Many new ideas seem strange before they catch hold. Take cars, for example. When the first automobile hit the streets, the New York Times said in a 1902 article that they were impractical and unaffordable to the average American – just another passing transportation fad that was sure to go the way of the bicycle, which other prominent newspapers of the day had also doomed to the annals of history.
But Henry Ford had other things to say. His introduction of assembly line production made it possible to produce cars on a mass scale and sell them to consumers at an affordable price. And the rest is history.
Henry Ford made cars available to consumers on a mass scale.
Another more recent invention that the New York Times again deemed as out of date – this time in 1985 – was the laptop computer. Like the automobile, the Times labeled the laptop “a dream machine for the few.” The author goes on to make a few more astute points:
- Who would actually want to haul a computer to the beach, or set it up on our airline tray table, or work on their train commute when you could be enjoying the sports section of the morning paper?
- Why would you want a laptop at home when you have one at work, especially when desktops are cheaper.
- Why carry around a big, dumb clamshell when floppy discs are so much more portable?!
In the age of cloud sharing, smartphones and the internet, this logic is laughable to us now. No doubt, we’ve shrugged off tech trends only to realize later that by not getting on board, we’re now years behind the curve.
Or maybe you’ve been on the other side – you have an invention or creative idea that no one took seriously. Maybe they’re still not taking you seriously. But if you have the drive and passion to persevere, eventually you’ll find the right buyer for your product or investor for your billion-dollar idea.
Seven Weird Things Selling on Amazon Right Now*
There is all kinds of weird stuff that people buy every day. These bizarre products may be passing fads, or one or two may be coming to a home near you. None are as life-changing as the car, but it’s good to know that if some of these strange items can make money, surely your next invention can too!
Nickelodeon-style slime gel designed to clean the cracks and crevices of your electronics. Also great for picking up crumbs from nooks and crannies around your home or car.
Finger hands. As in, miniature hands that go on your fingers. Why? Maybe the better question is, why not?
In response to the previous question, why finger hands? Because you can get even smaller hands that fit on the fingers of your finger hand. For when you want to exponentially increase the number of fingers on your (finger) hand.
A blanket that looks like a tortilla. So you can wrap up your loved ones like actual burritos.
A plastic yodeling pickle. “Great gift for the person who has everything except a yodeling pickle.”
* Please note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning notiaPoint, Inc. will receive a commission at no cost to you if you click on and choose to purchase these items. These funds help support this blog and other content from notiaPoint.
Stay True to You
I hope what you take away from this is that just because one or two people can't see the genius in you doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t valid. If you believe in it, keep selling it! Hopefully these strange novelty items inspire your creative or kooky side – or at least give you ideas for your next white elephant gift exchange.
What weird tool or novelty item can you not live without? Leave us a comment and tell us what it is and why you love it.