Polly Pocket
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| Type | Doll |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Chris Wiggs |
| Company | Mattel |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Availability | 1989–2015 |
| Materials | Plastic |
| Official website | |
Polly Pocket was a toy line of dolls and accessories. The name comes from the fact that many of the original Polly Pocket dolls came in pocket-size cases. The Fashion Polly dolls sold by Mattel differ significantly from those originally sold by Bluebird Toys. The original Bluebird dolls were less than one inch tall and made of hard plastic. Mattel's versions are two to three inches tall and are composed of a pliable plastic with soft rubberized clothing and fashion accessories. As of 2015, official Polly Pocket dolls have been discontinued for unknown reasons, however it is most likely due to either being a choking hazard or being simply no longer popular. The official website is still up and functioning, and there have been a few new additions of webisodes now and again, but both vintage and modern Polly Pocket merchandise and dolls are still readily available on websites such as amazon and eBay.
Polly Pocket was first designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 for his daughter Joanna. Using a powder compact, he fashioned a small house for the tiny doll. Bluebird Toys of Swindon, England licensed the concept and the first Polly Pocket toys appeared in stores in 1989. Mattel held a distribution arrangement with Bluebird Toys for Polly Pocket items in the early-1990s. In 1998, while production lulled, Bluebird Toys endured several hostile take-over attempts until Mattel finally purchased them later that year.
In 1999, Mattel redesigned Polly Pocket and created a new series of collectible items. The new doll is larger and has a more lifelike appearance than the original dolls. That same year, Mattel also introduced Fashion Polly!, which used the same characters from the new Polly Pocket (Polly, Lea, Shani, Lila, etc.), but they came in the form of 3 3⁄4 inches (9.5 cm) plastic jointed dolls. They gave a new spin on fashion dolls; instead of traditional cloth clothing, Polly Pockets used unique "Polly Stretch" garments, created by Genie Toys, rubbery plastic clothes that could be put on the dolls and removed. There are also some boy dolls (Rick, Steven, etc.) Like Barbie and Bratz dolls, they also star in Polly Pocket movies, books, and sites.
In 2003, Mattel introduced the Polly Pocket "Quik Clik" line. Instead of having rubbery clothes. The dolls had plastic clothes that would click together by magnets. On November 22th 2006, 4.4 million Polly Pocket play sets were recalled by Mattel after children in the United States swallowed loose magnetic parts. Affected toys had been sold around the world for three years prior.
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