April 6, 2007

Collectible Dolls - Mr. Potato Head

Tip! Starting in the 1800’s, dolls started to be made out of porcelain. Now, they are amongst the most popular collectible dolls.

In this article we’re going to review one of the most unique collectible dolls that was ever made, or not made depending on how you look at it. The one and only Mr. Potato Head.

Most collectible dolls come put together. That is pretty much the way of the world. But Mr. Potato Head was a collectible doll of a completely different breed. This was a doll that you put together any way that you liked and could make him look just about any way you wanted. This was a truly unique concept,

Mr. Potato Head was patented in 1952. That’s right, patented. That’s how unique the concept was at the time and even to this day. The doll was invented by a George Lerner in New York City (where else?) which was actually based on an earlier toy called make a face that actually used a real potato. The doll was originally designed to be used as a prize for cereal premiums. Lerner then sold the doll to Hasbro, who also made Barbie, and the rest was history.

Mr. Potato Head reached his peak of popularity in the 1960’s. The concept was pretty simple. In the box you got a plastic head which was shaped like a potato. Inside the box you had the various items that made up the face and a few different bodies to go along with them. You got about 3 or 4 pair of glasses, several sets of eyes and ears, a few mouths and a number of hats and hair styles. You could mix and match these items in just about any way you liked.

Tip! If you’re a collector of dolls then they obviously mean a great deal to you. Therefore if you want to keep them in the same shape they were in when you first got them there are certain things that you can and should do in order to make sure that your collectible collection doesn’t turn into dust.

As the doll evolved we eventually got Mrs. Potato Head. This was basically the same doll as the original expect the body and face parts were more lady like. The hats were ladies’ hats, the hair was longer, the bodies featured dresses instead of shirts and pants and the shoes were ladies’ shoes. Of course all the accessories were nothing close to real life as they were just a scream to look at.

Tip! Salt-cellars are attractive collectibles. They are unique and decorative.

The evolution didn’t stop with the doll itself. Eventually kids began to realize that you could substitute the plastic head for a real potato. So kids starting raiding their mom’s refrigerator for Idaho potatoes and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head had just taken on a new and more realistic look.

Some notes of importance on the Mr. Potato Head doll. For starters, it was the first doll to be advertised on TV. Back in the 1950s TV was pretty new and most advertisements were reserved for more serious things. So seeing Mr. Potato Head on the tube was a big sensation for the times.

Tip! Let’s start with the most discouraging part about using a pricing guide, for when you have a collectible doll that you want to sell.

But even more insane is that in the 1985 election for Mayor of Boise Idaho, Mr. Potato Head received five write in votes.

Today, over 50 years later, Hasbro still manufactures the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head dolls. They’re not as popular as they once were but they are still the most novel dolls to come out and most likely will always be.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Collectible Dolls
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