April 9, 2024
Mattel, Inc. Toys Manufacturer
Mattel, Inc. - Description
Mattel is an American toy manufacturing company established in 1945. Founded by Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold "Matt" Matson in California, the corporation has created several leading toy brands, including Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Mattel, Inc. - History
The partnership between the Handlers and Matson began in a garage as Mattel Creations, based on a combination of Matson's and Elliot's names. Matson, however, soon sold his share to Elliot because of poor health.
The company designed picture frames and dollhouse furniture from scrap plastic and wood before creating its first big success, the Uke-A-Doodle, in 1947. Mattel was incorporated the following year and established its headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
Mattel's products took advantage of a sparse toy market and baby boom after World War II. With $5 million in sales, Mattel became a yearlong sponsor of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club television show in 1955. The deal revolutionized the toy industry because the company could then market directly to children rather than through retailers.
The debut of the Barbie doll in 1959 launched the company into the national spotlight. Mattel became a public company in 1960 and followed up its Barbie success with the lucrative release of Chatty Cathy, the first talking doll, the same year.
Mattel continued to manufacture well-liked toys throughout the 1960s, including new characters under the Barbie brand, the educational See 'n Say line, and the miniature die-cast Hot Wheels cars in 1968. The company also made a slew of acquisitions.
Mattel spent most of the 1970s and 1980s recovering from losses. The Handlers were ousted from the company in 1974 for misleading financial reports. After John Amerman was named chairman in 1987, Mattel focused on bolstering its core brands—mainly Barbie and Hot Wheels—while carefully choosing future investments. Revitalized sales from Barbie and new Disney partnerships in the 1990s helped the company acquire prominent toy manufacturers Fisher-Price Inc. in 1993 and Tyco Toys in 1997. With the purchase of Pleasant Company in 1998, Mattel also gained American Girl dolls—the leading girls' toy brand aside from Barbie.
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Mattel, Inc. Toys In Price Guide
Mattel, Inc. Toys - Identification & Value
In general, Mattel aimed to make products designed to be both durable and appealing to children.
Since its creation, Mattel's Barbie doll brand has been the backbone of the company's sales. The first version of its main character Barbie wore a black-and-white striped one-piece swimsuit with sunglasses and a ponytail. This doll's eyes looked to the side. In addition, it had several ponytail styles, stand styles, and eyeliner colors. Over time, Mattel has released many versions of Barbie and a Barbie Dreamhouse, boyfriend Ken, and friends of different ethnicities to accompany her. The company has also produced anniversary and collector's editions of its dolls.
The standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall. Barbie reproductions differ in the doll's height, facial features, and outfits. Because of the prominent collector's market for the toy, many online resources help identify a legitimate doll. Early varieties of Barbie dolls are more valuable, especially if they remain unboxed.
The original Hot Wheels models were small die-cast metal cars in "hot rod" styles that directly competed with the more realistic Matchbox toy cars. The first car was a dark blue Custom Camaro, followed by 15 other muscle car castings to form the "Sweet 16" series. Since then, Mattel has produced many car models, and plastic racing track sets popular with adult collectors.
The most valuable Hot Wheels models are in unopened blister packs or extant preproduction or limited production versions. For example, collectors consider the rare rear-loading prototype of its 1969 pink Volkswagen Beach Bomb extremely valuable.
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Toys In Library
Mattel, Inc. Toys - Marks
Most Mattel products have marks featuring the company's name, a copyright symbol, year, and sometimes the item's factory location (e.g., "Made in Japan").
Marks are often stamped or molded. Years indicate when the trademark or patent was registered and not a production date.
After the company went public in 1960, Mattel’s log design features a spiked black circle containing an image of a boy figure wearing a crown atop a capital letter "M," with "Mattel, Inc. / Toymakers" in an arch surrounding it. A later logo has the same circle shape in bright red with "Mattel" inside.
Barbie and Hot Wheels products have unique logos and marks. "Barbie" is typically written in a slanted cursive font. The Hot Wheels logo features "Hot Wheels" in a curvy, undulating font, often above a stylized flame image and a product line name.
Identify your Mattel, Inc. Marks.
Relevant Toys, Dolls, Games & Puzzles Articles
Further Reading on Mattel, Inc.
In the WorthPoint Library
Collector's Guide to Diecast Toys & Scale Models by Dana Johnson.
Schroeder's Collectible Toys 12th Edition by Bill Schroeder.
The Story of Barbie by Kitturah B. Westenhouser.
Books and Periodicals
Chatty Cathy™ and Her Talking Friends: An Unauthorized Guide for Collectors by Sean Kettelkamp.
Mattel 70 Years of Innovation and Play by Assouline.
The Story of Mattel, Inc.: Fifty Years of Innovation by John W. Amerman.
Web Resources
Hot Wheels Wiki hotwheels.fandom.com.
Identifying Vintage Barbie Dolls 1959-1962 www.dollreference.com.
Mattel History corporate.mattel.com.
Mattel, Inc. History www.fundinguniverse.com.
MARK OF THE WEEK—CAN YOU IDENTIFY IT? www.worthpoint.com
BABY, CAN YOU DIG IT?: THE LEGACY OF SHINDANA TOYS www.worthpoint.com
HOT WHEELS: WHAT I LEARNED ON MY VACATION www.worthpoint.com
Related Dictionary Pages: Metal Masters Toy Company, Midgetoy, M & L Toy Company.