Changes: Fisher-Price

Revision as of 02:27, 23 February 2011

Fplittlepeopleaptset — Fisher-Price Little People's Sesame Street playset

Drawing406 — Ad for the Fisher-Price hand puppets

Fisher-Price is a toy company founded by Herman Fisher, Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the company's primary product was wooden toy dogs.

In the 1960s, Fisher-Price began producing its popular line of Fisher-Price Little People -- small figures of people and dogs with cylindrical bodies, who fit into specially made vehicles and buildings. The first Little People set was a school bus, with human characters who fit inside, "sitting" in circular holes. The original Little People figures were made of wood, with plastic vehicles and buildings; later, the figures would be made of plastic as well. The Little People toys were an instant success, and the school bus was soon followed by more sets. In 1969, Herman Fisher retired as President of Fisher-Price, and the company was sold to the Quaker Oats Company.

During the 1970s, Fisher-Price created two popular lines of Muppet toys: a Sesame Street set of Little People, and a line of dolls based on The Muppet Show characters.

The Sesame Street Little People line, produced between 1974 and 1977, included two sets -- an "Apartments" set modeled after the main buildings on Sesame Street, and a "Clubhouse" for the Muppet characters. 16 Sesame characters were produced as Little People, including three humans (Susan, Gordon and Mr. Hooper).

Beginning in 1977, Fisher-Price produced a line of Muppet dolls. These were the first toys produced to tie in with The Muppet Show, and they were released during the summer between the show's first and second seasons. The first set of toys in the line were a Kermit doll, a Fozzie Bear doll and a Rowlf puppet. The set grew over the next five years to include more dolls and hand puppets, beanbag toys, Dress-Up Dolls, and a set of stick puppets.

Sesame and Muppet characters were also included in the line of Talk-to-Me Books produced in the late 1970s.

Fisher-Price became an independent company in 1991, and was then acquired by Mattel, Inc. in 1993. In 1997, Mattel bought Tyco Toys, who had produced the hugely popular Tickle Me Elmo doll the year before. With Fisher-Price and Tyco owned by the same parent company, "Fisher-Price" became Mattel's overall brand name for its infant and preschool products.

Now, with Tyco under the Fisher-Price umbrella, the company produces all of the mass-market Sesame Street and Elmo's World toys, including the Giggle Gabbers, the Silly Parts Talking Elmo, and the various dancing and talking Elmo dolls.

They also produce toys specially made for international markets, like a Hindi-language Hokey Pokey Elmo, and toys featuring the names of Hindi names of American characters, as they appear on Galli Galli Sim Sim and other adaptations.

Notes

In The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, a Fisher-Price Chatter Phone is one of the toys in Elmo's room.

