Origins of Silly Bandz

The origins of Silly Bandz are truly a marvel of recent history. Silicone bands themselves were only recently invented, and it is from that advancement that these modern toys emerged. Silly Bandz made their online debut in 2008, their retail debut in 2009, and as of August 2010 they are available in 8000 stores across the United States. Their success has been astounding and in terms of the history of these fad rubber bracelets, it's still being written as they are experiencing tremendous success.

In 2002 a Japanese design team began hammering out the idea of a shaped silicone rubber band to be used as a more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional rubber band. In terms of the chemical properties of silicone it is extremely stable and can operate between temperatures of -55 degrees Celsius all the way up to 300 degrees Celsius. Clearly the comfortable operating range of humans falls well within these temperature extremes, so silicone bands can withstand virtually any temperature they are exposed to.

When compared to organic rubber, silicone rubber excels in some categories but fall short in others. For instance, silicone based rubber is less sensitive to UV damage and heat than organic rubber. On the other hand, organic rubber has a greater tensile strength, essentially meaning that is less elastic. The bottom line however is that under normal conditions, silicone rubber lasts longer than organic rubber.

Robert Croak, the owner of BCP Imports encountered these silicone rubber bands one year on a business trip. From that emerged the idea that they could be modified to be toys. The idea came back with him to the states and the silicone rubber band was made thicker, larger, and more colorful. Numerous ideas presented themselves for shapes and themes and the silicone rubber band was re-purposed to be a child's fashion accessory and renamed Silly Bandz.

BCP Imports does sell a number of other products, but none is so wildly popular as Silly Bandz. BCP Imports has hired more employees and grown its base of operations because of and to meet the growing demand of consumers. Silly Bandz are now sold in over a dozen different themes and a wide range of colors, some of which even glow in the dark or are temperature reactant. They are an unlikely and truly are an amazing success story, considering that the origins of this huge toy came from a chance encounter with silicone rubber bands in Japan and the idea to market them as a children's fashion accessory

And if you want to know more about Silly Bandz Rubber Bracelets then please check out this guide, or have a look at more specific designs like the Silly Bandz Princess.

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