by Eric Poses | 05 Sep 2023
Biographies and Interviews
In 1997, I drove around the country (at the age of 23) for 16 weeks with a carload of my first board game invention, Loaded Questions®. At each stop, I would demo my game for local game stores and call on local media to cover my story. By the end of the trip, Loaded Questions was featured in many of the top dailies and available at dozens of the country’s top specialty game stores.
Fast-forward 26 years…
On the eve of me embarking on yet another sales & marketing adventure to promote my new Loaded Questions Greatest Hits game (and all my other family/party games), I started reflecting on the many personal and cultural differences between my initial road trip and the start of tomorrow’s trip, dubbed “The Mid-Life Crisis Tour”. For example, one of the stores I sold to in 1997 was a popular Seattle-based game store chain called “Turn Off The TV”. I realized that store today would likely be called “Put Down Your Phone”. The Internet was in its infancy. There was no smart phone. Bill Cosby was America’s dad. It was a simpler time.
While I’m sure my time on the road will reveal a number of other differences, here are 10 that came to mind before I finish packing, sending out last minute emails, and trying to get a new night’s sleep before I become a traveling salesman these next six weeks.
Toy Safety Awareness Month Shares Tips for Safe Toy Shopping this Holiday Season
Zipstring's Austin Hillam: Delivering Smiles of Wonderment one Person at a Time.
The Toy Association™ Inducts Seven Visionaries into The Toy Industry Hall of Fame
PEOPLE OF PLAY UNVEILS OFFICIAL EVENT LINE-UP FOR POP WEEK
TA's Joan Lawrence: Prioritizing Safe Play Every Day
SARASOTA TOY MUSEUM, SET TO OPEN IN AUGUST
TOMY INTERNATIONAL AND PARAMOUNT ANNOUNCE A CROWD-FUNDED STAR TREK™ U.S.S. ENTERPRISE NCC-1701 FROM THE FIRST MOTION PICTURE
Pam Mastrota: Join The Toy Foundation at “Party with a Purpose” to Bring Play to Children’s Hospitals
PEOPLE OF PLAY ANNOUNCES REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND LONGEST RUNNING TOY & GAME INVENTOR PITCH & INNOVATION CONFERENCE
Game Review: Stratego
Randy Klimpert Shares his Ukulele Collection
Steve Casino Peanut Art
Everyone's Talking about POP!
Princess Etch - a Multi-Talented Etch A Sketch Artist
Joseph Herscher of Joseph' s Machines.
Connie Vogelmann designed Apiary & Wyrmspan!
Bob Fuhrer... Is THE Crocodile Dentist!
Tom Dusenberry... Bought Atari, Wizards of the Coast, and Avalon Hill!
Matt Leacock created Pandemic... the game!
Scott Brown and Tim Swindle... are Launching a New Sport!
POPDuo: Richard Dickson, Mattel’s President & COO, and Kedar Narayan, Young Inventor Challenge AMB
POPDuo: Will Shortz and Josh Wardle
POP Duo: Elan Lee, Co-Founder, Exploding Kittens.and Jeff Probst, Host and Exec Producer, Survivor
POP Duo: David Fuhrer, MNG Director, Blue Sq Innovations & Shawn Green, past Dodgers & Mets MLB Star
POP Duo: Bob Fuhrer, Founder, Nextoy and Tom Fazio, Golf Course Designer