Polly Pocket, now sold by Mattel, is a miniature doll with accessories that was originally created in 1980’s. They were originally sold by Bluebird Toys of Swindon, England. When sold by Bluebird Toys, they were less than an inch tall and were made of hard plastic. When Mattel bought the rights to the dolls in 1999, they changed them to be two and three inches tall, and made with a pliable plastic and soft rubberized clothing and fashion accessories. The name stems from the fact that these dolls are pocket size miniatures.
Chris Wiggs was the person who designed these dolls in 1983. He created the doll for his daughter along with using a powder compact to make a tiny house for the doll. He approached Bluebird Toys with the concept, and the first Polly Pocket dolls hit the stores in 1989. Bluebird Toys had some difficulties in the late 1990’s, enduring some hostile take-overs and finally agreeing to a Mattel purchase in 1998.
Later in 1999, Mattel introduced Fashion Polly which is a smaller version of the Polly line but use 3 3/4 inch plastic jointed dolls. This new line uses the same characters from the Polly line; Polly, Lea, Shani, Lila, etc…). They also changed the clothing from traditional style to Polly stretch that was created by Genie Toys. The clothing clips together with magnets. There are now also some boy dolls; Rick, Steven, etc… http://www.tableandhome.com/education/polly-pocket.html In addition to the dolls, the line includes the Sea Chic Boutique, a puppy boutique and a costume party. http://toys.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Polly_Pocket
Mattel also sells Polly Pocket videos and books, and Polly even has her own website. http://toys.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Polly_Pocket There is even a [[]]Polly Pocket Roller Coaster Playset]]. The dolls have grown from being a single doll available from Bluebird Toys to a whole set of miniature dolls, accessories, and playsets available from Mattel. The Polly Pocket line has not been without it’s issues and recalls due to the size, the most recent in 2006 when a young child swallowed a couple of the clothing magnets. http://pollypocketfan.com/
Polly's Friends
- Lila
- Lea
- Shani
- Rick
- Todd
