.gif)
Think Big (store)
Encyclopedia
Think Big! was a retail store originally established in New York City in 1979. It was closed in 1994.
crayons.
The entrepreneurs had great success and expanded into a nation-wide catalog retail concept. The Think Big! product line grew to offer over 100 different larger-than-life objects. With the added success of catalog sales many franchise locations began to open across the country as the pop art style caught on through the 1980s. The unique creations have been featured in many films including Forrest Gump
and Big
both starring Tom Hanks
.
Think Big flourished in the 1980s, when the scaled-up aesthetic was popular. Other companies, such as Swatch
, also created comically large versions of their wares. In the early 1990s the retailer was at its peak and was sold to the high-end art gallery firm Martin Lawrence Galleries
. The gallery already had many retail locations and attracted the interest of pop art fans with their huge collection of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein artwork. However, the Think Big franchise stores began to disappear, subject to high rent retail locations and increased expense for catalog production.
By 1994, all retail locations of Think Big had been closed down by Martin Lawrence Galleries. The gallery's collection of Warhol art was diminishing and interest in the high-art was curbed by economic hardships. The gallery mailed out the last Think Big! catalog in 1994 and refocused on expanding its collection of high-end art to include a broader variety of printed artworks.
After about 5 years in hibernation, the Think Big product line was rejuvenated by the boom of the Internet and the determination of Jeff Bruette when he founded GreatBigStuff
. GreatBigStuff is an online-only retailer of over-sized versions of everyday objects. In 2001, Bruette located a former Martin Lawrence executive who owned all of the remaining Think Big inventory from 1994 and worked out a trade agreement - three of Bruette's personal Warhol's in exchange for all the remaining inventory. GreatBigStuff have since redesigned and resurrected many of the original Think Big Products.
History
The small store was an a joint endeavor by two friends, an artist Phyllis Prinz and a business man Robert Malkin. The two, who had an affinity for collecting over-sized antique display pieces, opened their store against the advice of friends and experts. The product line started with a small offering consisting of giant 6 foot pencils and replicas of giant 5-foot CrayolaCrayola
Crayola is a brand of artists' supplies manufactured by Crayola LLC, which was founded in 1885 as Binney & Smith. It is best known for its crayons...
crayons.
The entrepreneurs had great success and expanded into a nation-wide catalog retail concept. The Think Big! product line grew to offer over 100 different larger-than-life objects. With the added success of catalog sales many franchise locations began to open across the country as the pop art style caught on through the 1980s. The unique creations have been featured in many films including Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
and Big
Big
Big is a 1988 romantic comedy film directed by Penny Marshall and stars Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a young boy who makes a wish "to be big" to a magical fortune-telling machine and is then aged to adulthood overnight...
both starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
.
Swatch
Swatch is a brand name for a line of wrist watches from the Swatch Group, a Swiss conglomerate with vertical control of the production of Swiss watches and related products...
, also created comically large versions of their wares. In the early 1990s the retailer was at its peak and was sold to the high-end art gallery firm Martin Lawrence Galleries
Martin Lawrence Galleries
Martin Lawrence Galleries was founded in 1975 and operates 12 fine art galleries in the United States specializing in original paintings, sculpture and limited edition graphics.Martin Lawrence has an substantial collection of artwork, all of...
. The gallery already had many retail locations and attracted the interest of pop art fans with their huge collection of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein artwork. However, the Think Big franchise stores began to disappear, subject to high rent retail locations and increased expense for catalog production.
By 1994, all retail locations of Think Big had been closed down by Martin Lawrence Galleries. The gallery's collection of Warhol art was diminishing and interest in the high-art was curbed by economic hardships. The gallery mailed out the last Think Big! catalog in 1994 and refocused on expanding its collection of high-end art to include a broader variety of printed artworks.
After about 5 years in hibernation, the Think Big product line was rejuvenated by the boom of the Internet and the determination of Jeff Bruette when he founded GreatBigStuff
GreatBigStuff
GreatBigStuff is a brand name and registered trademark belonging to GreatBigStuff.com. The brand name is associated with and describes a unique line of products that are oversized replicas of everyday items...
. GreatBigStuff is an online-only retailer of over-sized versions of everyday objects. In 2001, Bruette located a former Martin Lawrence executive who owned all of the remaining Think Big inventory from 1994 and worked out a trade agreement - three of Bruette's personal Warhol's in exchange for all the remaining inventory. GreatBigStuff have since redesigned and resurrected many of the original Think Big Products.