Meatless Market

Unlocking the youth market.

It's a chain gang of the least ominous sort. We speak of the stylish kids for whom key chains are turning into the fashion accessory of choice. Often attached to backpacks, these far-from-plain-metal rings are all the rage among the lunchbox set.

"It's a status symbol," explains Alan Dorfman, 38, whose Southampton, Pennsylvania-based Basic Fun Inc. manufactures licensed key chains featuring fully functional miniaturized versions of such toys as Etch A Sketch and Operation. "They're neat--[and make for] good conversation pieces." (Even neater, the inexpensive price of key chains makes them collector-friendly for cash-poor kids.)

Estimated to lock up annual retail sales in the neighborhood of $50 million, the market for kids' key chains is proof positive that big things come in small packages. Consider it the key to youngsters' hearts.

This article was originally published in the February 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Meatless Market.