With a novel idea and creative marketing using a YouTube video, Chris Reda of Monongahela says he has sold 6,000 NeoCubes, his patented puzzle made of 216 spherical magnets that can be made into billions of shapes.

"I had an idea and two grand," said Mr. Reda, 26, a 2005 graduate of University of Pittsburgh. "Fifteen years ago, there's no way a guy like me could start a business."

After graduating from Pitt, he lived in his dad's basement and worked odd jobs at a gas station, waiting tables and selling other people's products. He studied economics, giving him almost no background in business or magnet circuitry.

When he heard about the magnetic spheres, Mr. Reda knew he had hit gold. The prices for these strong magnets, known as rare-earth material NdFeB, have dropped in recent years, making them more affordable.

The NeoCube is recommended for ages 8 and up. While many puzzles have only one outcome, the cube's versatility gets your creative juices flowing.

The NeoCube Mini

"Mathematically, it's damn next to infinite," he said. "Even Rubik's Cubes have quadrillions of solutions."

The magnets jump together to form intricate patterns and geometric forms. They act like Legos, giving you the building blocks to create almost any shape you can imagine.

Mr. Reda imported the magnets from China to create 250 NeoCubes and, through his company, Strong Force Inc., started advertising on Facebook and science Web sites, spending $20 on ads.

In April, he put a video on YouTube.com demonstrating how to use it, and sales soared. He has sold NeoCubes to people as far away as China, Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Denmark, San Francisco and Australia.

He's also heard from geometry teachers from Texas to California who are interested in using the NeoCube in their classes. They said they can use the cube to show the progression between points, lines, and two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.

Prices for the NeoCube range from $13.95 for the minicube to $39.95 to the Cube Tastic Value Pack.

The NeoCube does come with important warnings, which are highlighted on his Web site at www.theneocube.com.

Not for children, these magnets should not be swallowed or burned. If more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockage problems, which could be fatal.

In a news release issued in August 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C., listed these rare-earth magnets as one of five common hidden home hazards, especially among children.

Since 2005, rare-earth magnets have been linked to one death, 86 injuries and the recall of 8 million magnet toys. Six recalls occurred in 2008.

The strong magnets also can damage or destroy some electronic devices, so keep the magnets a safe distance from such devices, magnetically stored data (like credit cards, ATM cards) and medical equipment like pacemakers.