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Crooked Houses, Broken Home

By AARON CROWE, ON LOAN FROM WALLETPOP.COM
Posted: 2009-06-24 15:15:43
Filed Under: Small Business, Management


Divorce usually isn't something associated with luck.

But after Monday night's announcement on TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" TV show that the couple is getting divorced, the playhouse maker Kids Crooked House is finding luck in its corner after its products were displayed on Monday's show.

Watch Video of Kids Crooked Houses on 'Jon & Kate Plus 8'

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Calling it "the biggest event in our history," the owner of the small business in tiny Windham, Maine, Glen Halliday, the company's CEO and creative director, said that overnight business has gone from selling $2,000 worth of houses in a day to $100,000 on Tuesday -- if all of the deals closed.

The company delivered four houses to the kids in May, when Monday's show was taped, and Halliday said in a telephone interview Tuesday from Maine that he had no idea his playhouses would be on the most popular show of the series.

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    "It was unexpected for us," said Halliday, 38. "We didn't know that we were going to be part of that episode."

    The eight children designed the four houses in October. Giving the unique houses to the show was easily the smartest business decision in the short history of the company, which was formed in 2006 when Halliday and his cousin built a house in an effort to get their kids off the couch.

    "It's Marketing 101," Halliday said. "We know we have a viable product."

    The Kids Crooked House Web site traffic typically gets 800 visitors a day, but traffic increased to 170,000 within minutes of the show's announcement of the playhouses, and jumped to 370,000 through Tuesday afternoon.

    Since most customers like to speak to a customer service agent over the phone with such large orders, the three telephone workers are going to get some help soon, Halliday said. The company has nine employees, and 2.5 of those are full-time positions.

    Many of the increased orders on Tuesday were from indoor theme parks looking to add Western towns for kids to play in, for example, he said.

    The business sold 12 homes in its first year of business, in 2006, and business took off in 2007 after Halliday spent $30 on marketing on Yahoo. A total of 500 playhouses have been sold since the business started.

    One day after appearing on a national TV show with millions of viewers, Kids Crooked House is seeing more business than it has since it opened.

    Hurray for divorce announcements.

    2009-05-03 15:02:45
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    481 comments

    tb00000020207854 06:49:01 AM Oct 15 2009

    Report This!

    http://homebasedflorist.blogspot.com

    tb00000020207854 06:47:55 AM Oct 15 2009

    Report This!

    START A HOMEBASED FLORIST BUSINESS - A FREE SEMINAR - http://homebasedflorist.blogspot.com

    luraw 04:20:48 PM Aug 19 2009

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    maybe they can sell some to Octomom...... She probably could use it....

    sinwillia 11:16:05 PM Jul 26 2009

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    Who Freakin cares???

    anyway732 02:45:51 PM Jul 22 2009

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    if you spend a thousand on these houses you are crazy. It is a waste of money and you can make it yourself for a lot less.

    ceosco1 08:14:14 AM Jul 20 2009

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    While I agree that Kate has an issue when it comes to Jon, I do think Jon can not deal with 8 children and at the age of 32 he is reliving his batchelor years only this time with money. A real Man would step up and go to counciling with Kate and Man up. The kids will be badly shaken by this divorce and it will definately be an issue as they get older. I have seen it with our G.children time and again. They will not understand and will truly believe he abandened them and the girlfriends are in it for the money and 15 min. of fame. Take Jon's cell phone away when he is supposed to be with his kids.

    wrakj1234 06:14:45 AM Jul 12 2009

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    Kate appears to be too bossy to Jon and acts as if she wants to be in the correction all the time. Remember he is their father and she bosses him around as if he is lower aged than the little ones. The children are precious.

    kindapeachy2 08:15:25 PM Jul 10 2009

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    i use to watch the show all the time last few times that i seen it kate was horrible to watch the kids were braty the only one i lke any more is jon to bad people picking on him kate tricked him into having more kids after the twins they should have stop with the first two

    prv31wife 05:31:59 PM Jun 29 2009

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    Hurray for divorce announcements? I guess the products are more important than these poor children who lives could be destroyed by this whole mess.

    lizcancook 02:47:03 AM Jun 29 2009

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    Years ago I had twins. It was a challange. It can change your personality...make you grumpy because it is so much work. I could never have managed 6 at one time. While you might not be enamoured with her personality, Kate is an incredible Mother. Ask yourself, what would you do if you had 8 kids under the age of 3?I don't care how much help she has, it is an almost impossible job. I am amazed at how thoughtful she is about finding ways to make each feel special. I forgive her for the short temper and missteps when they were little. Who could do better with that number of kids all the same age? I don't think anyone's life could bear up under the scrutiny of having cameras following them around all day. What would people say of each of you if the cameras caught you in not-your-finest-hour? I am disapppointed by Kate's new found materialism, and I for one, would like to see her get beyond that, and return to her core values.

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