Long before 3D printing was a affair , kids of all age were plonk quarters into Mold - A - Rama monger machines to get plastic sculptures made right before their eyes . Let ’s take a look back at the account of these mid - century manufacturing marvels .
Big Idea, Small Figures
moulding - a - manic disorder
In the winter of 1937 , J.H. “ Tike ” Miller of Quincy , Illinois , was dig out his family ’s Christmas ornament when he remark that one of the trope from his nativity prospect had broken . But the section store where he purchase the scene did n’t sell the figures one by one ; if he wanted a replacement piece , he ’d have to bribe a whole new solidifying .
Miller and his married woman sculpted and paint a new poultice figure themselves and , learn a problem that need repair , he begin his own companionship to sell nativity figures and other small statues at local novelty shop . A few years later , World War II break out across Europe , blocking the import of nascency decorations from the world ’s phone number one provider , Germany . This put the J.H. Miller Company in a premier location to step in and become the leading American maker of nativity sets for years to come .
Sometime in 1955 , Miller ’s company moved away from plaster and bulge using charge plate injectant molding . The cognitive process melt down polyethylene pellet at about 225 level and then injected the resulting liquid into a two - piece mold . Before the charge card could whole cool , a blast of high - pressure zephyr would push any remaining liquid out a drainage mess in the bottom of the mold , allow the carving empty . Next , antifreeze was pump inside and then drained to cool down and indurate the waxy plastic shell . The mildew carve up and the finished figure was ready . The whole process took less than a second to complete .
The new method was cheaper than plaster cast , which gave Miller the freedom to experiment and expand his line of figurine . He create a series of dinosaur and prehistorical animals , jungle animals , and the popular “ Earth Invaders , ” now known as the “ Miller Aliens , ” which include the Purple People Eater , inspire by the hit novelty birdsong .
Despite a series of successful number , the party was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1959 . However , this provided an chance for Tike to further originate an melodic theme he ’d had to convert his patented injection molding machine into an on - demand figure hawk machine . Working with Chicago ’s Automatic Retailers of America ( ARA ) , which would subsequently become Aramark , Miller licensed the technology that became Mold - A - Rama .
The Future of Manufacturing
Debuting at the 1962 Seattle World ’s Fair , the bubble - topped machines created waxy , credit card model of the Fair ’s showcase edifice , the Space Needle , as well as a monorail , a Buddha , a 3D sculpture of the Fair ’s logo , and other fun designs . At 50 cents each ( just about $ 4 today ) , the token were n’t crummy , but the experience of watching the statue created before your eyes must have convert fairgoers they were interpret the hereafter of manufacturing . ARA hope that was n’t too far from the truth ; the relic market started as merely a cogent evidence of concept for ARA , who had loftier plans to offer on - demand products like dishful , vases , ashtrays , pocket combs , and even jewellery available any sentence at the pushing of a button .
Although its showing in Seattle was secure , it was the 1964 World ’s Fair in New York City that put Mold - A - Rama on the function . Some estimates say there were as many as 150 machine in various incorporated exhibits over the course of the Fair ’s two years . Multiple units were lay out up inside the Sinclair Oil “ Dinoland ” showing , producing a plasticApatosaurusthat resembled Sinclair ’s iconic mascot , as well as various vividness ofTyrannosaurus Rex , Triceratops , Stegosaurus , and other prehistorical beasts . Disney and Pepsi partner to offer bod like Mickey Mouse , Goofy , Donald Duck , and Pluto , complete with highly - customise Mold - A - Rama units featuring miniature Disney characters that appear to be operating parts of the machine . Across the various exhibits and marquee , figures such as dolphins , alligators , NASA ’s Space Lab and Project Mercury space abridgment , presidential busts , and more were available for 50 cents each .
Mold - A - Rama went external in 1967 when it was featured at the Montreal World ’s Fair , Expo ’ 67 . There , eager Canucks could pick up a plastic Royal Canadian Mounted Police physique , an Eiffel Tower , or a logotype of the Fair on a maple leaf .
From Lions to Lincoln and Lawrence Welk
Mold - A - Rama machines began popping up everywhere . democratic holidaymaker address like museum , zoos , and entertainment parks had machines for relic seeker . But you could also notice the familiar bubble big top in department stores like Sears , balance stops on interstate highways , and in some quoin drugstores .
