Origins and early history Polly Pocket was designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 for his daughter Kate. Using a
makeup 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/slowed, Bluebird Toys endured multiple hostile takeover attempts until
Mattel finally purchased both the brand and Bluebird Toys later that year. The sets made by Bluebird Toys are now valuable collectibles. The original Polly Pocket toys were plastic cases that opened to form a
dollhouse or other
playset with Polly Pocket figurines less than an inch tall. The dolls folded in the middle, like the case, and had circular bases that slotted into holes in the case interior, allowing them to stand securely at particular points in the house. This was particularly useful for moving points in the case. Because the dolls were so small, sometimes they came enclosed in pendants or large rings instead of the more typical playset cases. In 1998,
Mattel redesigned Polly Pocket. The new doll was larger, with a more lifelike appearance than the original dolls. She had a straight ponytail, rather than the curly bob hairstyle used previously. The following 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 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 the
Barbie and MGA's
Bratz brands, Polly Pocket has also expanded into a media franchise, consisting of
DVD-exclusive animated films, books, and a website, with the latter currently a section of/under the larger Mattel website.
Recent history In 2002, Mattel stopped producing the smaller Polly Pocket playset range but continued to produce the larger fashion doll. In 2012, Polly Pocket toys were discontinued in the US. On February 12, 2018, it was announced that Polly Pocket would be making a comeback, with a relaunch of the dolls. The new toys are miniature dolls in playsets, like the original 1990s Polly Pocket, rather than the larger Fashion Polly. Clothing brands such as Hot Topic, Unique Vintage, and Cider, along with fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs, Mimi Wade, and Loewe have created merchandise inspired by the vintage Polly Pocket brand including handbags, makeup, and clothing items for adults. ==Adaptations==