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The 50 Year History of Play-Doh

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the fun-factory dept.

tanagra writes "50 years ago U.S. Patent No. 3,167,440 was granted to Noah McVicker and Joseph McVicker for a "plastic modeling composition", (which was originally intended to be a wallpaper cleaner) now called Play-Doh. Little did they know that they had created the substance of childhood memories as well as many a childhood meal, unfortunately. Play-Doh persists as one of the most well known and popular children's "toys". As you attempt to clean your children's Play-Doh out of the carpet, the car, and the bathtub; take a look back with us at how it all got started."

5 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. And if you REALLY love the doh! by Rayston · · Score: 5, Interesting

    or you have SO that does.

    http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/03/playdoh_scent ed_colo.html

    cologne that smells like playdoh.

  2. Another Use of Play-Doh by The Brain by Esion+Modnar · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I saw this show on Discovery about the rare math genius who was also NOT otherwise mentally handicapped. He could calculate Pi to 40,000 decimals or something. He used play-doh to describe how he visualized different numbers. For instance, 637 was a green saddle-shaped thing. (Or whatever, I don't remember.)

    He got that way after suffering (as a young child) a very specific brain injury as a result of a disease. No mention of any radioactive poisonous spiders, however.

    --

    They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
  3. Re:Recipes by Atmchicago · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You can also take a look at the patent itself at http://patft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm. Then search for patent US 3167440. Click the images button. They have a terrible viewing system, but it's there!

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    You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.

  4. Play-Doh Resistors by dukiebbtwin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In my college physics lab we used play-doh as a resistor - figuring out how resistance changed with varying surface areas and the like. Also measured whether there were differences in resistance among different colors of play-doh. Needless to say the play-doh got pretty fried at the points where you connected it to the rest of the circuit. Of course the play-doh was used more for constructing artistic masterpieces than using it as a resistor!

    Now, why am I paying 40,000 bucks a year for this :x :x :x I had my final earlier tonight too - that was rough - and no mention of play-doh resistors - in fact very little problems dealing with dc circuits at all, the only stuff I was really good at!

  5. Re:Secret patents don't exist by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 3, Interesting
    As others have pointed out, the ingredients may be public, but the ratio is still secret, etc.

    Which points out yet another flaw with the current patent system - the whole intent of patents was to encourage people to make their inventions known, so that once they expire the knowledge becomes public domain. Here, with humble little play-doh, we have an example of that intent not working, being evaded - the patent was granted, and has expired, yet nobody knows the formula... perfect Playdoh making has NOT become something anyone can do, and the stuff has not become a generic commodity as patent law intended. Playdoh got a patent without really truly revealing their invention, and now still gets to maintain its secret.

    Play-doh got a 20 year free ride, essentially having ripped off the public.

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    This space available.