This sounds like the way to go.  FWIW there's a toy inventor named Brian
Walker who made a bundle starting with a trivial LED whirligig, that he
got Disney to pick up.  I don't think he ever did any development on it
himself other than proto fabrication and promotion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Walker_(toy_inventor)  But he also
had a launch-myself-in-a-rocket publicity scam that got him and his toys
a lot of attention.  Maybe you should give that a shot too. ;)

GC

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Dr Skip
> Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 9:52 AM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [EE] neat toy invention, from my workbench to 
> small stores?
> 
> Here is what I would do (FWIW):
> 
> Play like you're serious and willing to talk big...
> 
> Make some calls, etc, and get big vol pricing on making 
> millions. This way, you 
> know the data the other side of the table will use in any negotiation.
> 
> Get a Provisional Patent. They're $200 and last a year or 
> two, and get you some 
> protection - while you're theoretically working on the real one...
> 
> Find a model maker, woodworker, whatever, to build a handful 
> of hand-made 
> prototype cases to your spec. Don't hand them out, show them, 
> and if anyone is 
> offended by not giving them some (like some low level rep at 
> some toy company), 
>   give the idea that you don't think it would be right, since 
> you're currently 
> in deep negotiations with a competitor, BUT, if they are 
> serious, they should 
> get serious quickly - you're still taking offers... You get 
> to keep your 
> prototypes AND it will make them more hungry to deal with 
> you, since they're 
> competitor might be seeing something they aren't. Just like 
> consulting - 
> everyone wants to hire a busy consultant, no one wants a 
> consultant with 
> nothing else to do... ;)
> 
> Go the way of licensing to a big company. No hassles or 
> liabilities. The final 
> patent can be finished by them. You can also just sell it 
> outright. If there 
> are follow-on type toys from it, you could negotiate around 
> that too, and maybe 
> have a ready buyer for permutations you come up with. Have an 
> experienced agent 
> or lawyer in that area be with you. If they're experienced 
> and good, they'll 
> more than get their fee covered in increased $$ negotiated.
> 
> While that's going on, casually look at the make it yourself 
> angle - it adds 
> leverage to your negotiations. You'll have until the 
> provisional runs out to 
> get it sold or go for the real patent or decide to make it 
> yourself, etc.
> 
> 
> Ben Hencke wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I've got a small PIC based LED toy (think fancy keychain 
> like), and I
> > wanted to ask the piclist's advice on a few things.
> > 
> > First about the toy, its small, has very few components, and
> > everything interesting about it is implemented in firmware. 
> I designed
> > the PCBs and made them at home, they are about 0.5" x 2" 
> (most of the
> > space used by the battery holder). Everyone I've showed it to has
> > encouraged me to get a patent, but these are expensive, and 
> given the
> > market for small LED toys, I dont think any over seas would 
> be ripoffs
> > would have any problems at all getting around it. If I'm going to
> > throw $10k at it of my own money I'd rather put it in to the other
> > aspects of getting it finished and built, marketed, etc. Worst comes
> > to worst I'd at least have 1000s of the things to show for my money.
> > Before you tell me I'm wasting my time trying to sell 
> keychain lights,
> > ever time I've played with one of these things down a city street I
> > get stopped like every 5 minutes by someone asking me where I bought
> > it. I'm pretty sure if done right that it would take of and be at
> > least momentarily popular. I've read a few Inventor books but these
> > leave me asking more questions than they answer.
> > 
> > So then a few questions:
> > 
> > 1. Patent something that might be easily ripped off? Are they
> > absolutely necessary?
> > 2. Any ideas on how I could get plastics made for this thing? Maybe
> > something like a snap together case, or a rubberized soft shell or
> > something.
> > 3. Someone once told me I'd need to get it safety tested 
> and whatnot,
> > any pointers to laws regarding this sort of thing?
> > 4. A lot of people told me to license the idea and/or firmware to
> > larger toy companies, and let them handle all the rest of 
> the details,
> > but this road always seems to go down the path of requiring 
> a patent.
> > IF this idea was patentable, I'm not sure any toy company would pick
> > it up.
> > 5. I've seen a lot of posts about manufacturing, usually for up to
> > 100s of boards, but does anyone know of a place that specializes in
> > making thousands of smaller boards?
> > 6. I'm thinking that I could approach some of the smaller local toy
> > stores and talking them in to carrying them for a while to test out
> > the market, if it works out, then I'm sure there are toy 
> conferences I
> > could schmooze with people and show them some sales data. I'm not a
> > sales/marketing guy, so maybe I'm totally missing something there?
> > 7. Is there something I should know about but haven't asked? :-)
> > 
> > Thanks in advance,
> >   Ben
> -- 
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