35-466: The Chatter Telephone is a pull toy for toddlers 12 to 36 months of age. Introduced in 1961 by the Fisher-Price company as the "Talk Back Phone" for infants and children, which was updated to the name Chatter Telephone in 1962, is a roll along pull toy. It has a smiling face, and when the toy is pulled, it makes a chattering sound and the eyes move up and down. The toy has a rotary dial that rings
70-509: A "moo" sound when opened. Also at this time, the figures were made with plastic bodies instead of wood. The Play Family dollhouse was introduced in 1969, with other playsets to follow, including a firehouse, an airport and a service station. Eventually, the toys encompassed a wide range of playsets, furniture packs, and accessory packs. In the mid-1970s, Fisher-Price produced the Sesame Street town, with different Sesame Street stores,
105-460: A bell, and was conceived as a way to teach children how to dial a phone. The original version was made of wood, with a polyethylene receiver and cord. In 2000, Fisher-Price changed the rotary dial for a push-button version with lights in an effort to modernize the toy, but consumers complained and the rotary version returned to the market the following year. The Chatter Telephone was designed by Ernest Thornell, whose daughter Tina would drag around
140-510: A bridge with stop lights and Sesame Street characters such as Bert , Ernie , and the first Little People toys modeled after non-celebrities: Loretta Long (Susan), Roscoe Orman (Gordon), and Will Lee ( Mr. Hooper ). Soon after, the Little People Discovery Airport, a hospital, and a school would also be released. Little People characters had by then been also produced with plastic products exclusively. During
175-508: A metal phone while playing. This gave him the idea of adding wheels, which with a bent axle permitted the movement of eyes, adding to the "whimsical" nature, that Herman Fisher desired of all Fisher-Price toys (from phone conversation with Ernie Thornell and recollections of Herm Fisher by John Smith). From its introduction through the 1970s, the Chatter Telephone was Fisher-Price's best selling product. It has been cited as one of
210-555: A settlement with Fisher-Price in which the company agreed to post a more specific choking hazard warning label on the boxes of Little People toys. A book published in 1986 by Edward Swartz titled Toys That Kill prominently featured three original Little People figures on the cover and featured the Iain Cunningham case. The American Museum Of Tort Law features an exhibit on the Little People choking hazard. While
245-452: A wider cylinder shape for boys and men and a conical upper shape for the girls. Adult women had a kind of hourglass-shaped upper body. The bottom portions of the bodies were indented slightly (allowing for placement in the corresponding holes in other furniture, cars and other vehicles, in which the figures were able to "sit"). In 1968, Fisher-Price introduced the first Little People playset, the famous Play Family Barn with barn doors that made
280-556: Is a toy brand for children ages 6–36 months and to ages 3 and up, originally produced by Fisher-Price, Inc. in the 1960s as the Play Family People . The current product line consists of playsets, mini-sets and accessories, books, CDs, and DVDs focusing on various configurations of 5 characters named Eddie, Tessa, Mia, Koby, and Sofie. Mattel reports that since the brand's launch, over 2-billion Little People figures have been sold in over 60 countries. In 2016, Little People
315-525: The Little People franchise. They have been collected into around 30 volumes and released for home media on VHS and over 30 DVDs with some being distributed by Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate Home Entertainment through Family Home Entertainment . In 2007, Fisher-Price produced the Little People A to Z learning zoo. This production introduced animals to the Little People family. The A to Z learning zoo includes 26 animals that each begin with
350-634: The Wooden Railway line . Through Mattel's 2012 acquisition of HIT Entertainment , which subsequently became a division of Fisher-Price, Mattel now owns the property outright. With this, toys based on Mike the Knight and Bob the Builder have been subsequently released. During 1979–1983, Fisher-Price issued the Woodsey line of toys, whose characters were forest animals. It was accompanied by
385-562: The Woodsey Log Library , a companion book series written by Marci Ridlon and illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres . Installments in the series included Grandma & Grandpa's Grand Opening , Uncle Filbert Saves the Day , Mayor Goodgrub's Very Important Day , and Lightning Strikes Twice . Later in the line's run, Michael Hague took over as illustrator with Bramble Beaver's Bright Idea and The Seasons with V.B. Bird . Starting in
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#1732787913497420-626: The "Looky Fire Truck" and three round-headed fire men (attached permanently to the toy). Following the success of this toy, Between 1952 and 1953, Fisher-Price developed the "Super-Jet" and "Racing Rowboat". Another early Little People precursor, the #959 "Safety School Bus", was introduced in 1959. The set included a school bus together with six independent figures made out of tall slimmer pegs of cardboard tubes wrapped in lithographs simulating clothes. The toy gained instant popularity and other sets soon came out. In 1960, Fisher-Price introduced two additional toys with removable figures; "Snorky
