How "Tweet" It Is! - MFA Bringing Back "Wildly" Popular Original Singing Bird Clock

TOLEDO, Ohio, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It has always been pretty much a given that if you wanted to connect with nature, especially birds, you needed to go where they hung out – places like the woods, the park, the backyard.  That all changed in 1997 when Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc. (MFA), a product development company and importer of giftware, housewares, and electronics, introduced the Original Singing Bird Clock.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110606/CL04907 )

Framed in Green Matte, the Original Singing Bird Clock featured images and twelve authentic beautiful songs from some of the most recognized song birds in North America – one at the top of each hour.  Over 10 years, MFA sold over 8 million of these clocks to bird enthusiasts and other consumers who enjoyed its ambiance.  The company discontinued the Original Singing Bird Clock in 2006 after coming out with another version licensed by The National Audubon Society a few years earlier.  But, with 2012 being the 15th anniversary, and because of popular demand, MFA has decided to bring back a limited edition of the Original Singing Bird Clock this year.    

"When you get up in the morning, go outside and hear the cheerful sounds of birds, it somehow invigorates you," said Mark Feldstein, President, Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc.  "The Original Singing Bird Clock is the closest thing you'll get to these soothing sounds, so we thought in celebration of its 15th anniversary in 2012, we would re-launch it for a limited time."

The development of the Original Singing Bird Clock was a long, drawn-out process.  Before going into business for himself, Feldstein spent a great deal of time in Asia, especially China and Hong Kong.  During one of his trips overseas in the mid-1990s, he was shown a clock that had a bird pictured on its dial.  He began doing research and found that birding was the nation's second favorite hobby next to gardening, with more than 50 million participants.  Additional investigation led Feldstein to the Cornell Library of Natural Sounds in Ithaca, NY, which houses more than 100,000 amphibian, mammal, insect and bird recordings.  It was there that Feldstein got the idea of putting authentic bird sounds on the clock to differentiate it from other nature clocks on the market.  He asked the people at Cornell to help him pick out 12 popular North American song birds to feature on the clock.  In addition, Cornell provided him with the 12 distinct sounds of the birds which Feldstein put on a sound chip and sent back to them for their approval.  Cornell did not like the sound quality on the chip, and that if MFA wanted to use their name, the bird sounds would need to be authentic.  After 33 attempts, Cornell finally signed off on the authenticity of the bird sounds – and the rest is "birding" history!

The Original Singing Bird Clock will be available in both 8-inch and 13-inch models with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $14.95 ea. and $24.95 ea. respectively.

With the success of the Original Singing Bird Clock, MFA saw the need for additional "authentic" sounding clocks for other markets.  Featuring total sound quality reproduction, MFA has developed an extensive group of licensed clocks that has become a staple product in many retail stores and catalogs.  MFA has partnered with Audubon™ Harley-Davidson®, PEANUTS™, Thomas Kinkade™, and many others to develop fun, exciting and decorative clocks with different authentic sounds announcing each hour.  

MFA has also introduced innovative products such as Flameless LED Candles, Illuminator No-Battery, No-Bulb Flashlights, UV-C Light Sanitizers and a line of Plush Animated Animal Banks that were selected as a recipient of The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval for 2011.

About Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc.

Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc. located in Maumee, Ohio, offers a wide range of unique, high-quality products for home, office and personal use.  MFA has more than 25 years of experience in the giftware, housewares and electronics industry.  The company is a supplier to more than 3,000 retailers worldwide.  For additional information, visit our web site at www.markfeldstein.com.

SOURCE Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc.