Eddy Goldfarb

The creator of over 800 toys,[1] he is best known for inventing Yakity Yak Talking Teeth, Battling Tops, KerPlunk, Stompers, and Vac-U-Form.

Louis worked as a tailor in a garment factory and sold goods on a pushcart on Maxwell Street to make extra money.

[citation needed] Goldfarb's life changed dramatically; then 12 years old, he, his brother, and their mother, Rose, worked to support the family.

[2] Goldfarb excelled in math and science in high school, and was interested in studying physics, but he knew college would have to wait until he could afford the tuition.

[citation needed] During World War II, after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eddy enlisted in the Navy and enrolled in a special program to learn about radar.

The Navy sent him to the University of Houston, where he studied electrical engineering, and then to a secret lab at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay to specialize in radar.

He was allowed to bring only one sea bag aboard, which he filled with clothing, books, and a spool of magnet wire, which he used to build tiny motors.

He also had a sketchbook filled with drawings of his inventions, and he decided that, if he wanted to be an independent inventor, he needed to specialize in one industry, and so he chose toys.

They moved into a modest home in the San Fernando Valley, and Goldfarb set up a model shop in their one car garage.

At the height of his success, Goldfarb owned three buildings and employed 39 people, including model makers, industrial designers, engineers, sculptors and support staff.

Some of his most successful toys are Yakity Yak Talking Teeth,[3][7] Battling Tops,[6][7] Vac-U-Form,[7] Arcade Babsketball,[3] KerPlunk,[3] Hydro Strike, Giant Bubble gun (which had been prefigured in a 1974 novel, The Boy Who Intented the Bubble Gun by Paul Gallico,)[6][7][11] Baby Beans,[3][6][7] Stompers, Shark Attack,[3][6][7] Numbers Up, Quiz Wiz,[3][7] Poppin Hoppies, Beware the Spider!, Chutes Away,[7] Marblehead, and Snakes Alive!.

[citation needed] He had a particularly close working relationship with two of his designers: his associate Del Everitt, on Stompers, and Rene Soriano, on KerPlunk.

[4][5] Goldfarb believes the key to his longevity is "do[ing] creative work of any kind", surrounding himself with his peers, and staying optimistic.