Invention Makes Rolling-Up-The-Rim Easy
Paul Kind has won a few muffins and maybe a couple of cups of coffee in the annual Tim Hortons Roll Up the Rim to Win contest.
Like everybody.
But the true winnings, he says, have come from how the game is played. “The rims are very hard to roll up, and I don’t like using my teeth,” says Kind.
So he invented the Rimroller, a keychain accessory that simply slips over the rim of a paper coffee cup and with one quick pull cuts and unrolls the rim to expose the contest winnings beneath. It’s one of those slap-yourself-on-the-forehead inventions that people often wish they’d thought of first.
Without spending a dime on advertising, he’s already sold 200,000.
He can also try selling it as a promotional item – an area where Kind has already started to see some success. Businesses attending trade shows like to have cheap give-aways to attract people to their booths, and the Rimroller – custom embossed with a corporate logo – fits the bill.
“I had this one guy, he saw someone else giving them away at a show and ordered 500 for himself,” he says. “Then they went so fast, he called back and ordered 500 more.
“It really created a buzz.”
Photo by The Star.com.
Jaclyn on October 23rd, 2008 1:57 pm
This reminds me of an earlier blog i commented on where the business idea came by accident and turned out to be a huge profit for the person. this is one of those thing’s where you unroll with your nails or teeth a couple dozens cups or even more thinking the whole time that you wish there was something that did the unrolling for you. a simple idea that thousands will use everyday when they pick up their morning coffee, truly a genius idea!
Matt-CapForge.com on October 23rd, 2008 3:10 pm
I’ve never seen this kind of cup rim contest before, so while I guess it is a great invention where it applies, it isn’t something I would appreciate the need for or be able to invent myself since the need doesn’t exist in my world. Location location location applies to inventing, too- who knew?
cassy on January 5th, 2009 12:05 am
this is the first time i saw that kind of cup,thats cool idea! congratulation for this new invention, it is good selling product in the market,i hope i have a chance to become a inventor like them but its impossible! im just hoping guys!
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