Wham-O Manufacturing
78+ years and still operating (founded 1948)
About Wham-O Manufacturing
Richard Knerr and Arthur 'Spud' Melin started Wham-O with a hand-crafted slingshot. The company sparked some of the biggest toy crazes in American history. The Hula Hoop (1958) sold 25 million units in four months. Wham-O bought Fred Morrison's flying disc and renamed it the Frisbee, and went on to sell the Slip 'N Slide, the Super Ball and the Hacky Sack. The founders sold the company in 1982 and the brand has passed through several owners since.
Founding
Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, two friends from Pasadena who started by selling slingshots and named the company for the sound one made when it hit.
History of Wham-O Manufacturing
Wham-O is the great American fad company, and it invented the modern fad as a business model. Knerr and Melin bought or licensed ideas from inventors, gave them a memorable name, and marketed them hard and fast — accepting that each product would spike enormously and then collapse, and that the answer was to have the next one ready.
The record is extraordinary. The Frisbee — acquired from Fred Morrison's "Pluto Platter" in 1957 — became a permanent sport. The Hula Hoop sold twenty-five million units in four months in 1958 and then died so completely that Wham-O was left with warehouses of unsold tubing; it is the textbook case of fad economics. Then the Slip 'N Slide, the Super Ball, the Hacky Sack and the Boogie Board.
Two of those products, the Frisbee and the Super Ball, are in the National Toy Hall of Fame, and the Frisbee outgrew toydom into organised sport. Wham-O has passed through several owners since 1982 and continues to trade on the strength of names it created sixty years ago.
Timeline
- 1948Knerr and Melin found Wham-O in San Gabriel, California, selling slingshots
- 1957The Pluto Platter is acquired and renamed the Frisbee
- 1958The Hula Hoop sells 25 million units in four months, then collapses
- 1961The Slip 'N Slide is introduced
- 1965The Super Ball, made from Norman Stingley's Zectron, is a major hit
- 1982The founders sell the company; it passes through several owners
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Hula Hoop (1958) — 25M in 4 months
- Frisbee (1957)
- Slip 'N Slide (1961)
- Super Ball (1965)
- Hacky Sack (acquired 1983)
- Boogie Board
Identifying & Dating Wham-O Manufacturing Toys
- Look for "WHAM-O" moulded into Frisbees, Super Balls and other products, usually with a patent number, model name and mould date code.
- Frisbee mould markings, rim shape and the text ring are the standard dating tools and are documented in detail by disc collectors.
- Early Pluto Platter discs are marked with planet names around the rim and predate the Frisbee name.
Collector's Notes
- Early Pluto Platters and first-generation Frisbees are the serious collecting area, and the mould markings are what establish the era.
- Original Super Balls harden, crack and lose their bounce with age; a genuinely resilient early example is uncommon.
- Packaging and header cards are worth more than the contents for most Wham-O products, since the toys survived in millions and the packaging did not.
Currently for Sale on eBay
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Wham-O Manufacturing founded?
Wham-O Manufacturing was founded in 1948, based in San Gabriel, CA.
Is Wham-O Manufacturing still in business?
Yes. Wham-O Manufacturing is still operating today, 78+ years after it was founded.
What is Wham-O Manufacturing best known for?
Wham-O Manufacturing is best known for Hula Hoop (1958) — 25M in 4 months, Frisbee (1957), Slip 'N Slide (1961), among other toys.
Where was Wham-O Manufacturing located?
Wham-O Manufacturing was based in San Gabriel, CA.
What kinds of toys did Wham-O Manufacturing make?
Wham-O Manufacturing is categorized under outdoor toys, sports toys, novelty toys.
Who founded Wham-O Manufacturing?
Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, two friends from Pasadena who started by selling slingshots and named the company for the sound one made when it hit.
How can you identify genuine Wham-O Manufacturing toys?
Look for "WHAM-O" moulded into Frisbees, Super Balls and other products, usually with a patent number, model name and mould date code. Frisbee mould markings, rim shape and the text ring are the standard dating tools and are documented in detail by disc collectors. Early Pluto Platter discs are marked with planet names around the rim and predate the Frisbee name.
Are Wham-O Manufacturing toys valuable?
Early Pluto Platters and first-generation Frisbees are the serious collecting area, and the mould markings are what establish the era. Original Super Balls harden, crack and lose their bounce with age; a genuinely resilient early example is uncommon. Packaging and header cards are worth more than the contents for most Wham-O products, since the toys survived in millions and the packaging did not.