Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
web
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • Silicone
    • Latex
    • Coronavirus
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Women in Tire & Rubber
    • ITEC
    • International Elastomer Show
    • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Israel's Tactile Mobility launches tire insight technology
      Bidirectional EVs could lend a hand in power crisis
      WDK: German rubber industry set for double-digit growth in 2021
      Dana acquires electronics and software provider Pi Innovo
    • Israel's Tactile Mobility launches tire insight technology
      Goodyear joins EASE Logistics, Ohio city to launch connected mobility pilot program
      Goodyear to raise prices on passenger tires
      Ryan Patterson to lead Goodyear-Cooper integration efforts
    • Smithers opens doors to new medical device testing lab
      Maine's Poly Labs doubles work force
      Foam shortage a major concern for auto makers, seating suppliers
      New Products: Kraiburg launches advanced, ‘supersoft' TPEs
    • Emerald to close Illinois rubber additives site
      Smithers opens doors to new medical device testing lab
      Dana acquires electronics and software provider Pi Innovo
      Gelest's Barry Arkles enters National Academy of Engineering
    • Gelest's Barry Arkles enters National Academy of Engineering
      ECO starts 'first' U.S. silicone rubber recycling plant
      New legacy taking shape at Stockwell Elastomerics
      Fenner opens new textile treatment line in Pennsylvania
    • Ohio firm focuses on making better masks in U.S.
      U.S. to increase NBR, make gloves using Defense Production Act
      Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled for 2022
      Tire Technology Expo canceled for 2021
    • Ryan Patterson to lead Goodyear-Cooper integration efforts
      New legacy taking shape at Stockwell Elastomerics
      Davis-Standard promotes Andrew Alaya to aftermarket sales role
      Harwick Standard adds Flores to West Coast sales team
    • Bidirectional EVs could lend a hand in power crisis
      Braskem Idesa reopens PE complex in Mexico with new contract
      To boost U.S. microchip production, Biden administration must find supply chains weaknesses
      TIA among associations against increase to minimum wage
    • Column: Value is the stuff in custom mixing
      New legacy taking shape at Stockwell Elastomerics
      Column: Discussions of race, equality may mean uncomfortable moments
      Column: Business trips possible because of essential workers
    • Part 2: Studying RPA ASTM methods for detecting compound quality differences
      Studying RPA ASTM methods for detecting compound quality differences
      Damage mechanism in oil and gas formulations during downhole testing
      Advancements in synchronous drive belt design for industrial and consumer markets
    • Rubber Division introduces WORD webinar series
      WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      New video celebrates women in rubber industry
      ITEC panelists say women can thrive in tire industry
    • Goodyear recognized by Lockheed Martin as 'elite supplier'
      EV tire advancements to help secure future
      Lambillotte: Only question on AVs is timing
      CAR official says EV future brighter than autonomous
    • Rubber Division introduces WORD webinar series
      Rubber Division seeks abstracts for 200th Technical Meeting
      WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      IEC keynote: Communication key to logistics
    • Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Faster Access to Your Polymer Compounding Experts Around the World
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Take a walk thru a HEXPOL Lab
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      HEXPOL offers a unique selection of High Performance Elastomers to match your application requirements
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      It’s what you can’t see that makes the Difference at HEXPOL
  • Blogs
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
    • New Products: Kraiburg launches advanced, ‘supersoft' TPEs
      New Products: Mahr Inc. introduces MarForm MMQ 500 Form Tester
      New Products: Starrett expands field-of-view for multi-sensor vision system
      New Products: Nova thinks outside the box with sealing tech
    • Wacky World of Rubber: How Trelleborg, teens sealed a spot in the world record book
      Wacky World of Rubber: Of chicken and feet, but not chicken feet
      Wacky World of Rubber: Time to go mattress shopping
      Wacky World of Rubber: Because nothing says football like 'frunk' shrimp
  • Newsletters
    • Rubber in Automotive
    • Silicone News
    • Latex News
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Israel's Tactile Mobility launches tire insight technology
      Bidirectional EVs could lend a hand in power crisis
      WDK: German rubber industry set for double-digit growth in 2021
      Dana acquires electronics and software provider Pi Innovo
    • Gelest's Barry Arkles enters National Academy of Engineering
      ECO starts 'first' U.S. silicone rubber recycling plant
      New legacy taking shape at Stockwell Elastomerics
      Fenner opens new textile treatment line in Pennsylvania
    • Top Glove eyes new expansions with Hong Kong listing
      Sri Trang Gloves starts major capacity expansion
      Synthomer dismisses takeover reports
      Combined Goodyear-Cooper Tire company has tire technology, sustainability edge
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Directory
  • Resources
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • HB Chemical
      Sponsored By HB Chemical
      The HB Chemical and Ravago Partnership: Taking Customer Service to a New Level
      Sponsored By HB Chemical
      Above and Beyond with HB Chemical
      Sponsored By HB Chemical
      The Company Behind the Inventory
      Sponsored By French Oil Mill Machinery
      Process Improvement, Cost Reduction with Custom Press Systems
    • Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Labs of the Future: How to Choose a Laboratory Information Management System in 2021
      Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Cooper Standard deploys lab informatics platform to synchronize R&D
      Sponsored By Elkem
      LSR Selectâ„¢: A solution to improve your financial impact in molding applications
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Peroxide Cureable Silicone Injection Molding
  • Data
  • Events
    • RPN Events
    • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • ITEC Library
    • International Silicone Conference Library
    • 2021 Healthcare Elastomers Virtual Edition
      2021 Rubber in Automotive Virtual Edition
      2021 International Latex Conference Virtual Edition
      2022 ITEC
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
January 20, 2021 12:10 PM

CelebriDucks make big splash

Mike Scott
Rubber & Plastics News Correspondent
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Craig Wolfe was a successful animator who had built a strong personal network in the Hollywood community, but the direction of his life changed one day in 1997. He was with one of his friends at a gathering and they discussed an idea that involved making rubber ducks that look like celebrities. To many it may have sounded like a crazy, unrealistic idea.

