Failed to delete memorial. Wham-O also benefited from the relative economic sense of advertising nationally. The Atlanta Falcons Have Hired the Founder Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. TheSlip N Slide, Hacky Sack, and several others were also third-party ideas. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Arthur Melin (27070295)? The childhood friends formed WHAM-O in 1948, as college students, when they began making and selling slingshots in a garage. However, his most famous offspring happens to work in the football industry. Knerr and Melin marketed their products directly to kids, including demonstrating their toys at playgrounds. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie. The Original Hula-Hoop Girl, Now 94, Is Still At It - Vogue https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27070295/arthur-kelso-melin. 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. 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. 10 Best Moments Between Arthur & Merlin I thought you might like to see a memorial for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin I found on Findagrave.com. Spud Melin's genius saw the potential, and, after prototype trials with Pasadena children, manufactured, with Knerr, a hollow cylinder in light, durable polyurethane. WebIn 1948, he co-founded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin (nicknamed "Spud"). Wham-O kept an open door to inventors, pro or amateur: 20 nutty ideas arrived daily, including, in the early 1960s, the offer from a chemical engineer of an accidentally compressed plastic, Zectron, which bounced uncontrollably. All the funny product namesFling-a-Ring, Zip Zap, Water Weiniehad been exhausted. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The Frisbee and Hula Hoop created fads. He had lived for many years in San Gabriel before his retirement. Ed Headrick looked over the leftover plastic from the Hula implosion and had an idea. There was no one like Melin or Knerr sitting over a drawing board and trying to come up with an outlandish product. He was a good player in his own right, earning the nickname Steady Ed for his even throws. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. ), Congressional investigators blame airlines for most flight cancellations, Its kayak season. They just banned Elvis Presley's hips from the Ed Sullivan show.' They were more of an old-school company. The deal fell apart: That same year, they wound up selling their fun factory for $12 million to Kransco, an outfit that would later market Big Wheels. Ben Martin/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Knerr and Melin devised a test of an early version of the hula hoop in 1958 by holding demonstrations at parks. Knerr and his partner, Wham-O co-founder Arthur "Spud" Melin, specialized in fun, with the Hula Hoop, Slip 'N Slide, Silly String and Super Ball, entertaining countless "No sensation has ever swept the country like the Hula Hoop," author Richard Johnson wrote in his book "American Fads." How Much People Earned From Their Iconic Inventions - Insider Verify and try again. Over the years, Wham-O churned out 25 million Hula Hoops. All rights reserved. Of their new releases, only Magic Window, which displayed psychedelic patterns in grains of sand, was a bonafide hit., People were gravitating towards stuff like Simon and Pong, Walsh says. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. They were flat broke. It was inexplicable. But I said, 'You can't put that on television. "[My mother] and Spud's wife would demonstrate hula hoops in parks and recreation centers around the country," Chuck says. Try again later. 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 But I think this country gave us more than we gave it. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The adolescent appetite for dangerous weapons and sporting goods was so large that the two were soon grossing $100,000 in annual revenue. But knock-off artists had smelled opportunity. Guest panelist John Payne identified the inventor and manufacture of the Hula Hoop. Wham-O began producing a plastic version of the hoop, dubbed Hula after the hip-gyrating Hawaiian dance of the same name, and demonstrating it on Southern California playgrounds. Tiring of business, Mr. Melin persuaded Mr. Knerr to sell the company in 1982 to the Kransco Group Companies for $12 million. Knerr and Melin left behind a considerable legacy in the toy world. Art (Spud) Melin and Richard (Rich) Knerr had a knack for fun, and an open door for outside inventor ideas. But as quickly as the fad arrived, it ended, when school began, leaving Wham-O with millions of hoops and a $10,000 loss for the year. In the summer of 1958, the craze hit the US, selling 40 million $1.98 hoops and producing $45 million in profits. In the 1960s they produced a US$119 do-it-yourself bomb shelter cover. Melin "(It) remains the standard against which all national crazes are measured.". Melin and his wife, Suzy, became aware of children in Australia and elsewhere around the South Pacific playing with a bamboo or rattan ring by swinging it around their hips. 1957: WHAM-O acquires the rights to the Pluto Platter from Fred Morrison and renames it Frisbee. A group of investors then bought Wham-O back from Mattel in 1997 for about $20 million and relaunched many of its best-known toys, including the Slip 'N Slide. By 1957, the company had sold several million of the disks.But nothing could compare to the whirlwind force of the Hula-Hoop, which Wham-O introduced the next year. Wham-O, Melin and Knerrs California-based amusements company, had set up so many factories and rolled out so many Hulas that the surplus of inventory robbed them of profits. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? By 1957, the company had sold several million of the disks. Dad was the extrovert, a more sociable people person, so he was the one who did most interviews and the PR in the later years. See the article in its original context from. By various estimates, 20 million to 40 million were sold that year worldwide.But as quickly as the fad arrived, it ended, when school began, leaving Wham-O with millions of hoops and a $10,000 loss for the year.Wham-O rebounded a few years later with the unusual spring of the SuperBall, made of a compressed plastic known as Zectron. The next year it was refined and reintroduced as the Frisbee. A toy maker from Australia gave Mr. Mullin and Mr. Knerr a wooden exercise hoop used in gymnastics classes. 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]. 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. Richard Knerr - Wikipedia 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? This Is How Rich Youd Be If You Invented These Iconic Products Mr. Melin was right, though. If Headrick firmed it up and added ridges to make it more aerodynamic, they might have something. One hundred million platters have been sold, and as Spud Melin hoped, they became a sport - the basis of the team game Ultimate, with world championships, and disc golf on 500 courses worldwide. 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. Born in Los Angeles on December 30th, 1924, he and his boyhood pal, later business partner, Richard (Rich) Knerr, studied at the University of South California. Everyone is just too litigious. Try again later. Along with his wife, Melin is survived by five daughters, Linda, Sally, June, Carol and Della; one brother, Tom; and 11 grandchildren. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Many products were not successful. , It was difficult for dad to see his friends health decline, Lori Knerr says. By Melins estimate, the fad started in January 1958 and ended that October. The domestic size sold 20m. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Arthur Melin, 77, a Promoter of the Hula-Hoop, Is Dead, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/01/business/arthur-melin-77-a-promoter-of-the-hula-hoop-is-dead.html. A local barber suggested they sell the contraption. Wham-O took a fair share of wild swings in the marketplace. Their Air Blaster could blow out a candle at 25 feet. At first business was slow and the pair struggled to get by on just a couple dollars a day but gradually the orders were pouring in. Because of its enduring popularity, the Hula Hoop was inducted into But not before Melin and Knerr wound up radically reinventing the concept of having fun. They were all about fun," recalls Richard's son, Chuck. The enterprise ended with the oysters being dumped into a nearby bay because they could not get the venture off the ground.Wham-O's first incursion into the mainstream came in 1955, when it bought the idea for a plastic flying disk from a building inspector named Walter Frederick Morrison. [6][7] 25 million were sold in four months, and in two years sales reached more than 100 million. His net worth is estimated at $200 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, though its not clear how much of that is due to his creation of the Snuggie. I remember being so proud when that toy was banned from my school. They branched into other sporting goods, including pellet guns, crossbows and daggers. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The pair, who would remain lifelong pals and business partners, attended the University of READ MORE: The History of Must-Have Holiday Toys. With some of their biggest successes selling for under a dollar, no one was priced out of enjoying them. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. When the rains came, the eggs hatched and fish emerged overnight. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The kinetic energy in the material was substantial: it could bounce over a two-story home. Wham-O eventually branched out from slingshots, selling boomerangs and other sporting goods. Knerr and childhood buddy Arthur "Spud" Melin started a slingshot-selling business in 1948 in Pasadena and called their company Wham-O after what they said was the sound a slingshot made when it hit something. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Learn more about merges. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. Melin, who had Alzheimers disease, died Friday in Newport Beach. Commercials were shot in their own backyards. Since then, he has been involved in several experimental treatments, Mrs. Melin said, and he has willed his brain to the University of California at Irvine, where he was treated.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. Even in the face of abdominal injury, no one could resist the Hoop. Please try again later. This browser does not support getting your location. 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. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. Make sure that the file is a photo. Thanks to a savvy marketing campaign, 25 million hoops were sold within a few months of the product's launch; the hula hoop craze was off and looping, with kids all over America spinning hoops around their hips and waists. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. 1948: WHAM-O founded. Turning the Titans into an offensive juggernaut. 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. Save . There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. It became the biggest toy fad in modern history. Increasingly, kids were turning less to outdoor play and more toward higher-priced electronic offerings, which meant bigger profit margins for companies. Wham-Os Pluto Platter, meant to capitalize on the 1950s obsession with space and flying saucers, had a wobbly motion to it. The enterprise ended with the oysters being dumped into a nearby bay because they could not get the venture off the ground. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. In the toy business, we aspire to create fun for people. For many years, the company's strategy was to maintain eight to twelve simple, inexpensive products such as Frisbees, Super Balls, and Hula Hoops. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Millions of rings sat in piles like gargantuan wrist bracelets. About 600,000 were made. One of the best relationships on Merlin was between the series' eponymous protagonist and Camelot's king. 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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. He was 82. Nevertheless, the public of all ages also adopted them, buying more than 100 million Frisbees in 30 years. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Around 20 million Super Balls were sold that decade, and the NFL named the Super Bowl games after it.[10]. Within six months, they sold 7 million Superballs. With Dorothy Kilgallen, John Payne, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Co-Creator of Frisbee and Hula Hoop Dies at 82 : NPR Overview. TIME reporter Allie Townsend picks the 100 most influential toys from 1923 to the present. But Spud and Rich knew good ideas were out there and were willing to listen.. Soon, crowds of teenagers rotating their hula hoops were featured in Life magazine and on the Dinah Shore Show. 11 places in L.A. to get your creativity flowing. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Frisbee grew so popular that associations and canine variations became commonplace; the Navy experimented on them to see if they could keep flares in the air longer. We have set your language to It was like a new medium, says Tim Walsh, a Wham-O historian and author of The Wham-O Super Book. The 76-year-old also built a large family. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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. If they liked an idea, it could be implemented immediately. 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! In 1948 they formed the WHAM-O Manufacturing Company in the Knerr family garage in South Pasadena. When Hasbro tried to buy Wham-O in 1982, Melin and Knerr were responsive. Most wont even look at an idea unless it comes through an agency. It did not sell well, but Morrison demonstrated it to Wham-O in 1955, as the pluto platter; Spud Melin and Knerr bought the novelty for $1 million (plus lifetime royalties for Morrison), and marketed the toy as the Fling Saucer. ''. It is known for creating and marketing many popular toys for nearly 70 years, including the Hula hoop, Frisbee, Slip 'N Slide, Super Ball, Trac-Ball, Silly String, Hacky sack, Wham-O Bird Ornithopter and Boogie Board,[1] many of which have become genericized trademarks. 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. Love, Spud., An hour later, she sees Dad and another man from work walking up her driveway, Knerr says.Then this fake delivery truck arrives, Suzy couldn't see what it was. There was a problem getting your location. Knerr spent his final hours in Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, Calif., after suffering a stroke earlier in the day at his home. Compared by many to be two sides of the same coin, Merlin and Arthur's relationship was at the heart of the show. Try again later. 0 cemeteries found in Corona del Mar, Orange County, California, USA. [8] "Hula Hoop mania" continued through the end of 1959, and netted Wham-O $45million (equivalent to $418million in 2023[9]). ", "Branding in History:Fad and Brand Wham-O", "EXCLUSIVE: ICM Signs Wham-O Toy Company", "Wham-O co-founder Knerr dies at 82 San Francisco Business Times", "Wham-O CEO sues over post-purchase ouster - 8/24/2009 10:01:00 AM - Playthings", "Nostalgia (and Frisbees) in the air at Wham-O", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wham-O&oldid=1127101140, Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles, Companies based in Los Angeles County, California, Privately held companies based in California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from January 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from February 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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 By 1994, when Mattel purchased Wham-O, the San Gabriel factory was down to a skeleton crew keeping up production of only a handful of products. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Humans have been hula hooping for hundreds of years. [28] If Spud and I had to say what we contributed, Knerr said, it was fun. GREAT NEWS! This inspired Melin to create the .mw-parser-output .vanchor>:target~.vanchor-text{background-color:#b1d2ff}Instant Fish product, an aquarium kit consisting of some of the fish eggs, and some mud in which to hatch them. Failed to report flower. We didnt want it used as a toy, Melin told the Pasadena Star-News in 1998. Its origins are disputed, but seem to have been in empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, tossed around the ivy-league campus of Yale - or Princeton, Dartmouth, Amherst and Middlebury, each of which claims to be its home. Their bowling set consisted of a ball and pins that were sold empty and filled with water to add weight (the innovation also helped reduce shipping costs to retailers); a Wham-O game of catch involved a Pluto Platter, the disc-shaped saucer later re-named Frisbee that some people thought ran along strings; a cap gun that shot peas and beans at pretend cowboys. 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. 3 1 greengrenades To be the man, you gotta For example, Sea-Doo is a brand of personal water craft owned by Bombardier; Wham-O makes a Sea-Doo line of small inflatable rafts designed to be towed behind watercraft. WebThe hoop has been a popular children's toy for thousands of years, and the introduction of the Hula Hoop in 1958 by the Wham-O toy company has been documented by sociologists as one of the biggest fads ever to take hold in America and one of the most significant events of the time. There was an error deleting this problem. Unlike their contemporaries at Mattel or Hasbro, Melin and Knerr didnt have to navigate a corporate obstacle course. 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). 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Hula Hoop - pgpedia.com If it was good, the company would license it and pay out a royalty. 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. But as quickly as it started, it was over. Soon, Wham-O was producing 20,000 hoops a day. 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. Knerr once had a baby elephant delivered to Melins wife, Suzy, after Melin went on an African safari without him. Kids would just throw it on the ground and it would just take off to the ceiling, into lights.". They also offered mail-order sporting goods, such as pellet guns, crossbows and daggers.