Pink Flamingos Over! — I think most people are surprised by this. Surprised they were still making them!!

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The pink plastic flamingo, an icon that has been reviled as kitschy bad taste and revered as retro cool, is dead at age 49.

The pop-culture symbol met its demise after its manufacturer, Union Products, of Leominster, Mass., was socked with a triple economic threat — increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combined with loss of financing. Production ended in June, and the plant is scheduled to close Nov. 1, according to president and CEO Dennis Plante. Union Products made 250,000 of its patented plastic pink flamingos a year in addition to other garden products.



  1. plankton says:

    NO!! How sad. First Divine, now this….

  2. RTaylor says:

    Dammit, this means the gnomes have won.

  3. Gig says:

    The local Jaycees here, as a fund raiser, will flock a yard with about 50 -75 of these things for a price.

    There is nothing stranger than going out to get your newspaper and your yard is full of these things. The good part is they come back and pick them up after a day or two.

    I’ll pass this story on to a freind of mine who is still in the Jaycees so they can buy now and not run out of flock stock.

  4. Pfkad says:

    Which brings to mind this entry of a few months ago.

    http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=5218

  5. mxpwr03 says:

    Damn you pink flamingos! I can’t believe a company could get a patent on a plastic pink flamingo.

  6. Jägermeister says:

    There goes Dubya’s dreams of being buried with an army of pink flamingos.

  7. Ballenger says:

    Like chickenish McNuggets, candy corn and Curt Cobain you can’t stop these things. Even if not a single additional Flamingo is hatched from a mold, there must be 30 million of them hibernating in attics and garages. Worse case EBay, will be their new habitat. Heck, I say, BUY!, while they can still be had at pre-extinction prices!

  8. John Paradox says:

    Must be global warming.

    J/P=?

  9. Mr. "I'm A Star" Fusion says:

    It’s Clinton’s fault.

  10. Randy says:

    Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

  11. KB says:

    VINTAGE Pink Flamingos, RARE!!! L@@K!!!

    This set of two Pink Flamingoes belonged to my grandfather. I hate to let them go, but I’ve got to pay my college expenses. My loss is your gain. The small opening bid of $200 should create a lot of interest. Or you can Buy It Now for $650 and they are all yours. Thanks for looking, and Good Luck, Bidders!!!

    __________________
    (It’s nice to have a window into the future.)

  12. Lavi says:

    Have these people not heard of China??!!??

    We make everything else there, why not Pink flamingoes??

    I’m sure someone in China already makes them…

  13. Mr. Fusion says:

    #13, true, but will they have that “Made in USA” on them?

  14. ChrisMac says:

    or produce them in iraq.. they’d make a great road side bomb
    but seriously.. i bet some collectors buy these things up quick

  15. Ralph says:

    Good. Now there’s more plastic available for worthwhile things. Like Hula-hoops.

  16. Scott says:

    10 & 12, Thanks for the laugh :-))))

  17. Lavi says:

    @14.
    I’m sure we can print a “Made in USA” sticker in China and then have someone in China paste it on the Flamingoes hiney!!

    They cost $4.89 for a pair on eBay.


0

Bad Behavior has blocked 5040 access attempts in the last 7 days.