455-754: The 1980s, seven games which carried the Fisher-Price name were developed by GameTek for the PC and the Commodore 64 . In 1990, three of these titles were ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System : Titles developed by Davidson & Associates include: Other titles published by Fisher-Price include: Other Fisher-Price products include Activegear for families on the go, books, software, car travel accessories, footwear, music, eyeglasses and videos. Play Family Little People
490-673: The Fire Engine" and the "Nifty Station Wagon." The Nifty Station Wagon came with two adult figures and one child figure, thus the first "Play Family" was born. In 1985, Fisher-Price trademarked "Little People" and formally changed the name of the brand. Today, Little People are known and sold throughout the world. A Nifty Station Wagon in mint condition, in the box, could command up to $ 1,000,000 among toy collectors. The original Little People went through six major styles of body (base) configurations, and even within each major classification there may be one or more minor style variations. By 1961,
525-575: The Fisher-Price name. In 2004, Royal Caribbean Cruise lines launched Fisher-Price Cabanas, play laboratories for children on each of their cruise ships. On August 2, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled close to a million toys, including the Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street toys, because of possible hazards due to the toys being coated in lead-based paint. Fisher-Price recalled all 4.7 million of their Rock 'n Play sleepers on April 12, 2019, days after
560-587: The Little People line introduced electronic sounds and movements. The Little People characters were given distinct personalities and voices in a stop motion , animated series with Phil Craig, known for starring in The Time Traveller's Wife , Cinderella Man , and Spider ; and Aaron Neville singing the theme song. The series was produced by Denmark-based Egmont Imagination and Cuppa Coffee Studios between 1999 and 2005. Since 1999, 138 individual episodes and six music videos have been produced for
595-457: The company recalled 250,000 infant soothers. The product, introduced in 2009, holds the sleeping baby in an inclined position. More than 30 infants have died while sleeping in a Rock 'n Play. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said these deaths occurred "after the infants rolled over while unrestrained or under other circumstances". Years before the introduction of the Rock 'n Play sleeper in
630-483: The company's first. By the end of the 1950s, Fisher-Price manufactured 39 toys incorporating plastics. During the 1960s, the Play Family (later known as Little People ) product line was introduced and soon overtook the popularity of earlier toys. The 'Family House' was one of the more popular Little People playsets. Herman Fisher retired at the age of 71 in 1969 and The Quaker Oats Company bought Fisher-Price
665-500: The company's offerings that helped save Fisher Price in the 1990s following a failed attempt to market toys for older children in the late 1980s, and enjoys continuing popularity. It is available both as an authentic reproduction and in a modern form. Fisher-Price Fisher-Price, Inc. is an American company that produces educational toys for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, headquartered in East Aurora , New York . It
700-516: The deal was signed in August 1987. This video series centered around two children named Timmy and Penny and their Baby Sister, their parents, and their dog Lucky. In 1987 the company paid a $ 2.5 million settlement to the parents of Iain Cunningham after their son became physically and mentally disabled from choking on a figurine. In 1990, New York Attorney General Robert Abrams negotiated
735-411: The figures were produced with wood; plastic was used for their vehicles and buildings. A few years later, the typical smiley face of the traditional Little People introduced in a "straight-body" format. All of the people had a basic cylinder body with the female figures only identifiable by the addition of slanted, oval eyes and eyelashes. By 1965, the Little People consisted of a small cylindrical base and
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#1732787913497770-551: The four founders took 16 of their wooden toys to the American International Toy Fair in New York City and they quickly became a success. The first Fisher-Price toy ever sold was "Dr. Doodle" in 1931. In the early 1950s, Fisher-Price identified plastic as a material that could help the company incorporate longer-lasting decorations and brighter colors into its toys, introducing "Buzzy Bee" as
805-484: The late 2010s, a line of celebrity Little People was launched with playsets including Kiss Little People and The Beatles " Yellow Submarine " Little People. In 1988, Marvel Productions made an animated series of six Little People videos such as Favorite Songs , 3 Favorite Stories , A Visit to the Farm , Fun With Words , Jokes, Riddles and Rhymes , and Christmas Fun , which were released by New World Video , which
840-502: The mid-1990s, the American Academy of Pediatrics ' Back to Sleep campaign recommended that "babies should not sleep for long periods in inclined devices". In babies under one year old, dying during sleep (also known as SIDS , or "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome") is the leading cause of accidental death. The recommendation that babies sleep flat on their backs, in an empty crib, has cut this death rate in half. The Rock 'n Play
