Dolls may be the world’s oldest toys. Examples have been found in Egyptian tombs from 2000 BC.
Early in the sixteenth century, Dorothy became a fashionable name in Britain, remaining so for almost 200 years. Its popularity led people to shorten it to Dolly or Doll. It was not surprising that eventually children's playthings were also called by this well-liked name. The first documented instance is found as early as 1700.
The earliest records of dolls’ houses or “baby houses” date back to the 16th century.
In the US the first mass-produced dolls were marketed in 1800.
In 1903 Beatrix Potter designed and patented a Peter Rabbit doll – making Peter Rabbit the world’s oldest licensed character.
Queen Mary of England was gifted a 1:12 scale doll house in 1924. It had books that were especially written by writers for the library, bottles filled with the appropriate drinks in the wine cellar, working lights and model cars made by Rolls Royce. Even the toilets had working plumbing.
Troll dolls were invented in the 1950s by Danish fisherman Thomas Dam, who carved them out of wood and sold them door-to-door.
The Barbie Doll made her debut at the New York Toy Fair in March 1959 and took toy stores across the US by storm-more than 351,000 dolls were sold that year at $3 (£1.50) each.
Hasbro Toys introduced in 1964 GI Joe, an 11½-inch "action figure" that sold for $4.00. The doll was inspired by the 1945 Robert Mitchum movie, The Story of GI Joe.
Hasbro coined the term "Action Figure", to market their G.I. Joe toys to boys who would not play with "dolls."
Snake Eyes, one of the 16 original G.I. Joe action figures, was designed to save Hasbro money. As a ninja, the character was completely molded from black plastic, even given a mask to prevent detailing a face. The figure wasn't even painted, but became one of the most popular G.I. Joe figures.
Handmade, cloth-faced Little People soft sculptured dolls were created by 21 year old art student Xavier Roberts 1978. A less expensive, vinyl-faced version called Cabbage Patch Kids were introduced with great fanfare at the International Toy Fair in New York City in 1983. By October, riots were breaking out in stores and featured in newspaper cartoons around the country.
Early in the sixteenth century, Dorothy became a fashionable name in Britain, remaining so for almost 200 years. Its popularity led people to shorten it to Dolly or Doll. It was not surprising that eventually children's playthings were also called by this well-liked name. The first documented instance is found as early as 1700.
The earliest records of dolls’ houses or “baby houses” date back to the 16th century.
In the US the first mass-produced dolls were marketed in 1800.
In 1903 Beatrix Potter designed and patented a Peter Rabbit doll – making Peter Rabbit the world’s oldest licensed character.
Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose. The first Raggedy Ann doll, based on the character created by American writer and cartoonist Johnny Gruelle, was introduced on June 28, 1917. Johnny Gruelle had already been writing and illustrating stories featuring Raggedy Ann in books and magazines before the creation of the doll and received US Patent D47789 for his Raggedy Ann doll on September 7, 1915.
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| A Raggedy Ann 100-year edition doll By Prisencolinensinainciusol |
The Raggedy Ann doll quickly became popular and beloved by children and collectors alike. With her red yarn hair, button eyes, and simple yet endearing design, Raggedy Ann captured the hearts of many. The character was known for her kindness, cheerfulness, and sense of adventure, often finding herself in imaginative and playful situations in Gruelle's stories.
Queen Mary of England was gifted a 1:12 scale doll house in 1924. It had books that were especially written by writers for the library, bottles filled with the appropriate drinks in the wine cellar, working lights and model cars made by Rolls Royce. Even the toilets had working plumbing.
Troll dolls were invented in the 1950s by Danish fisherman Thomas Dam, who carved them out of wood and sold them door-to-door.
The Barbie Doll made her debut at the New York Toy Fair in March 1959 and took toy stores across the US by storm-more than 351,000 dolls were sold that year at $3 (£1.50) each.
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| Pixiebay |
Hasbro Toys introduced in 1964 GI Joe, an 11½-inch "action figure" that sold for $4.00. The doll was inspired by the 1945 Robert Mitchum movie, The Story of GI Joe.
Hasbro coined the term "Action Figure", to market their G.I. Joe toys to boys who would not play with "dolls."
Snake Eyes, one of the 16 original G.I. Joe action figures, was designed to save Hasbro money. As a ninja, the character was completely molded from black plastic, even given a mask to prevent detailing a face. The figure wasn't even painted, but became one of the most popular G.I. Joe figures.
Handmade, cloth-faced Little People soft sculptured dolls were created by 21 year old art student Xavier Roberts 1978. A less expensive, vinyl-faced version called Cabbage Patch Kids were introduced with great fanfare at the International Toy Fair in New York City in 1983. By October, riots were breaking out in stores and featured in newspaper cartoons around the country.
Roberts' signature could be found upon each doll’s cushy posterior, they came with their own adoption papers and names.
Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment. The four original Bratz dolls—Cloe (white), Jade (Asian), Yasmin (Middle Eastern/Latina), and Sasha (Black) were released on May 21, 2001.
When MGA Entertainment was pitching the Bratz dolls to retailers, they were initially only interested in purchasing the white, blonde, blue-eyed doll, Cloe. However, the CEO of MGA, Isaac Larian, refused to sell the dolls individually and insisted that retailers buy all four dolls together. This was a risky decision, as it meant that MGA was putting all of their eggs in one basket. However, it ultimately paid off, as the Bratz dolls went on to gross over $2 billion in sales in their first five years on the market.
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