At different times in our history, folks have come up with some really neat inventions and then sold the patents for next to nothing.
I reckon that in hindsight, the inventors realized that wasn't always a good move on their part! Here's a case in point.
Safety Pins
Walter Hunt was a New York City mechanic and prolific inventor. He held patents for a fountain pen, knife sharpener, rifle, streetcar bell, stove, ice plow, sewing machine, street-sweeping machine, and nail-making machine, among many others.
To pay off a $15 debt to his friend, Hunt decided to invent something useful that he could quickly turn a profit on. One day, while fiddling with a 20-centimeter (8 in) piece of brass wire, it came to him. His idea was the safety pin—the first pin to have spring action and a clasp to protect the fingers.
Hunt filed the patent on April 10, 1849, which he later sold to W.R. Grace and Company for $400. With that, he paid off his friend, keeping the remaining $385 for himself. W.R. Grace and Company made millions off of the safety pin, as would Hunt, if he had kept a share of the rights.
I guess it's easy for us to sit back and say "I would have waited" but who knows? I reckon he wished he hadn't sold so cheap.
Coffee out on the patio this morning. How about some cheese and sliced fruit?
