Merle Robbins
Encyclopedia
Merle Robbins was the inventor of the card game
UNO. He was a barber
from Hungary
.
In 1971 he invented UNO to resolve an argument with his son about the rules of Crazy Eights
. His son was a popular Social Studies teacher at Reading Hilltop Elementary School in Reading, Ohio
, a suburb of Cincinnati. The original decks were designed and made on the family dining room table. Then he and his family saved $8,000 and created the first 5,000 UNO decks to sell. At first he sold them out of his barber shop. In 1981, he sold the rights to UNO to International Games for $50,000 plus royalties
of 10 cents per copy.
Today the game is produced by toy giant Mattel
in 80 countries and has sold 150 million copies worldwide.
Merle Robbins died in 1984.
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
UNO. He was a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
In 1971 he invented UNO to resolve an argument with his son about the rules of Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is a shedding-type card game for two to seven players. The object of the game is to be the first to get rid of all the player's cards to a discard pile. The game is considered a pre-extension of Switch and Mau Mau, much favoured in schools during the 1970s.A standard 52-card deck is...
. His son was a popular Social Studies teacher at Reading Hilltop Elementary School in Reading, Ohio
Reading, Ohio
Reading is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,292 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Cincinnati. Reading is also the Home of 2003 Division 3 State Boys Basketball Champions...
, a suburb of Cincinnati. The original decks were designed and made on the family dining room table. Then he and his family saved $8,000 and created the first 5,000 UNO decks to sell. At first he sold them out of his barber shop. In 1981, he sold the rights to UNO to International Games for $50,000 plus royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
of 10 cents per copy.
Today the game is produced by toy giant Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
in 80 countries and has sold 150 million copies worldwide.
Merle Robbins died in 1984.