875-447: The money and action. Early toys were made of heavy steel parts and ponderosa pine, which resisted splintering and held up well to heavy use. The details and charm were added with colorful lithographic labels. Mrs. Price was the first Art Director and designed push-pull toys for the opening line, based on characters from her children's books. The mayor of Aurora, New York supported Fisher by raising $ 100,000 in capital. In 1931, three of
910-408: The original Little People. For the first time, the Little People figures had arms, hands, more detailed clothing, molded hair, and facial features. In 1999, Little People celebrated their 40th anniversary with the return of the first Little People toy ever: Little People School Bus and characters. The play sets include the school bus, circus train, construction vehicles, and other play sets. In 2000,
945-629: The product was redesigned in 1991 to become chunkier and therefore harder to for children to swallow, Fisher-Price contended that the redesign was not in response to choking deaths and that the Little People figurine are safe when they are played with by children of the appropriate age. In response to the choking deaths, the company launched the "Family Alert Program" campaign in 1992 to warned parents not to let young children play with Little People playset and other toys that are designed for older children. A Fisher-Price spokesman stated that "the original Little People were designed for children 2 to 6 and met all
980-490: The recall after additional infant deaths were reported. Fisher-Price has created approximately 5,000 different toys since the early 1930s. One of Fisher-Price's best-known lines is Little People toys, which includes people and animal figures, along with various play sets such as a house, farm, school, garage and vehicles. The figures, which originally were wooden peg-style characters, are now molded of plastic and have detailed features. In addition to Little People, some of
1015-458: The safety standards for Fisher-Price, and we've never had a complaint from parents of children in that age range." In 2010, Health Canada issued a warning that pre-1991 Little People toys should be disposed after a recent choking death of an infant. In 1997, the figures underwent a drastic redesign, from simple lathe-turned shapes to sculpted bodies. Little People became much more detailed and smaller in overall size – in fact, closer in size to
1050-464: The same year. In 1991, Fisher-Price regained its independence from The Quaker Oats Company and became a publicly traded company . Two years later, in November 1993, Mattel bought Fisher-Price. A new management group set the company's focus on basic, infant and preschool products and began expansion into international markets. By 1997, Mattel decided to market all of its preschool products under
1085-638: The toys and toy brands that have remained popular for many years include Power Wheels , View-Master , Rescue Heroes , the Chatter Telephone and the Rock-a-Stack . Other brands marketed under the Fisher-Price name over the years include Disney , Sesame Street , Dora the Explorer and See 'n Say . Fisher-Price also designs and sells infant care products and has begun developing electronic toys for preschoolers. In 2009, Fisher-Price bought all toy rights to Thomas & Friends , except for
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1120-421: Was designed 15 years after these sleep recommendations were published and, according to an article from The Washington Post , violated them. Fisher-Price sold the Rock 'n Play without first getting medical advice from more than one pediatric specialist and without doing any real-world safety tests. They continued to sell it for years after the first deaths were reported. In January 2023, Fisher-Price re-announced
1155-731: Was founded in 1930 during the Great Depression by Herman Fisher , Irving Price , Price's illustrator-artist wife Margaret Evans Price and Helen Schelle . Fisher worked previously in manufacturing, selling and advertising games for a company in Churchville, New York . Price had retired from a major variety chain store and Helen Schelle previously operated Penny Walker Toy Shop in Binghamton, New York . Fisher-Price's fundamental toy-making principles centered on intrinsic play value, ingenuity, strong construction, good value for
1190-531: Was founded in 1930 during the Great Depression by Herman Fisher , Irving Price , Helen Schelle and Margaret Evans Price . Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993. Notable toys from the brand include the Little People toy line, Power Wheels , View-Master , Rescue Heroes , the Chatter Telephone , and the Rock-a-Stack . The company also manufactures a number of products and toys designed for infants. Fisher-Price
1225-468: Was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame . The "Little People" name, registered and trademarked by Mattel and Fisher-Price in 1985, came from Mattel following the lead of consumers who referred to the early Play Family playsets as "those little people". By 2019, more than two billion Little People figures had been sold in more than 60 countries. Little People started in 1950 with
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