Charles Caperton/Greene County Dailies
By NIKKI FERRELL
Staff Writer
FAIRBORN — Though Ohio’s unemployment rate has almost reached 11 percent, one man recently laid off — on his birthday, no less — did not let his situation keep him from pursuing his passions.
“It was either that or give up. I just had to apply myself,” said Mike Deal of Fairborn.
Deal said that he tried to get his first patent when he was nine years old for a remote-controlled camera.
“I couldn’t get the funding for a patent, though. No one would give a 9-year-old the funding for a patent,” said Deal, laughing.
Deal’s latest patent idea, however, went through: he is the inventor of Cosmic Cornhole, a black-light, clear set for cornhole, a popular — at least in the Midwest — outdoor bean bag toss game.
Deal spent most of his childhood in Fairborn but moved to St. Petersburg, Florida when he was 17, where he worked odd jobs and eventually ended up buying and renting out black light games, like volleyball, chess and even a bowling lane.
He ended up back in Ohio several years ago and, when he was laid off from his job in September, decided that he would spend his time working on Cosmic Cornhole, an idea he had when he worked in Florida but hadn’t gotten a patent on.
“This would be the third business that I’ve owned. I’ve always been a business-minded person,” said Deal.
Deal offers Cosmic Cornhole for sale at his website, http://glowtoss.com, and will soon offer them for rent, he said.
The sets are $499.99 and include glow-in-the-dark bean bags.
The Plexiglas and ultraviolet light-emitting cornhole boards have removable back panels that customers can customize with any design, said Deal, from a sports team logo to a business name to an artistic design, for an extra fee.
Soon he hopes to have an inventory of backs that customers can purchase ala carte to switch out as they want, he said.
He’s marketed the cornhole set to local bars and said he hopes that Dayton bargoers will begin to see them as early as this summer. He also plans to hit up resorts, campgrounds and other venues soon.
“You just really have to believe that you can do it. You have to believe that you can get it done. Set goals for yourself and don’t be afraid to set the goal high and don’t get discouraged when times get tough. It seems like you can be rich one day and poor the next.”
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