GreatBigStuff
Encyclopedia
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. Some product examples are a 6 feet (1.8 m) replica of a Dixon Ticonderoga
pencil, a 2 foot (0.6096 m) replica of a Heinz 57 ketchup bottle, and a 10 inches (254 mm) Wilson
tennis ball.
The GreatBigStuff headquarters started in Maryland but is currently located in Middletown, DE, occupying nearly 10000 square feet (929 m²) of warehouse and manufacturing space.
, in the Soho district of New York City
. Bruette's affinity for oversized items started when pop art
decor and style was at an all-time high. At the time, Bruette worked with the late pop artist Andy Warhol
as a technology tutor in connection with his responsibilities at Commodore
/Amiga
computers. Bruette's collection of gargantuan replicas grew enormously with the introduction of the internet
and eBay
. By 1994, Think Big! had gone out of business, and a few years later the downturn in the technology industry had also put Bruette out of work. To make ends meet, Bruette sold portions of his collection on eBay. Sales escalating, Bruette began to purchase items wholesale and store them in his 64 square feet (5.9 m²) laundry room. As demand grew Bruette incorporated GreatBigStuff, founding the online website April 1, 2001.
In early 2001, Bruette enlisted former co-worker Brian Kuehn to aid in the product design and manufacturing process, in which he was experienced.
Dixon Ticonderoga
The Dixon Ticonderoga Company is an office and art supplies maker from the USA, with headquarters in Heathrow, Florida, which offers a number of brands. One of the most well-known is Ticonderoga - the yellow No. 2 pencil, known for its distinctive green and yellow ferrule...
pencil, a 2 foot (0.6096 m) replica of a Heinz 57 ketchup bottle, and a 10 inches (254 mm) Wilson
Wilson Sporting Goods
The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is a sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois, and currently is a foreign subsidiary of the Finnish company Amer Sports....
tennis ball.
The GreatBigStuff headquarters started in Maryland but is currently located in Middletown, DE, occupying nearly 10000 square feet (929 m²) of warehouse and manufacturing space.
History
CEO Jeff Bruette began collecting oversized props, displays and promotional items in the early 1980s. Most of his collection was purchased from the retail store Think Big!Think Big (store)
Think Big! was a retail store originally established in New York City in 1979. It was closed in 1994.-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...
, in the Soho district of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Bruette's affinity for oversized items started when pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
decor and style was at an all-time high. At the time, Bruette worked with the late pop artist Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
as a technology tutor in connection with his responsibilities at Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
/Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
computers. Bruette's collection of gargantuan replicas grew enormously with the introduction of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. By 1994, Think Big! had gone out of business, and a few years later the downturn in the technology industry had also put Bruette out of work. To make ends meet, Bruette sold portions of his collection on eBay. Sales escalating, Bruette began to purchase items wholesale and store them in his 64 square feet (5.9 m²) laundry room. As demand grew Bruette incorporated GreatBigStuff, founding the online website April 1, 2001.
In early 2001, Bruette enlisted former co-worker Brian Kuehn to aid in the product design and manufacturing process, in which he was experienced.
Brand
The GreatBigStuff brand has its roots with the Think Big! store that CEO Jeff Bruette frequented. Resurrecting many original Think Big! products, GreatBigStuff has expanded inventory with new and unique products.Clients
While most daily business at GreatBigStuff consists of web orders, the company has an extensive list of commercial, public and celebrity clients.In the Media
Many GreatBigStuff products have been featured on television and movies.- On The Ellen Degeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Ellen presented Teri HatcherTeri HatcherTeri Lynn Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. She is known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on the ABC comedy-drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
with a pair of giant salt shakers. GreatBigStuff products have appeared multiple times on this program. - On Rachael RayRachael Ray (TV series)Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
, Rachael presented Jennifer HudsonJennifer HudsonJennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
with a giant alarm clock. - A gift segment on The Tony Danza ShowThe Tony Danza ShowThe Tony Danza Show was a daytime talk show hosted by Tony Danza, but was also a sitcom featuring the same actor ....
featured Tony boxing with giant boxing gloves. All audience members received a giant alarm clock and calculator as well. - Giant guitar picks, crayons, pencils, gavels, and more have appeared in multiple episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
. - Giant drumsticks and a pencil appeared in the movie Step BrothersStep Brothers (film)Step Brothers is a 2008 American slapstick buddy-comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller, and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who originally teamed up in Talladega Nights . The screenplay was written by Ferrell and McKay, from a story written by Ferrell,...
. - Some products have been featured in Oprah Winfrey'sOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
O Magazine, including a custom tape measure and several giant Westcott rulers.