Coin-op Kiddie Rides Make a Comeback

Occasionally I’ll take a break from blogging about videogames and discuss one played in RL. Most recently, I noted an article about the world’s last pinball manufacturer, for instance. Now, Raymund Flandez over at The Wall Street Journal writes about old style coin-op kiddie rides making a big comeback, thanks to some TLC from Kiddie Rides, USA.

The company buys up the old coin-op rides, once ubiquitous outside grocery stores and elsewhere, restores then sells them for $2,000 - $6,000 to nostalgic baby boomers or companies seeking unique décor.

Denver D’Rozario over at Howard University gets a nice quote, noting that marketing vintage games requires a special touch:

Authenticity and uniqueness of the product needs to be a part of the appeal of the nostalgia market, says Denver D’Rozario, a marketing professor at Howard University in Washington. But “you’ve got to show me how it’s different today” as well. “Some products have to be “restaged or redesigned,” he says, “to appeal to a different generation — the children or grandchildren of the baby boomers. They have to strike a balance.”

 

References:
Flandez, R. (2008, March 25). Nostalgia helps put old kiddie rides back in play. The Wall Street Journal. [Online]. Available: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120641207836961459.html