Why Didn't I Think of That? by Anthony Rubino

Author:Anthony Rubino
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Media, Inc.
Published: 2010-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE THUMBTACK IS ONE OF THE TOP-SELLING OFFICE PRODUCTS OF ALL TIME.

51 THUMBTACK

TAGLINE: A miniature nail

PREDECESSOR: The nail

LESSON: Make a “light” version of something that’s already useful.

The modern thumbtack was derived from Edwin Moore’s map pin. (Map pin? Ever gone on a website to get directions and used those virtual pushpins to determine your location? Those, except real.) In 1900, Moore founded the Moore Push-Pin Company with $112.60, and as the founder and only employee, Moore spent all his time laboriously producing these pointy pushpins. The first sale was for one gross, or twelve dozen, that brought in $2. Orders only went up from there though as the Eastman Kodak Company soon placed one for $1,000 (approximately $25,000 nowadays). The company used Moore’s invention to “tack” up their photographs.

And that brings us to how Moore’s map pushpin evolved into the thumbtack. In 1903, a few years after Moore founded the Moore Push-Pin Company, German clockmaker Johann Kirsten designed the first thumbtack. Similar in construction, Kirsten’s thumbtack had a flat head opposite the point, whereas Moore’s pushpin had a tiny grip of sorts.

Besides the flathead versus grip difference, the two men also went in different directions with their lives post-creation of the pointy inventions. Moore went on to invent and patent a number of other items, including the picture hanger. (Guess he had a hang-up for hanging stuff up.) Kirsten on the other hand sold the rights to his invention to Otto Lindstedt, who patented it in 1904. Lindstedt became very wealthy. Kirsten remained broke. Not too sharp—the thumbtack remains one of the top-selling office products of all time.

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