William Herbert Schaper (1914-1980) was a postman and a fisherman who enjoyed making his own fishing lures. While sitting on his front porch one day in 1948, he whittled a wooden lure that reminded him of a bug. He may have remembered the cootie game played on paper, which had been around since the 1920s, played by rolling a die and drawing the corresponding “cootie bug” body part.
Schaper, who went by the name of “Herb,” envisioned something better when he added six legs to his lure, called it a “Cootie,” and decided it had good potential to become a toy. After refining the idea, he created the game of Cootie based on his creation. He set up a manufacturing operation in the basement of his Robbinsdale home, starting out in 1949 with $1,200.00 cash.
To test the waters, Schaper offered the Dayton’s department store a few dozen Cootie sets. They sold out within days. The Cootie Game proved to be a hit.
With the game’s success, he formed W. H. Schaper Mfg. Co., Inc., and by the end of 1950, over 5,000 Cootie games were assembled at his headquarters (AKA his basement).
In 1952, Schaper Manufacturing established its first production plant and offices at 1800 Olson Memorial Highway in North Minneapolis. The plant employed 125 people. Sales reached $1.5 million in 1953 and continued at a steady pace each year.
As a twist on promoting his games, Schaper released a comic book, “The Friendly Cootie Bug,” in 1956. It was produced by Custom Comics, Inc. The story follows the Cootie Bug as he visits his friends on his mission to brighten up the day for all boys and girls. The 32-page booklet (only 3″ x 5″ in size) promoted board/activity games made by Schaper Plastic Games.
The story about the Friendly Cootie Bug appeared on the left-hand pages, and the right-hand pages advertised other Schaper games, including Dunce, Tiddle-Tac-Toe, Tumble Bug, Mill, Skunk, Stadium Checkers, Squares, and of course the game of Cootie.
After equipment was added to the plant to replace some functions that were formerly done by hand, more than 1.2 million Cootie games were manufactured and sold. Schaper developed an innovative production process and Cootie became one of the first games to be made in a plastic mold.
By 1957 the company needed more space and moved its headquarters to Golden Valley at 650 Ottawa Ave N. The building held Schaper’s Thunderbird Plastics, which manufactured the game’s plastic pieces, and Highlander Sales, where marketing kept the sales high year after year.
Schaper invented many other games, including “Ants in the Pants” and “Don’t Break the Ice.” two of the toy industry’s biggest sellers in 1969.
HOW IS THE GAME OF COOTIE PLAYED?
Two to four players are needed. Each player rolls a die in turn. A Cootie body is earned by rolling a one. Then rolling two is needed to collect the head. From there the player can roll for all other body parts in any order based on the corresponding number on the die, earning a second roll with each new part. The first player to fully assemble a Cootie complete with a proboscis (a feeding tube in the front of the head), two eyes, two antennae, and six legs is the winner.
The rules have not changed over the years, but the Cootie has evolved.
From its humble beginnings in Robbinsdale, the game of Cootie rose to its height of popularity in the 1980s. In 1986, Schaper Toys was acquired by Tyco Toys, a division of Mattel Inc. As part of the deal, Tyco sold the rights to Cootie and three other Schaper games to Hasbro, a division of Milton Bradley. Hasbro’s Cootie game is still sold in stores today.
It may be possible to buy earlier versions of Schaper’s Cootie Game, perhaps at a garage sale or online. A display of the games from different eras, as well as Cootie memorabilia, can be seen at the Robbinsdale Museum.
A handful of Robbinsdale folks remember working at Schaper Manufacturing in North Minneapolis and/or Golden Valley as teenagers. Whether they helped produce or sort the colorful body parts, or punched holes in the card that held them inside the box, they can be proud that they put their stamp on the original, seemingly immortal Cootie.
Last but not least: In 1980 Herb Schaper and his wife Frances Schaper donated a portion of land from the Schaper Manufacturing facility at 650 Ottawa Ave N. to the City of Golden Valley. Later, the land was developed for recreational use at 631 Ottawa Ave. N. Schaper Park is home to Minnesota’s first outdoor fitness challenge course, opened in 2017. There is also an all-inclusive play structure as well as two softball fields (youth and adult) and a shelter building for programmed activities. A portion of the property was dredged for a drainage and is known–of course–as Schaper Pond.