Flashing Trophies

      Ky, one of my ex-students, and my son Corey’s close friend, invented a trophy. Not just any trophy, but a flashing trophy. With six different lighting patterns. Like no other. Ky needed a partner with a strong business background. He chose Corey. The first need was finding a company that could build such a thing. Finally, a company in China said they could do it. They sent a few hundred for them to see.

     I was asked to take one apart, see if I could find any problems. I found one. The on-off switch had no solid backing. They were simply glued into place. Occasionally, a switch would just give way. I reported the problem to Ky, he passed it on to China. They said they could fix it.

Ky and Corey, both big thinkers, ordered a shipping container load. Their banker went ballistic when he found out that money was going to China, a very dangerous thing to do, he said. Barbara and I agreed to cosign.

     Back after The Great Depression, Dad spent 17 years paying off the notes for his sharecroppers. He decreed that a Gillum would never, ever again cosign anyone else’s note. And they never did, until this came along. But this trophy seemed to be a sure thing.

     The trophies arrived in December.  The International Trophy Show was in March. We went to the warehouse to see. The crates of trophies seemed to stretch out of sight, almost filling a warehouse. We started testing. The switch on the first trophy gave way. So did the third. And on and on. We were looking at 22,500 unusable trophies. These trophies were shipped during cold weather, which seemed to have had a bad effect on the glue. China’s “fix” seemed to have been, just add a lot more glue, still no solid backing.

 China said no way would they take them back, the shipping was most of the cost. They discussed sending a repair team from China. Other options were considered. China did not want to lose out on future orders, if this was a hit and the big bucks started rolling in.

     We discussed this far into the night. There was a second generation trophy on the drawing boards, much larger, but it was on hold right now. We decided that if a team of Chinese could repair them, so could we. We proposed that if China would build the second generation of corrected trophies for free, get them to us by March, we would do it. They agreed.

     We knew that we could come out ahead, IF we could repair them, and have them ready for the International Trophy Show in March. A very big IF. The chore of deciding HOW fell to me. I dissected trophies for days. Various methods were tried, yet failed. Finally, I discovered if a small screw was placed in the bottom of the battery case at exactly the right place and depth, it would back up the switch, and hold it in place. It worked. But it was slow. Take each trophy out of the crate, take it out of the box, remove the battery cover and batteries, drill the hole, place the screw in, and re-package everything. We discussed hiring a large team of men.

     Then it hit me. We didn’t need a team of men, just one man. If we could get the right one.

      I called Henry Emison.

     Henry said he needed a little Christmas money right now, and said he could do it. By March. Corey and I went shopping for dremmel tools, small bits, screwdrivers, and 22,500 screws. Just the right length. For weeks, we shuttled truck and trailer loads to Henry, then back to our warehouse when they were finished.

     All were repaired when March rolled around. China put a rush order on the second generation trophies, and they were perfect, and in place. Ky, Corey, and wives headed for Las Vegas, loaded for bear.   

     The call came late one night. Our trophy had been chosen best new trophy of the year. We celebrated. We would all soon be rich.

     Now, while the item was hot, we must find a buyer. A company that could handle supplying trophies nationwide, maybe worldwide. The ball was now in Corey’s hands. Offers were made, considered, then rejected for days. Finally he decided on a company in South Dakota. They would buy the repaired trophies, and pay a nice royalty on each trophy sold.

     When their new catalog came out, the company devoted the entire back page to our trophy. The dealers just loved them. Trophies were flying off the wholesaler’s  shelves. They quickly ordered 100,000 more from our company in China. Other manufacturers, even in China, could not figure out how to make them.

     Then, we waited to see the reaction of the public to our trophies. It was disappointing. Seems the public was not as excited as the rest of us. We did not yet get rich, but small royalty checks keep coming each quarter. Sales reached a trickle, and have stayed there, so far. But our cosign money is safe, and while we are disappointed, that check each quarter comes in handy. Oh well. Born a pore boy, destined to die a pore boy. It could have been a lot worse. Oh, and by the way. I still have 1200 unrepaired, un-assembled trophies in my garage, if you just love flashing lights. At bargain basement prices.