Now Why Didn't I Think Of That?

You know Beanie Babies? Those little stuffed animals that you see everywhere? Well, the creator of those little animals, Ty Warner, is a flipping genius. I don't know what his job was beforehand, but he must have been super bored one day and he started thinking, "What can I create that is cheap, in demand and the consumers will go crazy for?". And then Ty thought up Beanie Babies. He plotted and planned and schemed everything out beforehand.

Ty kept the price low so that little kids could buy them with their allowance. He avoided mass marketing and kept them "secretive". He limited the production of the Babies (because you know how excited people get when something is "rare"). He originally didn't let large-chain stores sell them - because they were sold in speciality shops, they somehow seemed more refined. And he periodically announced a certain Babies retirement...which subsequently whipped the collectors into a frenzy as they each scrambled to get "the last one".

So, this man who took a risk with his strategy and went against every known marketing norm, is now worth more than $6 billion dollars. I need to put my thinking cap on and come up with my own million-dollar scheme. Hmmm...what about a Tickle-Me Cabbage Patch Doll that rides on My Little Pony? :-)