Antique Mattel Toys
Mattel started in a garage in California by Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold Matson. The Handler's and Matson started making picture frames and then started making doll houses out of scrap pieces of wood. Incorporated in 1948, Mattel started to make headlines when they decided to sponsor the very popular television show "Mickey Mouse Club." One of their most popular toys that was advertised on the show was the Burp Gun, which was a toy cap gun.
 |
In 1959 Mattel introduced a very special doll named after Ruth Handler's daughter Barbara. Her name was Barbie and she revolutionized the doll market for young girls and had thousands of accessories which made for hours of imaginative play. By 1961, it was decided that Barbie needed a male companion and Ken was created, with little sister Skipper and best friend Midge coming a few years later.
1959 also saw the advent of another popular doll - Chatty Cathy. Cathy chatted when a string that was attached to her back was pulled and she would say one of eleven random phrases from "Will you play with me?" to "I love you." Chatty Cathy was last made as a special edition in 2001.
Now that
Mattel had dominated the toy market for girls, they needed to create
something that would be just as popular with boys. Thus, Hot Wheels
was created in 1968. These little die cast cars with their bright
paint jobs were so popular with boys that many grew up to still
collect them.
Today some of the more popular vintage Mattel toys
are the Shootin Shell cap guns as well as the Thingmaker Creepy
Crawler mold sets and the popular V-RROOM toys with the real motor
sound.
Don't forget to add Antique Mattel Toys to your toy collection today.