board game: Hats off

Marvin Glass (1914-1974) was a toy designer and, perhaps more importantly, a toy marketer. He founded Marvin Glass and Associates (MGA) in 1941 and headed that firm until his death. The firm is credited with the design of some of the best-selling toys and games of the 1960 and 1970 and was, for a time, the largest toy design studio in the world. MGA operated under a unique business model, whereby its designs and inventions were patented and licensed to manufacturers, who would pay running royalties. Glass wielded such industry clout that his company logo was printed on every game his employees invented and licensed. During the 1960 he made prospective buyers sign a confidentiality agreement when viewing new designs, and was famous for some of his marketing stunts, such as bringing the latest designs to the New York Toy Fair in an armored vehicle. The firm paved the way for independent designers within the toy industry and left a legacy of successful playthings from the middle and later 20th century. Kohner's Hats Off dexterity game, probably based on an earlier European model, was reputedly re-designed by the Glass studio for its 1968 release in the United States.