Key Takeaways
- The Mold-A-Rama machine, debuted in 1962, produced on-demand plastic toys.
- Originally active for seven years, many durable machines still function across the United States.
- The machines offer an immersive experience, captivating viewers with the toy-making process.
- Modern companies operate and maintain Mold-A-Rama units, with new designs created by sculptors.
- Mold-A-Rama machines continue to generate significant revenue at various locations.
Deep Dive
- Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant introduced Mold-A-Rama as a 'factory in a case' dispensing plastic toys.
- The machine is defined as an 'on-demand injection blow molded plastic toy dispenser'.
- Josh Clark described encountering a machine, for 50 cents, that visibly created a plastic toy, resembling a jukebox from afar.
- J.H. 'Tyke' Miller began making plaster figurines in 1937, later shifting to plastic figures.
- During World War II, Miller's company produced 'Liberty figures' due to a shortage of German-made nativity pieces.
- The company experienced success, developing popular lines like 'Earth Invaders' or 'Miller Aliens', with the 'Purple People Eater' figure particularly prized.
- The Mold-A-Rama machines premiered at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, producing items like the Space Needle for 50 cents.
- By 1964, up to 150 machines were featured at the New York World's Fair, including branded versions for Sinclair Oil and Disney.
- Approximately 200 Mold-A-Rama machines were manufactured over a seven-year period, with ARA discontinuing the business by 1971.
- ARA exited the Mold-A-Rama business by 1971 due to high manufacturing costs, with machines costing around $3,600 (nearly $30,000 today).
- The machines required significant maintenance, involving steam, hydraulic fluid, and antifreeze.
- The mechanical operation involves two molds pressing together to form a cavity, into which hot plastic pellets, melted by steam, are injected.
- The machines possess a distinctive smell of hot plastic, described as both pleasing and noxious, with noted safety concerns.
- Manufactured between 1962 and 1969 by Aramark, many Mold-A-Rama machines remain functional despite over 50 years of outdoor exposure.
- Waymarking.com serves as a resource for locating active Mold-A-Rama machines across the United States, providing precise coordinates.
- Each machine produces a fixed toy type, but the color can vary based on the plastic pellets used.
- The primary appeal of Mold-A-Rama machines is the live toy-making process and experience, rather than the toy's quality.
- Bill Bowlman of Moldaville.com estimates approximately 300 different Mold-A-Rama toy designs exist, including 196 original designs and later commissioned pieces.
- Replication Devices, operated by the Strigow family, manages 60-70 machines, with the San Antonio Zoo's unit grossing an estimated $260,000 annually.
- Moldarama Incorporated, formerly the William A. Jones Company, acquired the trademark in 2011 and operates about 60 machines, mainly in the Midwest.
- A skilled sculptor has been creating new, more detailed Mold-A-Rama designs for 25 years, accounting for the limitations of melted plastic.
- Independent operators like the Knoxville Zoo and Chicago's Rotofugi have customized machines, such as the 'Roto-Omatic' featuring a 'Helper Dragon'.
- Former Disney Imagineer James Durand created a custom machine known as the 'Mini Molder'.
- The original 1962 price of 50 cents is equivalent to about $4.12 in 2017 money; today's price is around $2.00.