Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire.
Episode
73 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
History
AI-Generated Summary
Key Takeaways
- ✓How does Carlton identify and capitalize on toy crazes?
- ✓What caused the Razor scooter phenomenon to explode then collapse?
- ✓How did Razor evolve from manual scooters to electric vehicles?
- ✓What role does timing play in toy industry success?
What It Covers
Carlton Calvin transforms from failed children's book publisher into toy empire builder through Razor scooters, navigating boom-bust cycles across pogs, yo-yos, and hoverboards.
Key Questions Answered
- •How does Carlton identify and capitalize on toy crazes?
- •What caused the Razor scooter phenomenon to explode then collapse?
- •How did Razor evolve from manual scooters to electric vehicles?
- •What role does timing play in toy industry success?
Notable Moment
Carlton discovers his scorpion supplier in Arizona cannot provide two hundred thousand scorpions, forcing him to source them from China through Hong Kong Trade Council connections at seven cents each.
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