"play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she"
"manufacturing. The company's first big-seller was the ""Uke-a-doodle"", a toy ukulele. Ruth Handler claimed her daughter Barbara, who was becoming a pre-teen, played with paper dolls by pretending they were adults. Handler noticed that in such play, children would act out future events, rather than the present. Handler noted the limitations of the paper dolls, including how the paper clothing failed to attach well. She wanted to produce a three-dimensional plastic ""paper doll"" with an adult body and a wardrobe of fabric clothing, but her husband and Mr. Matson thought parents would not buy their children a doll with a"
"after resigning, they continued to create new ideas. One project Handler took on in the 1980s was Barbie and the Rockers. She was credited as a writer of the 1987 film """". Handler was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1997. She died in California from complications of surgery for colon cancer on April 27, 2002, aged 85. Her husband Elliot died nine years later at the age of 94. Ruth Handler Ruth Marianna Handler (née Mosko; November 4, 1916 – April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman and inventor. She served as the president"
"returned the company to profitability in 1977. Ruth Handler sold her stock in 1980. The Mattel Electronics line debuted in 1977 with an all-electronic handheld game. The success of the handheld led to the expansion of the line with game console then the line becoming its own corporation in 1982. Mattel Electronics forced Mattel to take a $394 million loss in 1983 and almost filed for bankruptcy. In 1979, through Feld Productions, Mattel purchased the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million. Also acquired that year was Western Publishing for $120 million in cash and stock. The Felds"
"Handler returned from a European vacation with a German-designed Bild Lilli doll. She and Ryan worked on producing a similar fashion doll for the American market (the two later disputed which of them was chiefly responsible for the doll's design). Ryan worked on th V-rroom! X-15 velocipede which was named after the North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft, and patented the V-RROOM! toy engines that simulated motorcycle engine sounds. He designed the mechanics of the Chatty Cathy dolls. Ryan's relationship with Mattel soured, and in 1980 he sued Mattel for royalties; the company settled out of court. Ryan suffered a debilitating"
"also available with DCC and sound.) Tyco Toys Tyco Toys was an American toy manufacturer. In 1997, it was acquired by Mattel. Mantua Metal Products was a Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, metalworks business founded in 1926 by John Tyler and family. In the 1930s Mantua began to manufacture HO scale model trains of die-cast metal, and became a leading hobbyist brand. From 1942 to 1945, production of model railroad products was suspended as the company participated in manufacturing of precision measuring and mapping equipment for the U.S. Army and Navy in World War II. The company received the Army-Navy ‘E’"
"Handler's son. In the 1960s Random House books, his surname is Carson. According to Mattel, his middle name is Sean. Ken (doll) Ken is a fashion doll introduced by Mattel in 1961 as the fictional counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier. Similar to his female counterpart, Ken has a fashionable line of clothing and accessories. In the Barbie mythos, Ken met Barbie on the set of a TV commercial in 1961, although Mattel has never specified the precise nature of their relationship. Since his debut, Ken has held at least 40 occupations. He was invented by Elliot"
"Tyco Toys Tyco Toys was an American toy manufacturer. In 1997, it was acquired by Mattel. Mantua Metal Products was a Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, metalworks business founded in 1926 by John Tyler and family. In the 1930s Mantua began to manufacture HO scale model trains of die-cast metal, and became a leading hobbyist brand. From 1942 to 1945, production of model railroad products was suspended as the company participated in manufacturing of precision measuring and mapping equipment for the U.S. Army and Navy in World War II. The company received the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for Excellence in Production in"