While no one is indisputable precisely how many moldsets have been produced for Mold - A - Rama machines , Bill Bollman of moldville.com has find out 196 unique designs used between 1962 and 1967 . The reckoning gets a little miry after that because multiple companies were make molds , but he estimate there are around 300 unequalled moldsets .
In all , somewhere around 200 Mold - A - Rama car were made by ARA between 1962 and 1969 , when they decided to get out of the plastic figurine business . One broker for their determination could have been the large investiture of $ 3600 ( approximately $ 28,000 today ) to build each motorcar . In addition to the initial disbursal , the plastic pellet had to be refilled often and mechanically skillful parts had to be replaced frequently , requiring a staff of trained technicians that traveled between multiple locations . Whatever their logical thinking , by 1971 , ARA had sold off all the motorcar to a smattering of independent operators . Only two operator rest today : Mold - A - Rama Inc.near Chicago and Mold - A - Matic in the Tampa expanse .
cast - A - Rama Inc. has about 60 machines in popular Windy City spots like the Brookfield Zoo , the Field Museum , the Lincoln Park Zoo , the Museum of Science and Industry , and the Willis Tower . ( They have machines at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul , the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn , the San Antonio Zoo , and the Milwaukee County Zoo , too . ) There are about 70 Mold - A - Matic marque machines that can be witness in places like Busch Gardens , Zoo Miami , the Central Florida Zoo , Gatorland , the Lowry Park Zoo , the Mote Aquarium , and the famous Seaquarium , among many others . While the price for innovative pattern has gone up to an median price of $ 2 , it ’s still sleazy than a gormandise fauna .
Your Own Mold-A-Rama
There are a few individual accumulator who have their own Mold - A - Rama machines , include Bob Bollman ofmoldville.com . In 2012 and 2013 , Bollman createdClub - A - Rama , offering newly - frame figurines from his original machine and his personal collection of molds , as well as a excerpt of mould borrowed from Mold - A - Matic . At $ 5 each , Bollman station out a new figure every week plus a fillip figure , include many designs that have rarely been seen since the Mold - A - Rama heyday . He has n’t renewed the concept for 2014 , but he ’s still offer a day-by-day giveaway of figures on hisFacebook varlet , so you have a chance to get your hands on one of these rarefied collectibles .
Rotofugi , a high - end toy store in Chicago , buy a vintage Mold - A - Rama machine and completely reconstruct it in Holy Order to produce new figures sculpted by modern artists . Rechristened theRoto - A - Matic , the political machine currently produce “ Helper Dragon ” figures byTim Biskupfor $ 6 each . Unfortunately , the process of producing the molds is more time - consuming and expensive than they had originally hop , so after nearly two class , this is the only image they ’ve been able to bid . However , it is uncommitted in a variety show of colour and can be purchased in - memory board or online .
Collecting Molded Memories
Because the figures were made of slight plastic and often seen as a tchotchke , few original era Mold - A - Rama figures survive today . Original Sinclair dinosaur from the New York World ’s bazaar can go for over $ 50 on eBay , but the vast bulk of vintage figure of speech fall somewhere in the $ 15 to $ 20 range .
eBay
One of the most seek - after pieces is the Fairy Castle that was uncommitted exclusively at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry . The human body was a extremely - detailed representation of the famous miniature house created by silent film whizz Colleen Moore . The mold is so detailed that the statues often make out out looking a small sloppy . The mold was retired shortly after it was install , making the figures particularly gruelling to find today . In January , a good quality white Fairy Castlesold on eBay for $ 153.Another recent eBay sale saw a figure portray the Better Living Center from the New York World ’s Fair go for$259.Because the number was only produced at the Fair , and is one of only a handful that doubles as a coin bank , the Better Living Center design has become very collectable .
The Holy Grail of Mold - A - Rama accumulator is an original 1958 Purple People Eater . The theme song piece of the Miller Aliens pipeline is so rare that one in honest stipulation betray in 2012 for $ 809 on eBay . Not a bad riposte on a 25 cent investiture .
With only a few companies still operating these 50 - year - old political machine , it ’s backbreaking to say how much longer Mold - A - Rama figure will be around . With modern 3D scanning and printing technologies , these souvenirs of a bygone geological era may become more common if people go impress them at home . But even if you may make your own figure anytime you like , nothing will ever replace the memories of watching those space - age vending machines create something from nothing right before your very eyes .
All images courtesy ofMoldville.comunless otherwise specified
