Fisher Price was originally founded in 1930. The toys they sold were known for durability, strength of construction, and creativity. Similar to vintage Tonka Toys, the original products were made mostly from steel parts. While encountering some financial success in the early decades of the company, Fisher Price, the company exploded in the late 1950s and 1960s as they released some of their most well known toys that today are vintage gems and highly sought after by collectors.
The Play Family, which would later be known as Little People, was introduced in 1950 but did not gain its mass popularity until the early 1960s. The "Looky Fire Truck" was the first to be released. It was a fire truck with three attached round headed fire men. In 1952 and 1953, the "Super-Jet" and "Racing Rowboat" were released, again with stationary characters inside of each vehicle. In 1959, the Safety School Bus was released. For the first time, it was possible to remove the characters from the bus. These characters had an entirely wooden body and head with a basic painted face. The boys had round eyes while the girls had slanted eyes and eyelashes. Plastic hats and movable plastic arms completed the look. The male Little People had a wider shape while the female Little People had more of a cone shape. A narrow peg on the base of the character allowed it to be placed inside of the school bus, remain stationary, and be easily removed. In 1968, the first Little People Playset was released. The Play Family Barn "moo"ed when the doors were opened. For the first time, the figurines were made of plastic rather than wood. Eventually the five Little People characters were given names and personalities. Eddie, Sarah, Maggie, Michael, and Sonya Lee would even grow to have their own books, movies, and accessories.
A "Friend of Fisher Price" toy that is quickly becoming a vintage favorite is Tickle Me Elmo Extreme. The doll was released in 2006. When "tickled", Elmo rolls around, pounds his fist, giggles, and pleads with the owner to stop. The hype leading to the release of the doll led to immediate emptying of the shelves the morning of September 19, the first day of sales of Tickle Me Elmo Extreme (TMX). The most rare and valuable of the TMX dolls is the doll packaged in the "Top Secret" box and a movable flap to tickle Elmo from inside of the box. While not as old as some of the classic vintage Fisher Price toys, TMX is already a collector’s item and most likely will only increase in value as time progresses.
Other classic vintage Fisher Price toys are the Bubble Mower and the Corn Popper. The Corn Popper is a plastic dome on top of four wheels and a long plastic handle. When pushed or pulled, the brightly colored balls inside of the dome bounce around and make a loud popping noise. The Bubble Mower looks similar to a miniature lawn mower. When it is pushed or pulled across any surface, bubbles come streaming out. These toys were designed for young children and are still manufactured and found in the homes of many children even today.