"Lions, Martha Speaks, Charlie & Lola and Asthma and Allergy Friendly Products. In February 2013, Kids Preferred acquired luxury infant toy and clothing brand Bunnies by the Bay. Kids Preferred Kids Preferred is an award-winning manufacturer of children's toys located in East Windsor, New Jersey. The company was founded by Louis Premselaar in 1983 and has offices in New Jersey, New York city, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In addition to their own brand of products, they produce toys licensed from: Harley Davidson, The World of Eric Carle, The World of Beatrix Potter, The Gruffalo, Pat the Bunny, Guess How Much"
"Ideal Toy Company Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris and Rose Michtom. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Saucy Walker, Shirley Temple, Miss Revlon, Patti Playpal, Tammy, Thumbelina, Tiny Thumbelina, and Crissy. Their last big hit was the Rubik's Cube. Morris and Rose Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in Brooklyn when they invented the Teddy bear in 1903. After Michtom's death in 1938, the company changed its name to the Ideal Toy"
"was established in 1976 and Jumbo is often still referred to as by the Falcon brand name in the UK. The origins of the firm can be traced to the Hausemann & Hotte partnership in the mid-nineteenth century between the Amsterdam department store owner Engelbert Hausemann, a German, and Wilhelm Hotte, who together imported games and puzzles into the Netherlands. After the First World War, Hausemann & Hotte expanded their range of toys and games. This included the Meccano metal construction kits, Continental Caoutchouc rubber balls, dolls’ prams by Heinrichmaier & Wunsch, ‘Jutta’dolls by Dressel, Emata slates, Hohner mouth organs,"
"Hatley (brand) Hatley is a Montreal-based gift and apparel retailer & wholesaler brand founded in 1987 and is best-known for its PVC-free raingear and cotton pajamas. John and Alice Oldland started Hatley as a cottage business in North Hatley, Québec, Canada, in 1986. Alice, an artist, opened a gift store called ""The Little Blue House"" and painted in her studio on the second floor. To help out local charity events, Alice would donate hand-painted aprons, which were sold at auctions. John decided her designs would appeal to a broader market and he sold an initial 200 of them to kitchen"
"billion Barbie dolls, making it the company’s largest and most profitable line. However, sales have declined sharply since 2014. The doll transformed the toy business in affluent communities worldwide by becoming a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends of Barbie, etc.). She had a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale life-style that can be shared with affluent friends. Starting in 1987, Barbie has expanded into a media franchise, including animated films, television specials, , and music. Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara"
"developed toys such as Merlin, ""Star Wars"" figures, Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears. The company was founded as Caselloid on Britannia Street in Leicester by Alfred Edward Pallett in 1919 to produce celluloid soap dishes for Woolworth. Other products followed such as babies rattles and other fancy goods. Their first toy which was the windmill was in 1920 which continued to be sold until 1964. The first doll was Diddums in 1925 which was based on the characters devised by illustrator Mabel Lucy Atwell. In 1930 Cascelloid was bought by Bakelite Xylonite Limited (BXL) and a new factory built"
"the 3M Company, who had a line of up-scale board games, they rejected the idea. Charles Foley, was a respected and successful toy designer for Lakeside Industries in Minneapolis and answered an ad for an experienced toy designer by Reynolds Guyer Sr. of Guyer Company. Foley interviewed with Reyn Guyer Sr. and his son, Reyn, who were interested in product development within the toy business. After interviewing Foley, Guyer and his son discussed the possibility of starting a small division of the company in product development. His father agreed, for a short term, to support his son's idea for product"
"Hubley Manufacturing Company The Hubley Manufacturing Company produced a wide range of cast-iron toys, doorstops, and bookends. Toys, particularly motor vehicles and cap guns, were also produced in zinc alloy and plastic. The company is probably most well known for its detailed scale metal kits of Classic cars in about 1:20 scale. Starting in 1960, Hubley participated for a couple of years with Detroit automakers as a plastic promotional model maker. Many Hubley toys are now sought-after collectibles. The Hubley Manufacturing Company was first incorporated in 1894 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by John Hubley. The first Hubley toys appeared in 1909"
