower than his peak valuation of $4.5 billion. In the summer of 1958, the craze hit the US, selling 40 million $1.98 hoops and producing $45 million in profits. Arthur Melin, the co-founder of Wham-O, which introduced fads like the Hula-Hoop and lasting diversions like the Frisbee, died on Friday at a care center in Costa Mesa, Calif. Five dozen were ordered by the White House. And in answer to a music and dance fad of the era, it also marketed Chubby Checker Limbo sets. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? The Frisbee and Hula Hoop created fads. Wham-Os Pluto Platter, meant to capitalize on the 1950s obsession with space and flying saucers, had a wobbly motion to it. (It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors.)Mr. Besides his wife, he is survived five daughters, Linda Melin, Sally Melin, June Macy-Melin, Carol Denham and Della Peterson; a brother, Tom Melin; and 11 grandchildren. This account has been disabled. Youre never going to see a toy that costs a dollar on television again. The success of the Super Ball and Frisbee largely made up for Wham-Os misadventures with the Hula Hoopwhich, contrary to belief, wound up being a steady seller over time. They tried to sell their birds to enthusiasts, but got more interest for the shot, which they named Wham-O, for the sensation felt when it hit the target. Because of its enduring popularity, the Hula Hoop was inducted into Most wont even look at an idea unless it comes through an agency. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. ''He said it would be huge. The pair, who would remain lifelong pals and business partners, attended the University of WebIn 1948, he co-founded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin (nicknamed "Spud"). His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims, China to scrap PCR test requirement for inbound travelers starting Saturday, Down to our final hill: Ski season (finally) winding down at Big Bear resorts, If Its a Small World isnt the best ride at Disneyland, what is?

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