# Dear Gemmy Will I be getting royality checks?



## BIGANT (Jul 13, 2010)

So Gemmy is making a new ghost phone according to their facebook page










here are the details

"This vintage, rotary-style phone makes an incredible prop piece for haunted houses and parties. Sound and motion activated, it waits until someone passes by and then begins to ring. When you pick up the receiver, it speaks all manner of spooky phrases to create untold levels of "creep factor." Look for it at Target!"

Here is my ghost phone from last year!!






let me know if you need my address for the checks ok


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Coincidence? I think not


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Did you really think they came up with original ideas on their own?


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Yowza!!


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## Copchick (Apr 10, 2012)

Wow, looks like one of their creators is a thief!


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Oh yeah, this is pretty blatant, but I am sure they "borrow" all their ideas. The only reason they are not selling an FCG is because it takes a little skill to set the thing up. Likely too much for the average Halloweener. Just take it as a compliment at what a good idea you had. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

holy crap! there will be some extra Karmic justice being meted out soon!


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Wow, they jumped on your idea fast! It took them two years to come out with the Haunted Hedge after I posted the design here. And no, I never got a royalty check.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

@Jaege: actually they have kinda done a FCG but they seriously dumbed the whole thing down and has nowhere near the function of a home built one. I'll have to find it when I start pulling stuff out in the next week or two. It's basically a black bar about 30" long and almost 2" in diameter. There's nylon string coming out at three points on the bar - left, center, and right. The ghost was a small black Ghostface type ghost. The hands attached to the left and right and the head to the center. It has a motion or sound activated sensor and blue LEDs that lit the ghost.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

I love your phone idea! But I guess Gemmy does too. I imagine those guys are always checking out the forums and youtube to see what new things are out there. It sucks to get ripped off, but they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Sad for you having the idea ripped off but that is just an awesome prop - well done.


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## typoagain (Feb 27, 2012)

Can you blame them? It's a great idea. But think of it this way, theirs will never be as realistic or high quality as yours. Any haunt enthusiast that desires realism and quality would prefer to have yours.

Do you know the difference between an inventor and a guy with a good idea? A lot of hard work, mainly in the area of marketing.


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## aquariumreef (Sep 16, 2010)

If you got a patent then you'd be set.


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

jeez. They are such thieves. Of course we all borrow each others ideas, we make our own copies and indeed imitation is the best complement, but never ever claim an idea as one's own if it isn't. We in the haunter communities are pretty fair i think, its outsiders who just want to make a buck that flatly rip off our hard work.


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## CreeepyCathy (Mar 28, 2009)

They stole my name.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That's what Edison did with the light bulb. He patented someones elses idea. I'm not sure if Gemmy patented it. Some companies manufacture and get their products to market quickly, make money before any potential litigation starts.


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## BIGANT (Jul 13, 2010)

Yeah all I can do is take it in stride and yeah I am flattered a little bit haha


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## highbury (Nov 5, 2009)

I'm with you, GothicCandle. We copy each others' ideas, but not to make money off of it. There's a difference. I'd buy one from BIGANT before I ever bought anything from Gemmy anyway. :finger:

Last season, Hauntcast's tagline of "Stay Scary" popped up on some store-bought tombstones. Kind of disheartening if you ask me.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Terrormaster said:


> @Jaege: actually they have kinda done a FCG but they seriously dumbed the whole thing down and has nowhere near the function of a home built one. I'll have to find it when I start pulling stuff out in the next week or two. It's basically a black bar about 30" long and almost 2" in diameter. There's nylon string coming out at three points on the bar - left, center, and right. The ghost was a small black Ghostface type ghost. The hands attached to the left and right and the head to the center. It has a motion or sound activated sensor and blue LEDs that lit the ghost.


You know what? I remember that thing. Wow. It is so far from being an FCG that I didn't really connect the two, but you are right, that is likely where they got the basic idea. It is weird to think they peruse the forums looking for new ideas. Of course I guess I am guilty of the same thing, since I have my own copies of many of the props I have seen here. Of course I credit the original creator, if I know who it was. And of course I do not sell anything. By the way, although I think I mentioned it when you first displayed the phone, I love the idea.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Wow, I hate to burst your bubble, but that kind of prop has been around for decades. While the messages may have changed, the prop itself has been used in the Disney parks for at least 30 years. For those who've been to Disneyland's Main Street, there is a shop that has an old phone that you can pick up and listen to "old" party line conversations and such. There is or was also a phone in California Adventure in the Toon Town area in front of Mickey's or Goofy's house where you could hear messages from the various characters.


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## BIGANT (Jul 13, 2010)

fontgeek said:


> Wow, I hate to burst your bubble, but that kind of prop has been around for decades. While the messages may have changed, the prop itself has been used in the Disney parks for at least 30 years. For those who've been to Disneyland's Main Street, there is a shop that has an old phone that you can pick up and listen to "old" party line conversations and such. There is or was also a phone in California Adventure in the Toon Town area in front of Mickey's or Goofy's house where you could hear messages from the various characters.


Lol you crack me up!


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

fontgeek said:


> Wow, I hate to burst your bubble, but that kind of prop has been around for decades. While the messages may have changed, the prop itself has been used in the Disney parks for at least 30 years. For those who've been to Disneyland's Main Street, there is a shop that has an old phone that you can pick up and listen to "old" party line conversations and such. There is or was also a phone in California Adventure in the Toon Town area in front of Mickey's or Goofy's house where you could hear messages from the various characters.


Certainly using a phone to give ghostly messages may not be completely "original" (in all honesty, what is) but it is odd, that the year after Bigant posts his phone something eerily similar turns up at Gemmy. Strange how they never made such a prop before that. Hmmm. Very strange.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

jaege said:


> Certainly using a phone to give ghostly messages may not be completely "original" (in all honesty, what is) but it is odd, that the year after Bigant posts his phone something eerily similar turns up at Gemmy. Strange how they never made such a prop before that. Hmmm. Very strange.


Gemmy released a scream phone last year which is similiar so they had the idea too.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

They may have been inspired by bigant's post, but they may have been inspired by Disney or come up with it on their own. My point was that as nice as bigant's phone idea is, it isn't original in it's function.
My guess is also that Bigant's is probably much better built than the mass produced versions.


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