Rent
Rent is the largest revenue category McDonald's reports from franchised restaurants, ahead of royalties. That does not mean rent is most of all corporate revenue, or that every franchise follows the same property arrangement.
1889
Nintendo traces its origins to Fusajiro Yamauchi making hanafuda playing cards in Kyoto in 1889. Its first home video game machines arrived in 1977, nearly nine decades later.
$1.50
Costco introduced its U.S. hot dog and soda combination for $1.50 in 1985 and retained that price for decades. The documented price history does not establish its profit or guarantee its future price.
1957
Bubble Wrap grew out of Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes's 1957 attempt to develop textured wallpaper. Its successful commercial use was cushioning goods rather than decorating walls.
1956
Play-Doh developed from a soft compound sold for cleaning soot from wallpaper. It was repurposed as a children's modeling material in the 1950s, with teacher Kay Zufall playing an important role.
2011
LEGO has been recognized for enormous toy-tire production, with Guinness reporting 381 million tires in 2010. This is a dated unit-count comparison involving miniature tires, not proof that LEGO currently leads the automotive tire industry.
1938
Samsung began in 1938 as a trading business in Daegu, dealing in groceries, produce and dried seafood and expanding into noodles. Samsung Electronics came decades later, so the founding story concerns the wider group's origins.
2008
Part of Pringles packaging designer Fredric Baur's cremated remains was buried in a Pringles can after his death in 2008. His family honored a personal request; his whole body was not placed in the tube.
Stone money
Large rai stones on Yap could change ownership while remaining in place.
11th century
Jiaozi paper notes appeared in Sichuan during China’s Song dynasty.
2 halves
Split tally sticks recorded financial obligations on two matching pieces of wood.
~20 kg
Sweden issued rectangular copper plate money, including pieces weighing almost 20 kilograms.