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| The Happy Fun Family of dolls Photo copyright Lisa Hanson. Check out Lisa's eBay listings. |
Mattel got its start in 1945, when Elliott and Ruth Handler teamed up with their friend Harold "Matt" Matson. Initially they made picture frames; but Mr. Handler soon began making doll furniture from the scrap wood. Mr. Matson left the company early on, and the Handlers turned to the toy business full time. The company was one of the first toy firms to invest heavily in television advertising, sponsoring "The Mickey Mouse Club."
While Mattel had been selling doll furniture for several years, they didn't actually make dolls until they debuted Barbie in 1959. While parents and toy buyers were skeptical at first, she was an immediately hit with little girls, who loved her long, slim grownup figure and fabulous wardrobe.
In the 1960s, even though Barbie ruled the doll world, Mattel had several other top selling dolls as well. The company had a hit with Chatty Cathy, and many other talking dolls followed. Mechanical dolls such as Baby First Step, Swingy and Dancerina were another big part of Mattel's doll business during the '60s. In the mid- to late sixties Liddle Kiddles were the rage.
In the '70s, Mattel introduced Rock Flowers and the Sunshine Family, and the company updated the family of dolls theme in the '80s with the Heart Family. But family values took a back seat to fantasy and adventure with Mattel's two popular action figure series, Masters of the Universe (for boys) and Princess of Power (for girls). The toys tied in with weekly cartoon series. But even action figures were no match for the power of Barbie, who continued as the world's best-selling doll.
Mattel continues today as a powerhouse in the toy business, with Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Fisher Price among its brands.
Sources for this page include:
- Mattel's website: www.mattel.com
- "The Collectors Encyclopedia of Barbie Dolls and Collectibles" by Sibyl DeWein and Joan Ashabraner
- "Thirty Years of Mattel Fashion Dolls" by J. Michael Augustyniak
- "Collector's Guide to Dolls of the 1960s and 1970s" by Cindy Sabulis
Copyright 2006-09 by Zendelle Bouchard.
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