The team of Big idea Guys formed Hot Picks out of a desire to transition from a long successful history of music retail, into the business of manufacturing music accessories and instruments. Hot Picks was established in May of 2003. The company was originally operating out of a facility in the California Central Valley, in the small town of Turlock near Modesto, but has since moved to a much larger facility in San Jose, California.
The first product created, also quickly became the origin of the company name... the "Hot Pick". Quickly following that, the first 10 It's Alive designs were produced and brought to market. 8 years later, the line has expanded to over 40 different images! It's Alive motion picks are the first guitar picks ever produced with full motion!
As we submerged ourselves in the "BIG Tank" and a new concept emerged... the shaped Grave Picker pick, quickly followed by additional shaped Monster picks, such as a Vampire, Mummy, Wolfman and more. The company embraced it's new direction at its first public appearance at the 2005 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show.
In 2006, we decided to pursue licensing options. In addition to a phenomenal license with Alchemy Carta Ltd., we landed one of the biggest licensors in the world: Walt Disney! This included not just Mickey Mouse, but franchises, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tinkerbell, Winnie the Pooh and many other iconic Disney characters.
2007 and more so 2008, were incredible years for Big Idea Guys, as we took home the "Best in Small Goods Award" two years running. In 2007, it was for our line of Pirates of the Caribbean picks, and in 2008, for our High School Musical picks. We also introduced a line of picks featuring the international country music superstar, Taylor Swift. Hot Picks is one of the companies leading the MI Channel in licensing products.
As of 2009, Hot Picks has attended every Winter NAMM show since the company's inception. In January of 2009, we made one of the strongest showings at NAMM, doubling our booth space and premiering not one, but TWO lines of guitars and re-launching our strap line, in conjunction to showing and marketing more pick designs than ever before with the addition of the Lethal Threat licensed brand!
2010 was a different year for Hot Picks and Big Idea Guys. With the economy doing its thing, we settled down, did some reorganization and planning, and came up with our best idea yet which would be launched in 2011...
January 2011 didn't see Hot Picks having a booth at NAMM, but meetings were held and plans made for one of the biggest licensing deals to be seen in the MI channel... Live Nation! In March, Big Idea Guys and Hot Picks finalized the biggest deal of the companies 10 year history, and the headline act would be licensing AC/DC! Also included were the bands Def Leppard, Judas Priest, KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mana, motley Crue, Maroon 5, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush and the Sex Pistols, as well as the House of Blues organization!
We will continue to grow and expand our core business of guitar picks, and have solid plans of continued growth and innovation with our guitar picks, straps and much more into future years!