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Nice Pick Up!
‘Washers’ Devotees Attracted to Willy
July 19, 2010
It has been observed by more than one outdoor pundit that, regardless of whether you’re camping, tailgating or backyard BBQing, it’s not really a party until someone cracks out the Washers box. The classic tossing game goes by a number of handles (Washoes and Holey Board among them), but what all have in common is that they involve a lot of bending over and picking up. Enter Willy Washers, a telescoping device that uses a powerful magnet to pick up washers no matter how far off-target they’ve gone.
Company owner Daniel Ruggiero, a diehard Washers enthusiast, came up with the idea for Willy after a sore back made it painful for him to retrieve his throws. “I had a bad L4 and L5,” he explains. “I couldn’t bend over.”
“Washers are always rolling somewhere,” explains Ruggiero. “Willy enables players with back problems, or elderly people like my dad, to play Washers. It also gets kids into the game. And it promotes Washers itself by making it easier to play.”
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Willy Washers is available with sticker kits that let players customize the product and create different personalities. Currently there is Athletic Willy, Chillin’ Willy, Patriotic Willy, Racing Willy, Surfer Willy and Just Plain Willy. And of course there is ample space for players to put their own college or pro stickers on Willy to get ready for the big party before the big game.
Willy Washers is 30 inches when extended, but retracts to a size that easily fits into a standard game box; it has also been designed to hold a player’s washers. And it’s 100% Made in the USA.
“Willy is your partner,” smiles Ruggiero. “He hangs at your side, holds your washers and lives in the game box.”
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Willy Washers retails for $19.95, with generous margins available to retailers. The company’s tradeshow schedule includes the 2011 Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show in Las Vegas, where Ruggiero aims to establish new licensing partnerships.
