Photo courtesy of David Ayers Engineer turned toy inventor by Evelyn Boswell David Ayers, '81 Phy, a toy inventor in Houston, spent a lot of time playing basketball in his basement when he was a kid growing up in Shelby. "We had a miniature goal and net that my father made for us," he said of probably his favorite toy. "Our best trick shot was to bounce the ball off the low ceiling, and it was a blast to dunk it." Now a senior engineer for Schlumberger, Ayers still enjoys the lighter side of life and continues to make dunk shots. A toy inventor in his spare time, Ayers has sold two inventions to the toy industry. "Pearl Divers," a pool toy sold by AquaLeisure, is available in stores now. "Dizzy Bug," a crib toy sold by Fisher-Price a few years ago, stayed on the market three years. The company reintroduced it this year as an exclusive product for K-mart. A miniature version was sold in McDonald's Happy Meals. "The reason I invent toys is because the toy industry has a culture that's open to professional inventors," Ayers said recently after returning from his 18th trip to the annual New York Toy Fair. Manufacturers are always looking for new toys since the market changes so rapidly, he added. For that reason, he continues to brainstorm with his wife, Karen, and test his ideas on nieces, nephews and kids at church. Ayers holds a workshop about toy inventing every spring for the Houston Inventors Association. He's also an agent for toy inventors and hosts a Web site on the subject. "Don't ever stop with just one invention," Ayers advised. "Because of all the obstacles and competition, you need to have a lot of good ideas." Ayers discovered the wisdom of that advice after inventing a doughnut-shaped toy he called C.O.M.B.O. (Combination Operated Mind Bending Object). Ayers came up with the idea while a senior at Montana State University. Taking a break from studying, he read an article in the Smithsonian magazine featuring a new toy called the Rubik's Cube. Recalling a Time-Life math book that described a geometric shape called a toroid, he combined the two concepts. He developed the toy, patented his idea and had samples made. It didn't interest the toy companies. Will Ayers pursue toys full-time? He tried it for six months, leaving his job in the oil industry. But he learned that having more time was not as fruitful as the creative pressure that comes from less spare time, so he returned to work. Two years later, Dizzy Bug was in the stores. "I'd still love to do this full-time, but it would take reaching a level of success that replaces my income as an employee," Ayers said.