The concept actually originated overseas. An Italian inventor named Aquilino Cosani, working for a rubber ball manufacturer called Ledragomma, patented a hopping ball he called the “Pon-Pon” in 1968. A version of it had already been bouncing around England for about 18 months when Richey Smith, vice president of Sun Corp., spotted it and recognized it as a natural fit for a company that already made every kind of play ball on the market.
Sun’s engineers adapted the toy using a rotational casting process — vinyl plastisol poured into molds that rotated in two directions simultaneously — and added two features that became central to the product’s identity: a molded ring handle that was part of the ball itself, and an automotive-style tire valve so kids (and parents) could reinflate it with a hand pump or at a gas station. They debuted it at the 1968 New York Toy Fair and named it the Hoppity Hop just before the show.
The toy was positioned for everyone. Early ads explicitly pitched it to adults alongside kids, promising a flat stomach alongside the fun. It inflated to different sizes depending on the rider — roughly 14 to 18 inches in diameter for children, up to 20 or more for adults — and could be bounced, thrown or raced. Sun’s president later said he couldn’t remember any product getting that kind of reception at the cash register. Toy buyers at the fair drew comparisons to the hula hoop, which had been a genuine phenomenon a decade earlier, though the Hoppity Hop proved to have considerably more staying power.
VIDEO | Hoppity Hop commercial
In the 1970s, Sun expanded the line with character variations. The Hoppity Horse replaced the plain ring handle with a molded horse head, giving younger riders something to grip on each side and a bit of western-themed styling embossed on the ball. Disney licensing deals added Hoppity Mickey Mouse and Hoppity Donald Duck versions, the characters rendered in hard plastic on top of the heavy-duty vinyl body. These were sized for preschoolers and sold for a dollar or two more than the standard model. The line gave Sun a way to stretch a single manufacturing process across multiple products and price points, and kids who aged out of one version often moved on to another.
Sales held steady well into the 1980s. The toy eventually ran into trouble in the early 1990s, when cheaper foreign competition eroded Sun’s market share and demand for the original product began to soften. By that point, the Hoppity Hop had so thoroughly defined the category that virtually any hopping ball — regardless of who made it — was known by that name in the US. Cosani did eventually secure a US patent for the Pon-Pon in 1971, but the American market had already been claimed. The toy lives on in various forms today, including therapy and fitness versions sized for adults.
The vintage ads, catalog pages and newspaper feature collected here offer a close look at how the Hoppity Hop was sold and built during its peak years, including a detailed 1968 production walkthrough from the Akron Beacon Journal that shows the Sun Corp. factory floor, step by step, from raw molds to finished, boxed product.
- Durable vinyl.
- Safe with a recessed re-inflatable valve.
- Helps build coordination skills.
The Hoppity Hop Play Ball (1968)
Be the first on your block to have one! Bounce out of Penneys and into spring with the new Hoppity Hop Ball invented in ‘swinging’ London.
The Hoppity Hop Ball is made of tough, red plastic. Inflate with a regular air pump — small for a 4-year-old, or a full 61″ for an adult.
If you like fun, exercise, a flat stomach, or if you just like to bounce . . . get on the ball . . . grab the handle and hop.
Hoppity Hop
So much fun, you’ll want to ride for hours… strong enough for Mom and Dad, too. Inflates to 14 to 18-in. diameter for kids; 18 to 20-in. for adults. Heavy-duty vinyl with air valve: fits hand or service station pump. Safety ring. Shipped deflated. Blue or red. $5.99
Hoppity Horse
Preschoolers’ inflatable ride-a-horse has realistic western styling richly embossed on its heavy-duty vinyl body.
Hoppity inflates to 14 to 16-inch diameter. Has automobile tire-type valve for inflating with hand pump or at service station. Safety hand-grips help keep child steady. $6.99
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The history of vintage Hoppity Hop toys (1968)
Hoppity Hop ball makes Sun shine bright
By Joseph E Kuebler – The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) August 18, 1968
Some toy buyers say it will be as great a hit as the hula hoop. One thing is sure, “Hoppity Hop” is a sensation right now wherever it is introduced. Like the hoop, the “Hop” proves it is the simple things in life that make it big.
Hoppity Hop is a rugged vinyl plastic ball that can be inflated to 25 inches in diameter. It has a molded ring handle. It’s a “people hopper.”
Men, women and children can ride it as they bounce along. Obviously, it is aimed at boys and girls of all ages, but this doesn’t keep older folks from riding it like a cowboy on a bronco.
FOR BARBERTON’S Sun Corp., Hoppity Hop is the hottest thing to come down the pike in many a year. In fact, Sun President T. W. Smith Jr. says he can’t remember when a Sun product received such an “ovation” at that most important place — the cash register.
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“We were confident it had a lot of merit,” he added, “but we had no idea demand would be this good.” How good is good?
Since Sun introduced the ball at the New York Toy Fair in the Spring, it has been swamped with orders. Every type of retail outlet from the big department store chains to the variety stores have “hopped” on the bandwagon.
Orders to date exceed 25,000 dozen, or 300,000 units, and they still are coming in. This will keep the company’s Hoppity Hop production line busy 24 hours a day for each working day the remainder of the year.
Huge demand for the bouncing ball toys
IN THE FICKLE world of toys, the men who are faced with the challenging task of trying to guess what the public will buy months hence take a long, hard look at a new product. They know an item that seems great today could be a washout in a few months.
Some remember only too well what happened to the hula hoop. Demand collapsed almost overnight.
At the toy fair, though, Hoppity Hop received an enthusiastic reception, backed up by what is music to the ears of the manufacturer — confirmed orders.
The ride ’em ball wasn’t exactly brand new to fairgoers. They had heard how a British version had been bouncing over England for the last 18 months. Sun is a producer already of virtually every type of play and athletic ball in use in this country.
Richey Smith, the company’s vice president and general manager, saw the English creation as an ideal addition to his firm’s toy family.
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SMITH RECOGNIZED it as a natural for the roto-cast process Sun has developed and perfected over the last 20 years. With this method, measured quantities of vinyl plastisol are poured into molds, which are then rotated in two directions simultaneously, creating a uniform vinyl shell on the wall of the mold.
Smith assigned the firm’s design and technical men to create Sun’s version and prepare samples for the fair. Among the features they came up with were the molded “easy grip” handle that is an integral part of the ball, and a reinflatable valve, similar to the one used in tires.
JUST BEFORE the New York show, the name “Hoppity Hop” was created. Since then, the problem has been a pleasant but perplexing one — how do you handle all this business quickly enough to keep every customer happy?
In the meantime, the company has applied for design patents and registered the trademark, “Hoppity Hop.” The ball is being made in red and blue but can be produced in other colors if demand warrants it.
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WHAT APPARENTLY makes the product attractive to so many people is its versatility. You can bounce it, throw it or race with it.
Hoppity Hop is at home on the beach, on the water, in the backyard or house and campground. It is designed to give a high bounce, and is ridden much like a horse with the rider leaning a little forward.
How vintage Hoppity Hop & Hoppity Horse toys were made
It’s not every year a toy maker can come up with an item blanketing just about all age brackets. For a specialist in vinyl plastisol like Sun, Hoppity Hop is a manufacturer’s dream.
Sun Corp. engineer Al Steinbrunner (left) inspects the finished product as six Hoppity Hops emerge from a mold. In its operating position, the mold (above) looks like something hurled into space from Cape Kennedy. On the production, inspection and packaging line (below):
(1) Bridget Fetters drills the valve stem hole;
(2) Mary Brown inserts the stem and inflates the ball;
(3) Geraldine Cook checks the ball underwater for defects;
(4) Marilyn Chapman deflates the ball for packaging;
(5) Opal Gregory boxes the product and
(6) Betty Gregory loads shipping cartons.
(7) Elles Temmey is foreman of the production line.
Hoppity Donald Duck
Preschoolers will love Donald Duck riding ball… the famed Disney character seems to come alive. Heavy-duty vinyl body is elegantly embossed and decorated.
Inflates to 14 to 16-in. diameter. Automobile tire-type valve; use hand or service station pump. Hand grips help keep child on Donald. $8.91.
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Hoppity Hop-inspired toys you can buy today
- Durable vinyl.
- Safe with a recessed re-inflatable valve.
- Helps build coordination skills.
- Safe with a recessed re-inflatable valve
- Helps build coordination skills
- Pump not included
- Cute Patterns Bouncy Toys: The perfect addition to your child's toy collection! Our bounce balls with handles for kids come in different colors and designs, so you can choose your child's favorite...
- Thicker Material Ensures Quality: Our thicker material ensures quality, as we've increased the hopping ball net weight compared to same size hop ball. Parents can rest assured that there is no weight...
- Safe is Most Important: Safety is our top priority, which is why we've added a textured bottom and easy grip handle to the ball. The single loop handle is easy to grasp and won't slip out of your...
- ★ PERFECTLY SIZED FOR TEENS: This 22-inch sit and bounce ball is designed for big kids and teens, making it ideal for ages 10 and up who love active, outdoor fun
- ★ SUPPORTS SENSORY NEEDS: This hopping ball helps release energy, reduce stress, and support sensory engagement, making it great for teens who benefit from movement-focused activities
- ★ ACTIVE & FUN HOPPING BALL: Combines exercise with excitement, whether bouncing around at a party, hopping outdoors, or playing with friends. A must-have hippity hop toy for active teens
- Purple cloud featured. The hop ball is featured in a vibrant and changing shade of PURPLE, beautifully imitating the mesmerizing colors of the ever-changing sky and clouds at different times of the...
- Inflated size approx. 50cm/20in in diameter. Maximum sustainable weight of 200 pounds. Durable Grab n' grip handle. Ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
- Suitable for children in the age group of 7-10 years. Competent adult supervision is required at all times.
