Polly Pocket


Polly Pocket is a toy line of dolls and accessories. The Fashion Polly dolls sold by Mattel are significantly different from those originally created and sold by Bluebird Toys.

History

Polly Pocket was first 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, Bluebird Toys endured multiple hostile takeover attempts until Mattel finally purchased them later that year. The sets made by Bluebird Toys are now valuable collectables.
The original Polly Pocket toys were plastic cases which 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 which 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, 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. Like Barbie and Bratz dolls, they also star in Polly Pocket movies, books, and sites.
In 2002, Mattel stopped producing the smaller Polly Pocket playset range but continued to produce the larger fashion doll.
In 2004, Mattel introduced the Polly Pocket "Quik Clik" line. Instead of having rubbery clothes, the dolls had plastic clothes that would click together by magnets. On November 22, 2006, 4.4 million Polly Pocket playsets were recalled by Mattel after children in the United States swallowed loose magnetic parts. Affected toys had been sold around the world for three years prior..
For the 2010 relaunch, Mattel made further changes to the Polly dolls, including increasing feet size, head size, and leg size, although the height remains approximately the same. However, fan reactions were mixed. It also introduced the Cutants, which are inanimate–animal hybrids.
In 2012, Polly Pocket toys were discontinued in the U.S., but remained available in Europe and South America. The brand dwindled, eventually only being sold in Brazil. By 2015, Polly Pocket was completely discontinued by Mattel in North America.
On February 12, 2018, Garrett Sander announced on his Instagram page that Polly Pocket would be making a comeback. The new toys are miniature dolls in playsets, like the original 1990s Polly Pocket, rather than the larger Fashion Polly. However, they are slightly larger than the original 1990s version. Rather than slotting into holes in the case, the new Polly is made of a flexible plastic that sticks to certain surfaces, but also bends so she can sit in a chair.

Characters

Below are the list of characters who appeared in the Polly Pocket series:

Current Characters

Movies

Webseries

In 2010, a web-animated series based on Polly Pocket dolls was released, primarily to promote the reboot of the franchise in that same year. The first season was made in flash animation and other CGI. In 2013, the webisodes were given a significant makeover on character designs, however the voices stayed the same. The series was canceled after the line was discontinued in 2015.

TV Series

To accompany the 2018 relaunch, a cartoon titled Polly Pocket aired on Family Channel on July 8, 2018. The series featured a young girl named Polly who has a magical locket that allows her and her friends to shrink down to a tiny size. The series was produced and distributed by DHX Media and Mattel.