-
·
Rommy Revson Patented the Scrunchie in 1987 and Fought to Be Remembered for It
Rommy Revson, a former nightclub singer, patented the fabric-covered hair tie she invented on…
-
·
Royal Bodyguard Took a Bullet Protecting Princess Anne — The Kidnapping Attempt Britain Still Talks About
On March 20, 1974, a gunman blocked Princess Anne’s car on The Mall demanding…
-
·
One Political Cartoon About a Hunting Trip Created the Teddy Bear
A 1902 newspaper cartoon mocking Theodore Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a captured bear inspired…
-
·
Larry Nichols Patented a Cube Puzzle Years Before Erno Rubik — Then Sued
An American chemist’s 1957 idea for a twisting magnetic cube produced a 1972 patent…
-
·
One Marketer Gave Us Both the Chia Pet and The Clapper
San Francisco ad man Joe Pedott turned a laughed-at ceramic planter and a failed…
-
·
General Electric Was Trying to Solve a Rubber Shortage — It Made a Toy Instead
A General Electric engineer’s failed WWII rubber substitute sat forgotten for seven years until…
-
·
André Cassagnes Stumbled Onto a Toy That Sold 175 Million Units
A French electrician noticed static-charged aluminum powder transferring pencil marks between plastic sheets, licensed…
-
·
Gen Z Is Cleaning Out Thrift Stores’ Film Camera Shelves
Film camera use has surged among 18-to-30-year-olds, and because almost no new 35mm point-and-shoot…
-
·
Certain Discontinued Le Creuset Colors Are Worth Hunting Through Every Thrift Bin
Retired Le Creuset colorways like Kiwi, Cobalt Blue and Fig regularly resell for five…
-
·
Backpack Brand From a 1967 Seattle Dorm Room Became Thrift Stores’ Most Requested Back-to-School Find
JanSport’s 1967 Seattle origin story is well documented, and the pin-and-patch-covered backpacks it made…