    To Wolfe it sounded like an opportunity.

    "I was just crazy enough of a quack to try it," he said.

    The result was CelebriDucks, the parent company owned 100 percent by Wolfe, a New Jersey native. Nearly 25 years after he founded the company, Wolfe said it is the largest manufacturer of rubber ducks in the world. Over time it has branched out to include various other lines, including a Parody line and The Good Ducks, which are made from food- and medical-grade items in an effort to offer a product ideal for babies and toddlers.

    Furthermore, most of the products made by CelebriDucks are designed and manufactured in metro Detroit, warehoused in Akron and shipped directly from the U.S.

    "We don't try to compete on price because someone overseas can always make it cheaper," Wolfe said. "But no one can match the detail and the quality that we provide. What I've also tried to do is make the point of entry difficult so any competition will clearly be of a (lesser quality)."

    The process of manufacturing the ducks is extremely complex, Wolfe said. Even though CelebriDucks has manufactured "millions" of ducks over the years, every new design is sculpted by hand. Wax molds also are made and the engineering needs to be in place so that the ducks will reliably float upright. The ducks then are painted with exquisite detail and every item is available in a specially designed gift box.

    "The rubber duck was invented in the U.S., but for many years all of the options in the market were made overseas in places like China," Wolfe said.

    CelebriDucks' first product was a Betty Boop duck that Wolfe sent to the head of licensing for King Features Syndicate, a product licensing art of Hearst. As positive feedback came in, he slowly expanded his line of products in the late 1990s, moving on to other Hollywood legends like Charlie Chaplin. One big break came when an NBA executive with the Philadelphia 76ers read about Wolfe's fledgling business in an Atlantic City newspaper and called him about creating a duck portraying the team's star player at the time, Allen Iverson.

    Soon the New York Yankees and other professional sports team also were clients, and the growth continued from there. In addition to celebrities that Wolfe and his team have created, the company regularly is called upon to manufacture ducks for customized promotional needs. Their run can be as low as 1,000, which is rare for the specialty rubber manufacturing industry given the unique detail with which each duck must be made. Among CelebriDucks' list of business clients is Harley-Davidson, Sea World, the Jersey Boys on Broadway, and countless other companies and organizations.

    Yet it was not an easy process pulling it all together.

    "It took a long time for us to get our feet wet and we made a lot of mistakes along the way," Wolfe said. "We really did quite a bit of refining over the years. Many of the early ducks we made didn't float right and that was (a non-starter) for me. So we had to bring in engineers to make sure they floated."

    Wolfe works with professional animators, engineers, R&D people and more, which he learned was necessary to get the size, softness and textures for the ducks to an acceptable place for the market.

    As far as Wolfe knows, CelebriDucks is the only rubber duck manufacturer that uses the process of blow molding rather than rotational molding, which he calls "extremely complicated, but worthwhile." Even creating a standard weight is a process that took months to streamline, Wolfe said.

    Sales have remained steady even since the pandemic hit in early 2020. The cost for a single, retail duck averages around $12.99, but large single-run quantities can help per item prices fall as low as $2.50 per piece. Customers can purchase the ducks on Google, Zappos, Amazon, through selected retailers around the country, or in a variety of other ways.

    Wolfe isn't always sure how his ducks sell where they do—he focuses on building the brand, creating exposure and perfecting the process. He has a team of experts that helps with sales, distribution and other functions.

    "I was never good at building things, which seems funny considering how these things are made," he said with a laugh. "You couldn't get me to ever work in an office on a regular basis, so I run it from my home here in California." That is why Wolfe finds experts who are "the best at what they do" to come work for CelebriDucks, to "do what I'm not good at," he said.

    These days, some of his more popular ducks portray the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and President Donald Trump. Some of the classic CelebriDucks characters have included members of KISS and lead singer Gene Simmons, actor Mr. T, singer James Brown and many others. His ducks have been featured on TBS' "Conan" starring Conan O'Brien, Simmons' cable show "Family Jewels," and in a number of media outlets around the world.

    His parody line has featured Spa Wars (Star Wars), Duckinator (Terminator), Goosebusters (Ghostbusters) and Bohemian Quacksidy (Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody), among others. Wolfe currently is most proud of The Good Ducks line of products, which had its material approved by the FDA in the last year and is especially helpful to young children who develop allergies to latex. All products are third-party tested by U.S. labs.

    "It's great for collectors, fans, special events and now your babies to teethe on," Wolfe said. "We've been able to expand and, looking back, I can't believe no one else thought of it."

    Wolfe wonders whether a company will make him an offer to sell the business that he can't refuse in the years ahead. But for now, he is happy running CelebriDucks the way he wants to.

    Learn more by visiting celebriducks.com.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber & Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber & Plastics News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    web
    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Contact the Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • Silicone
      • Latex
      • Coronavirus
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Women in Tire & Rubber
      • ITEC
      • International Elastomer Show
      • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Newsletters
      • Rubber in Automotive
      • Silicone News
      • Latex News
      • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Photo Galleries
    • Directory
    • Resources
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Data
    • Events
      • RPN Events
      • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • ITEC Library
      • International Silicone Conference Library
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION