Think Big! was founded in 1979 by artist Phyllis Prinz and businessman Robert Malkin, who shared a passion for collecting oversized antique display pieces. Initially offering oversized items like 6-foot pencils and 5-foot Crayola crayons, the store gained popularity and expanded into a nationwide catalog business. By the 1980s, the brand’s playful, larger-than-life aesthetic caught on, and franchise locations sprouted across the country. The store’s unique products were featured in films like Forrest Gump and Big. However, by the early 1990s, high rent and increasing costs led to the closure of all retail locations when the brand was sold to Martin Lawrence Galleries. The Think Big! catalog ceased in 1994 as the gallery refocused on high-end art. In 2001, Jeff Bruette of GreatBigStuff revived the brand’s oversized concept by acquiring the remaining Think Big inventory and redesigning many of the original products for an online audience.