Jump to content

video - Bradley Ellison & the Homies empire


ReillyNoFun

Recommended Posts

Hey everyone - its been a minute since I posted, I have been busy (placed another sticker machine yesterday), but I wanted to share this video interview with Bradley Ellison about Homies that Vice just posted.

I'm interested to hear some of you guys' thoughts.

 

video is here: http://www.vice.com/vice-profiles/my-homie-sells-homies

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, the Homies were crazy money makers, no one could get enough of them, and then like all fads when they died they went down fast. Lots of people got stuck with inventory.

 

Bradley is a good guy. All New York that's for sure.

 

Bradley had his own modifications to the NW model 80 for better security. He did a seminar for us in Baltimore back when we did the BOSS show on how to strengthen the Model 80.  We took a lunch break and when we came back the rack Bradley was using was gone (we hid it). The speech you hear in tis video in just a pale sliver of what Bradley is capable of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That ought to scare any newbies from wanting to join the bulk vending ranks, lol...even in the best of times, trying to run a street route up there in land of sky high rents is next to impossible. I bet some of the crackheads knew where his machines were located better than he did...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bradley is as New York as they come,great guy I actually share some stops with him and every thing he spoke about is true, its not fun anymore its more of a hustle than anything... you guys should take a look at the rest of his youtube videos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sold thousands of homies machines would empty out in a couple of weeks. It was around longer than most fads and was followed by the power bands craze. Homies was so strong that AA sold machines and product direct to the spencer chain. Every store had a black AA selling homies for a buck. Agh what vending used to be. Flat vending machines full of money bulk heads selling out. That day is gone but for some locations. Spirals doing 300 to 500 I miss that. Three best products ever. Homies, blinkie and power/ lance Armstrong bands we used to buy them in bulk 10 thousand at a time and cap them. These sales guys and newbies don't have a clue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the 80's we had Michael Jackson items that would sell out every 3 days, stickers in capsules, glitter stickers, MJ watch etc.  I still may have the display, If I do I will post

a picture of it.  Also the NFL ceramic mugs that A & A had would sell out within 24 hours at most places.

 

I think the product today is just as interesting, the customers just don't have the extra money that they use to have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every generation had a winner like the Homies. In the 1950's Eppy came out with the gold plated charm for the penny gum and charm mix, in the 1960's Paul Price and Co came out with the Scarems which started the ten cent vend. Penny King came out with the Silver Bullet and Eppy came out with the Trolls. In the 1970's, Karl Guggenheim and Co came out with the NFL helmet and Henal(lions novelties) came out with the Looney Toon Slap on both for the quarter V2 capsule. In the 1980's my fathers company Alper Industries came out with the Michael Jackson sticker ( I understand that an operator would put all large machines on a rack with them) then A&A came out with the Homies. These were all hottest of all time winners. But we also had some great staple items like sticky, rings, ninja, superballs that date back to the 1950's and early 1960's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Frank;

 

We bought those from your dad we could not keep those in the machines.  He also had a love is button which really sold great, they were all buttons with different love is sayings

.We bought lots of product from your dad Pete, great guy.

 

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#2 all time for us was friendship bracelets in the early 80's. Kids would have them from wrist to elbow. We had them in 2 heads per store (25cents, 2 inch) and they would both sell out in 1 week in many locations. Plus they were an inexpensive item. #1 all time was Homies. #3 was probably Michael Jackson stickers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ask your dad if he remembers the "0" ring around 1980. I forgot about that one. Bernie Stein came up with that item, they were so hot Roger was selling them not only on his routes but to the suppliers as well. I'm sure he told you or your dad the story, he brought in twenty million and sold ten million on his own routes. That was a story he loved to tell

Cardinal also had the Ninja Turtle sticker in the late 80's which was amazing as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...