Business Opportunities Weblog

Nostalgia Puts Old Kiddie Rides Back In Play

By on January 11, 2010 in History

Keith DeWitt was looking for a unique present for his new granddaughter when he stumbled upon a Web site, selling a lion kiddie ride for $2,000.

As a big-game hunter, DeWitt thought the ride would make a nice addition to his trophy room above the garage. And it would be something his grandchildren would enjoy using when they visited. The 53-year-old DeWitt, who is semi-retired from the poultry industry, says he has fond memories of going on such rides each week outside the grocery store when he was young. “That was a fun time,” he says.

Coin-operated kiddie rides were once ubiquitous in supermarkets, shopping malls and outside the corner store. Fewer of the brightly colored fiberglass contraptions exist in such places these days, however, as the cost of rental space has gone up and the companies that operate the rides say it’s getting harder to make a profit.

But thanks to Kiddie Rides USA, some of these pieces of Americana are finding their way to a new market. Kiddie Rides buys old units from the companies that operate the rides, then it refurbishes and sells them, at a fraction of their original cost, directly to individuals and businesses — ice-cream shops, pediatricians’ offices, hair salons, museums — that traditionally wouldn’t house them.

Kiddie Rides has been able to breathe new life into these old rides by playing on the nostalgia factor. The idea is that people who have sentimental memories of the product from their youth will purchase or use it to introduce it to their own children or grandchildren. Many of the businesses Mr. Carson sells to cater to children, who, of course, come accompanied by parents or grandparents. And, just as important, the rides have been a hit with the kids directly.

Photo by Kiddie Rides.

nostalgia

Rich Whittle has added 6,226 posts to Business Opportunities Weblog.

Another Idea: How to Start a Balloon Rides Business

  • http://maverickbusinessblog.com/network-marketing/ Jerome Ratliff

    Sometimes tapping these forgotten markets can be very lucrative. It’s the leaders and the trend-setters that recognize these true opportunities.

    When we don’t think we have what we are looking for, perhaps taking a trip down memory lane can actually serve us.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Jerome Ratliff

  • http://redhotfranchises.com RedHotFranchises

    This kind of niche is a lucrative business opportunity that makes the best of both worlds, ranging from kids to seniors, although it’s more targeted for the Children, and has been growing more popular despite it’s old origin.
    Check out more popular Children Franchises at:

    http://www.redhotfranchises.com/franchises/Childrens_Franchises

  • http://wahm.business-opportunities.biz Angela Shupe

    I didn’t realize they had died out enough to be nostalgic… They still have them in places like Meijers and Walmart around here. However, it would be cool to OWN one of them!

  • Jaclyn Wells

    I agree…tapping back into these old ideas can be very lucrative and exciting. I always loved those kiddie rides while waiting for mom to get done grocery shopping or whatever. And now, you can’t find those things anywhere.

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