Mold-A-Rama is a brand name for a type of vending machine that makes injection molded plastic figurines. Mold-A-Rama machines debuted in late 1962 and grew in prominence at the 1964 New York World's Fair. [1] [2] [3] The machines can still be found operating in dozens of museums and zoos. [4] [5]
American inventor John H. "Tike" Miller is credited with conceiving a free-standing plastic-molding machine in the 1950s. He licensed his mold-making patent and related technology to the Automatic Retailers Of America ( Aramark), which operated Mold-A-Rama machines as a subsidiary company through 1969. [6] Aramark divested all machines and service locations by 1972 because of the high cost of the equipment. As of 2010, two US companies own and operate Mold-A-Rama machines: the William A. Jones Company in Illinois and Replication Devices in Florida. [7] [8] [9] As of November 2015, there are 124 machines in eight states. [10]
Mold-A-Rama is a brand name for a type of vending machine that makes injection molded plastic figurines. Mold-A-Rama machines debuted in late 1962 and grew in prominence at the 1964 New York World's Fair. [1] [2] [3] The machines can still be found operating in dozens of museums and zoos. [4] [5]
American inventor John H. "Tike" Miller is credited with conceiving a free-standing plastic-molding machine in the 1950s. He licensed his mold-making patent and related technology to the Automatic Retailers Of America ( Aramark), which operated Mold-A-Rama machines as a subsidiary company through 1969. [6] Aramark divested all machines and service locations by 1972 because of the high cost of the equipment. As of 2010, two US companies own and operate Mold-A-Rama machines: the William A. Jones Company in Illinois and Replication Devices in Florida. [7] [8] [9] As of November 2015, there are 124 machines in eight states. [10]