"Kids Preferred Kids Preferred is an award-winning manufacturer of children's toys located in East Windsor, New Jersey. The company was founded by Louis Premselaar in 1983 and has offices in New Jersey, New York city, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In addition to their own brand of products, they produce toys licensed from: Harley Davidson, The World of Eric Carle, The World of Beatrix Potter, The Gruffalo, Pat the Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, Arthur, Greenzys, Spot the Dog, Winnie-the-Pooh, Lion King, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Puff, The Magic Dragon, Biscuit, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, Goodnight Moon, Between the"
"Fisher-Price Fisher-Price is an American company that produces educational toys for children and infants, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a subsidiary of Mattel since 1993. Founded in 1930 by Herman Fisher, Irving Price, Price's illustrator-artist wife Margaret Evans Price, and Helen Schelle, the name Fisher-Price was established by combining two of the three names. Fisher worked previously in manufacturing, selling and advertising games for a company in Churchville, New York. Price had retired from a major variety chain store, and Helen Schelle previously operated Penny Walker Toy Shop in Binghamton, New York. Fisher-Price’s fundamental toy-making principles"
"Robotix (toyline) Robotix is a line of toy motorized modular construction sets, used to construct robots, robotic vehicles, and machines, and often including action figures. Robotix toys were first marketed by the Milton Bradley Company (MB) from 1984 until 1986. The 1985 cartoon series ""Robotix"" was based on these toys. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Robotix toys were sold by RC2 Corporation under its Learning Curve brand. Learning Curve changed the colors of the original MB toys from mostly black and white to bright colors, introduced new parts, and expanded the range of playsets. As of 2014, Robotix toys"
"begun developing electronic toys for preschoolers. In 2009, Fisher-Price bought all toy rights to Thomas & Friends except for the Wooden Railway line. Through Mattel's 2012 acquisition of HIT Entertainment, which subsequently became a division of Fisher-Price, Mattel now owns the property outright. With this, toys based on Mike the Knight and Bob the Builder have been subsequently released. On August 2, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled close to a million toys, including the Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street toys because of possible hazards due to the toys being coated in lead-based paint. Purchasers of Fisher-Price toys can get information on"
"toys, toy guns, action figures, dolls, dollhouses, toy cars and trucks, and HO scale and O scale trains. Marx also made several models of typewriters for children. Marx's less expensive toys were extremely common in dime stores, and its larger, costlier toys were staples for catalog retailers such as Sears, Montgomery Ward, J. C. Penney and Spiegel especially around Christmas. Founded in 1919 in New York City by Louis Marx and his brother David, the company's basic aim was to ""give the customer more toy for less money,"" and stressed that ""quality is not negotiable"" - two values that made"
"would produce its toys until 1974. By 1969, GUND had become dependent on its licensing agreement with Disney for the majority of its business. Herbert Raiffe, the son-in-law of John Swedlin, became the company president in 1969 after Swedlin's passing. Raiffe began moving GUND away from its licensing agreements and shifted the focus to internal design. The company launched new products that included the ""Bag Full of Laughs,"" a sound mechanism placed in a fabric sack and sewn into a plush. During the 1970s, GUND expanded its product line by releasing toys and plush popular in other countries. This included"
"holder would get figures when they first come out in early 1978. The set sold over 500,000 orders. In 1981, Loomis founded the Manufacturing and Design (MAD) group at General Mills, which was responsible for developing new toy properties and strengthening existing ones. MAD launched a deal with American Greetings to develop and license properties such as Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears. Loomis's profile was smaller in the latter half of the 1980s until recent years. He worked at Hasbro in the development department helping transition that company into becoming the world's largest toy company, although his role was limited."
