Polly Pocket

This article refers to a line of toys. For the flat, slitted transparent bags used to hold documents, see Punched pocket.

Polly pocket
Type	Doll
Inventor	Chris Wiggs
Company	Mattel
Country	United Kingdom
Availability	1989–
Materials	Plastic
Official website

Polly Pocket is a toy line of dolls and accessories. The name comes from the fact that many of the original Polly Pocket dolls came in pocket-size cases. The current Fashion Polly dolls sold by Mattel differ significantly from those originally sold by Bluebird Toys. The original Bluebird dolls were less than one inch tall and made of hard plastic. Mattel's versions are two to three inches tall and are composed of a pliable plastic with soft rubberized clothing and fashion accessories.

History

Polly Pocket German series was first designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 for his daughter Kate. Using a 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 several hostile take-over attempts until Mattel finally purchased them later that year.

In 1998, Mattel redesigned German series animotions and dolls Polly Pocket and created a new series of collectible items. The new doll is larger and has a more lifelike appearance than the original dolls. That same 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 3+³⁄₄ inches (9.5 cm) 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. Polly also has clip on clothes that are made of thin, hard plastic. They clip together using magnets embedded in the plastic. There are also some boy dolls (Rick, Steven, etc.) Like Barbie and Bratz dolls, they also star in Polly Pocket videos, books, and sites.

In November 2006 4.4 million Polly Pocket play sets 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 product line, Mattel made further changes to the Polly dolls, including increasing feet size, head size and leg size, although the height remains approximately the same.

Characters

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

• Polly Pocket - the title character with light tone skin, blonde hair and light blue eyes. She is described to be very confident, cool, friendly, optimistic, adventurous, resourceful, and loyal. She loves having fun, adventures, and, importantly, friends. She has many hobbies, such as roller-skating, water-skiing, snowboarding, shopping, playing music, and singing.

• Shani - dark tone skin, dark brown hair and brown eyes. She is described to be intelligent and creative. Shani is a technical genius who loves taking things apart to see how they work, as well as a proficient inventor. She loves gadgets, such as MP3 players and headphones.

• Lea - tan tone skin with freckles, orange hair and light green eyes. She is described to be athletic and giggly. Lea is an athlete who enjoys many sports, like skiing and soccer. She is also curious about something new to her and is an animal lover.

• Lila - pale tone skin, brown hair and light purple eyes. She is described to be sweet and fashionable. Lila is a fashionista who loves to go shopping for the latest styles, trends and accessories. She is also best friends with Crissy, as well as a talented dancer.

• Crissy - olive tone skin, black hair with a magenta streak, and brown eyes. She is described to be stylish and outspoken. Crissy is an aspiring fashion designer who is always full of many artistic and fashionable ideas. She hates it when her looks are messed up.

• Kerstie - light tone skin, dark brown hair and blue eyes. She is described to be humorous and enthusiastic. Kerstie is a talented cook who is proficient and somewhat familiar with old and new recipes. She also likes telling her friends about her adventures.

• Rick - light tone skin, blonde hair and light blue eyes, like Polly, and has a crush on her.

• Todd - light tone skin, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

External links

• Polly Pocket official site
• 2 Cool at the Pocket Plaza at the Internet Movie Database
• Pollyworld at the Internet Movie Database