# Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire.

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-09-08
- Length: 1h 13m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi

## Summary

Carlton Calvin, co-founder of Razor, recounts his journey from chasing toy crazes like Pogs and scorpion Slammers to partnering with Gino Tsai and Robert Chen to launch the Razor scooter. He details the explosive growth to one million units a month, the sudden market collapse in 2001, and the strategic pivot to electric scooters, hoverboards, and the Ripstick that stabilized the brand. Calvin also discusses the recent impact of tariffs on his China-based supply chain and his interest in using AI to identify future consumer trends.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=0) Introduction: Carlton Calvin and the Razor Story
- [3:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=225) Early Crazes: Pogs, Slammers, and Scorpion Keychains
- [22:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=1376) The Yo-Yo Craze and Building a Sales Network
- [29:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=1748) Fingerboards and the Rise of Razor Scooters
- [44:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=2663) The Scooter Boom and Sudden Market Collapse
- [59:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=3580) Reinvention: Electric Scooters, Ripstick, and Hoverboards
- [1:08:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-08-carlton-calvin-razor-the-wild-rise-collapse-and-reinvention-of-a-mobile-toy-empi#t=4131) Current Challenges: Tariffs and Future Trends

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Razor (company)
- Toys R Us (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Target (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Gino Tsai (other)
- Robert Chen (other)
- Ripstick (product)
- Hoverboard (product)
- Stinger (product)
- Tech Deck (product)
- Spinmaster (company)

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- [Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide) (It's Only a Prototype)
- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 1 - Rich Brilliant Willing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2013-08-19-afterschool-podcast-episode-1-rich-brilliant-willing) (Core77 Podcast)
- [Bootstrapped to 800,000 Units Sold Worldwide: The Story Behind Rockit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-04-17-bootstrapped-to-800-000-units-sold-worldwide-the-story-behind-rockit) (It's Only a Prototype)
- [85 - Kanga Coolers are the coolest! with Austin Maxwell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell) (People of Packaging)

## Citing this page

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