External links

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-[[Image:Drawing406.jpg|thumb|300px]]
+[[File:Muppetfisherpricetoys.jpg|right|280px]]
-[[Image:Fplittlepeopleaptset.jpg|thumb|280px]]
+[[Image:Fplittlepeopleaptset.jpg|thumb|280px|Fisher-Price Little People's Sesame Street playset]]
+[[Image:Drawing406.jpg|thumb|280px|Ad for the Fisher-Price hand puppets]]
-[[Image:Fphandpuppets.jpg|frame]]
-'''Fisher-Price''' is a toy company founded by Herman Fisher, Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the company's primary product was wooden toy dogs.
+'''Fisher-Price''' is a toy company founded by Herman Fisher, Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the company's primary product was wooden toy dogs.
-In the 1960s, Fisher-Price began producing its popular line of [[Fisher-Price Little People]] -- small figures of people and dogs with cylindrical bodies, who fit into specially made vehicles and buildings. The first Little People set was a school bus, with human characters who fit inside, "sitting" in circular holes. The original Little People figures were made of wood, with plastic vehicles and buildings; later, the figures would be made of plastic as well. The Little People toys were an instant success, and the school bus was soon followed by more sets. In [[1969]], Herman Fisher retired as President of Fisher-Price, and the company was sold to the Quaker Oats Company.
+In the 1960s, Fisher-Price began producing its popular line of [[Fisher-Price Little People]] -- small figures of people and dogs with cylindrical bodies, who fit into specially made vehicles and buildings. The first Little People set was a school bus, with human characters who fit inside, "sitting" in circular holes. The original Little People figures were made of wood, with plastic vehicles and buildings; later, the figures would be made of plastic as well. The Little People toys were an instant success, and the school bus was soon followed by more sets. In 1969, Herman Fisher retired as President of Fisher-Price, and the company was sold to the Quaker Oats Company.
 During the 1970s, Fisher-Price created two popular lines of Muppet toys: a ''Sesame Street'' set of [[Little People]], and a line of dolls based on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' characters.
-The ''Sesame Street'' Little People line, produced between [[1974]] and [[1977]], included two sets -- an "Apartments" set modeled after the main buildings on Sesame Street, and a "Clubhouse" for the Muppet characters. 16 Sesame characters were produced as Little People, including three humans ([[Susan]], [[Gordon]] and [[Mr. Hooper]]).
+The ''Sesame Street'' Little People line, produced between 1974 and 1977, included two sets -- an "Apartments" set modeled after the main buildings on Sesame Street, and a "Clubhouse" for the Muppet characters. 16 Sesame characters were produced as Little People, including three humans ([[Susan]], [[Gordon]] and [[Mr. Hooper]]).
-Beginning in [[1977]], Fisher-Price produced a line of [[Fisher-Price Muppet dolls|Muppet dolls]]. These were the first toys produced to tie in with ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', and they were released during the summer between the show's first and second seasons. The first set of toys in the line were a [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] doll, a [[Fozzie Bear]] doll and a [[Rowlf the Dog|Rowlf]] puppet. The set grew over the next five years to include more dolls and hand puppets, beanbag toys, Dress-Up Dolls, and a set of [[Fisher-Price Muppet Show Stick Puppets|stick puppets]].
+Beginning in 1977, Fisher-Price produced a line of [[Fisher-Price Muppet dolls|Muppet dolls]]. These were the first toys produced to tie in with ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', and they were released during the summer between the show's first and second seasons. The first set of toys in the line were a [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] doll, a [[Fozzie Bear]] doll and a [[Rowlf the Dog|Rowlf]] puppet. The set grew over the next five years to include more dolls and hand puppets, beanbag toys, Dress-Up Dolls, and a set of [[Fisher-Price Muppet Show Stick Puppets|stick puppets]].
-Sesame and Muppet characters were also included in the line of [[Fisher-Price Talk-to-Me Books]] produced in the late 1970s.
+Sesame and Muppet characters were also included in the line of [[Talk-to-Me Books]] produced in the late 1970s.
-Fisher-Price became an independent company in [[1991]], and was then acquired by [[Mattel, Inc.]] in [[1993]]. In [[1997]], Mattel bought [[Tyco Toys]], who had produced the hugely popular [[Tickle Me Elmo]] doll the year before. With Fisher-Price and Tyco owned by the same parent company, "Fisher-Price" became Mattel's overall brand name for its infant and preschool products.
+Fisher-Price became an independent company in 1991, and was then acquired by [[Mattel, Inc.]] in 1993. In 1997, Mattel bought [[Tyco Toys]], who had produced the hugely popular [[Tickle Me Elmo]] doll the year before. With Fisher-Price and Tyco owned by the same parent company, "Fisher-Price" became Mattel's overall brand name for its infant and preschool products.
 Now, with Tyco under the Fisher-Price umbrella, the company produces all of the mass-market ''Sesame Street'' and ''[[Elmo's World]]'' toys, including the [[Giggle Gabbers]], the [[Silly Parts Talking Elmo]], and the various dancing and talking Elmo dolls.
@@ Line 20: / Line 21: @@
 They also produce toys specially made for international markets, like a Hindi-language [[Hokey Pokey Elmo]], and toys featuring the names of Hindi names of American characters, as they appear on ''[[Galli Galli Sim Sim]]'' and other adaptations.
+<gallery captionalign="left">
-A significant amount of Fisher-Price's ''Sesame Street'' and ''Go Diego Go'' products were recalled in July 2007, as part of a string of defective products from [[China]].<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/02/ntoys102.xml</ref>
+SesameStreetToysRUsFlier.jpg|1975 Toys R' Us flier featuring ''Sesame Street'' toys, including Fisher-Price Little People's Sesame Street playset
+FisherPriceInsertCatalogFozzieBear.jpg|Fozzie Bear in a 1977 Fisher-Price insert catalog.
+Image:Fphandpuppets.jpg|Fisher-Price hand puppets
+Fp2002cbcatalog.jpg|[[Elmo]] joins [[Winnie the Pooh]], [[Blue]], Dora the Explorer, [[Barney]] and [[Mickey Mouse]] on the front cover of Fisher-Price Character Brands Toy Fair 2002 catalogue.
+</gallery>
-==Sources==
+==Notes==
+* In ''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]'', a Fisher-Price Chatter Phone is one of the toys in [[Elmo|Elmo's]] room.
-<references />
+==See also==
+*[[Fisher-Price publicity still]]
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.fisher-price.com Fisher-Price official site]
 *[http://www.thisoldtoy.com/l_fp_set/T-People.htm This Old Toy's Fisher-Price Little People identification guide]
 [[Category:Fisher-Price| ]]