"Dong School"", and ""Romper Room"". In 1958, Play-Doh's sales reached nearly $3 million. In 1964, Play-Doh was exported to Britain, France, and Italy. In the 1980s, its cardboard can (with a rust-prone metal bottom) was replaced with a more cost effective plastic container. By 1965, Rainbow Crafts was issued a patent for Play-Doh. Also in 1965, General Mills purchased Rainbow Crafts and all rights to Play-Doh for $3 million, placing the compound with its Kenner Products subsidiary. In 1971, Rainbow Crafts and Kenner Products merged, and, in 1987, the Tonka Corporation bought the two. In 1991, Hasbro became Play-Doh's owner,"
"opening in Annapolis, Maryland. In 2014 Hatley opened a warehouse in Portsmouth, England, to handle the UK and European market, and the first European store opened in July 2015 in Chiswick, London. Hatley (brand) Hatley is a Montreal-based gift and apparel retailer & wholesaler brand founded in 1987 and is best-known for its PVC-free raingear and cotton pajamas. John and Alice Oldland started Hatley as a cottage business in North Hatley, Québec, Canada, in 1986. Alice, an artist, opened a gift store called ""The Little Blue House"" and painted in her studio on the second floor. To help out local"
"to Be a Millionaire""). Tiger Electronics Tiger Electronics (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, Giga Pets, and the 2-XL robot product, and audio games such as ""Brain Warp"". When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters was in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Randy, Gerald, and Arnold Rissman founded the company in 1978. It started with low-tech items like phonographs, then began developing handheld electronic games and educational toys. Prominent among these was the 2-XL Robot in 1992, and K28, Tiger's Talking Learning Computer"
"Tonner Doll Company Tonner Doll Company, Inc. is a collectible doll design and distribution company located in Kingston, New York. Founded by Robert Tonner in 1991, Tonner Doll designs and markets original doll lines as well as a number of licensed dolls for movies such as ""Harry Potter"", ""Spider-Man 3"", and ""Twilight"". Its original products include the Tyler Wentworth, Kitty Collier and Antoinette series. Tonner Doll Company, Inc. was founded in 1991 by Robert Tonner under the original name Robert Tonner Doll Designs (RTDD). Originally the company had only three employees: Tonner, his partner Harris Safier, and a part-time seamstress."
"Mattel Mattel, Inc. () is an American multinational toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 with headquarters in El Segundo, California. The products and brands it produces include Fisher-Price, Barbie, Monster High, Ever After High, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels and Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, American Girl, board games, and WWE. In the early 1980s, Mattel produced video game systems, under its own brands and under license from Nintendo. The company has presence in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 countries. The company operates through three business segments: North America, international, and American Girl. It is"
"Coca-Cola, Rushton Toys and IBM. In 1978 Schlaifer branded an early jogging-shoe roller-skate as Hot Rollers and licensed the Hot Roller brand for kids’ apparel, skates and fashion accessories which sold at stores such as Bloomingdales, Belk’s and Mervyn’s. Building on the success of his licensing Hot Rollers, in 1981 Schlaifer proposed an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Xavier Roberts’ company, Original Appalachian Artworks, for the rights to ""Little People"" soft sculpture dolls and Babyland General Hospital. Schlaifer rebranded the ""Little People"" dolls as Cabbage Patch Kids. In addition to signing up Coleco Industries on August 9, 1982, as its"
"in the U.S. in 1972, but Samsonite remained the distributor in Canada until 1986. Albert H. Reckler, then head of Military and export sales for the luggage division, brought the idea of manufacturing and selling Lego in the U.S. to Samsonite. He and Stan A. Clamage were instrumental in establishing the Lego brand in the United States. This was part of an overall company expansion into toy manufacturing in the 1960s that was abandoned in the 1970s. Forty percent of all Samsonite hard luggage is manufactured at its plant in Nashik, India. Samsonite Samsonite International S.A. () is a luggage"
"continued to be used. In 1950 Hausemann & Hotte created De Netherlandse Spellenfabriek B.V. (NSF for short), their own cardboard factory, in order to break their dependence on other manufacturers and assure optimum quality. As the decade progressed, the firm introduced the game Electro, puzzles and the classic board game Stratego, which was launched in America, with great success. It was made in America under license for Hausemann & Hotte by Milton Bradley. This Americal link continued when Hausemann & Hotte brought the Barbie doll to the Netherlands. From 1967, as the market for games was experiencing massive growth, Hausemann"
"Primo Toys Primo Toys is a London-based educational toy company founded by Filippo Yacob and Matteo Loglio, best known for creating the Cubetto Playset, an award-winning wooden robot designed to teach children how to code using a tangible programming language that doesn’t use screens or literacy. In April 2016, Cubetto became the most crowd-funded ed-tech invention in history, when 6,553 backers pledged a total of $1,596,457 to support their Kickstarter campaign. Primo Toys are backed by Randi Zuckerberg, Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi, and Liam Casey's PCH International. Primo Toys was founded in June 2013 by Filippo Yacob and Matteo Loglio,"
"patent rights for the Bild-Lilli doll for $21,600. Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model. Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that"