Mold-A-Rama keeps on truckin'

As seen at the Field Museum in Chicago yesterday

Photo by Retiring Guy

Meet the People Keeping Mold-A-Rama Alive.  (Atlas Obscura, 1/22/2018)

When Mold-A-Rama debuted at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the molds of the Space Needle, a monorail, and other fair-related designs drew as much attention as the unique production process, which remains the same to this day. After inserting payment, customers watch two sides of an aluminum mold close as it is injected with heated polyethylene pellets. In less than a minute, the mold opens, releasing the plastic object. The signature “waxy” smell hangs in the air as the hollow figurine slowly cools.

Mold-A-Rama defends its retro name and vintage vending machines against 'modernized' competitor.  (Chicago Tribune, 1/23/2019)

The Brookfield-based company filed the lawsuit in federal court in Chicago after three of Weiner’s refurbished Mold-A-Rama machines were displayed for sale at the Chicagoland Coin Op Show in Grayslake in November. The suit alleges Weiner “materially altered” the machines by using modern parts, causing confusion for consumers and potential liability for Mold-A-Rama. 

“He’s taken machines and bastardized them, just to get them running,” said Mold-A-Rama owner Paul Jones, 52. “He’s using the name Mold-A-Rama, which is what we’re known for, and it’s not the same. equipment.”