| PEOPLE MAGAZINE ARTICLE "MEANIES" 1998 |
People Magazine Trends: Gross Revenues Fed up with the feel-good Beanie Babies? The Meanies, neither warm nor fuzzy, may be the perfect antidote It all started last spring, when marketing guru Allen LeWinter sought out toy manufacturers Glenn Rudin and Lance Kushner. LeWinter's idea? A line of beanbag critters-for boys. The pair listened, eagerly. Certainly Rudin's sons Joshua, 11, and Scott, 7, were no Beanie Baby fans. "Not one in the house," says Rudin. "Zero interest." But after a series of kids'focus groups, LeWinter, Rudin and Kushner got the drift of what might appeal to preadolescent males: "Their favorite words were 'barf,' 'puke' and 'hurl.'" says Kushner. Then, "we brainstormed." Thus were born Meanies, a dozen gross-out creatures including Hurley the Pukin' Toucan. (who comes with his own...never mind). Fi & Do the Dalmutation (a two-headed dog) and Boris the Mucousaurus (you can imagine). Since their debut las October, Meanies, which sell for $5 to $8, have made getting yucky lucky for Rudin, 38, and Kushner, 35, whose profits at their New York City Idea Factory-even with ongoing royalty payments to LeWinter--have doubled. This month 7-Eleven will start carrying Teeny Weenie Meanies key chains, and several Meanies have been seen as desk accessories on recent episodes of Spin City. Says Kushner, single and a Manhattanite (Rudin, married, lives on Long Island): "We struck a nerve." Apparently. In fact, Meanies--like Beanie Babies--are already turning into collectibles. Splat the Roadkill Kat--complete with tread marks on his back--now fetches up to $80. Still, when contacted by PEOPLE, a spokesman for the Beanie-making Ty Inc. claimed never to have heard of Meanies. Upon hearing that, Kushner responded with a typical Meanies sings on: "Nyeah, nyeah, nyean-nyeah, nyean!" Copyright 1998 Time Inc (Article submitted by Grandmareno). |
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Beck & Becky's Beanie Mania Vol. 2-No. 1-September 1999-Page 78 Other Beans NEW-MEANIES FAN CLUB Shawn Mayo Ty has partnered with CYRK to create one, Salvino has one, and even Barbie has her own. Why shouldn't the meanest kids on the block have one? When other companies are charging to be able to be a member the Meanies original fan club is giving away the hottest Meanies on the market today to its participants. Albeit not an "official Meanies club, the club is run by what may be the biggest fan of them all. Beanie Baby Stalker, says he has to have at least two of every Meanie made. Is it a fascination with the fringe or simply the possibility of being able to complete a set of these always innovative, sometimes scary bean bags that are drawing people to collectible stores across the country for these beans. This club offers plenty for the collector who wants to actively participate. Unlike other fan clubs, which do little more than sell you a special club bear, the Meanies unofficial club has monthly contest including a create a Meanie contest. Meanies concentration, and a word search. Each one of these online games, you are entered in a drawing to win such coveted Meanies as Fangaroo, Captain Crunch's Tiger shark or the coveted Alien Iverson. Alien Iverson, along with Pirate Jack have been the suject of much controvery in the land of the Meanies, Many collectors have mixed feelings on the more limited Meanies. On the one hand, they are extremely hard to come by as demonstrated by the auction site, ebay. Pirate Jack has gone as high as $420 and Iverson going as high as 300 with no end in sight. On the other hand, the question remains whether or not a line of beans can have a large following without these high dollar beans. During the "out-of-this-world" Sixers Meanies Night, "Alien" Iverson was given to the first 5,000 children to enter the First Union Center on April 16, 1999. The game was a key Eastern Division match-up versus the Indiana Pacers. Rold Gold Hard Sourdough Pretzels, a division of snack food giant Frito-Lay, sponsored the Meanies Night giveaway and the Meanies logos and a picture of Alien Iverson appeared on 270,000 tray liners at Wendy's in Philidelphia. With all these promotions, you may be asking what will the bad boys of toys think of next? Well, the answer to that may just be in a galaxy far, far away. Never ones to miss a parody opportunity-to nothing of the most spectacular merhandising phenomenon of all time-the creative talents at the idea factory today unveiled their take on the hottest license of the summer. Their result-Farce Wars: the Fantom Meanies. Leading the edgy Farce Wars fleet is merciless Dark Gator-a reptilian creature cloaked in protective black suit and helmet. Joining him is Slobba the Mutt, and overweight canine gangster up to no good with Chihuahua Crud in clutch (poking fun at a famous fast food promotion). Heroine Queen Armadillo and an execessively wrinkled Goata augment the super-galactic battalion. Completing the plush line are villainous Dark Mole-with a combative, double-ended shovel-and innocent Anteater Dirtwalker-with Fantom Meanie action figure in hand. |