Kenner Toys
The toy market is a very competitive one and Kenner Products began its enterprise in 1947. They are responsible for some of the most well known toys ever manufactured. Today, Kenner toys are made by Hasbro, who bought the company in 1991. From the early days, the company realized the importance of marketing and advertised on television from 1958.
One of the best selling products appeared in 1966 with the Spirograph drawing toy. It soon became part of the culture and it was a unique product. The various plastic rings, triangles and gears produced patterns of intricate, geometrical symmetry. It was great fun and educational too. There were variations to the original toy, such as a travel edition, a magnetic version and a three dimensional Spirograph.
The 1970s brought another product that caught the imagination of children everywhere. Play-Doh is still popular today and is an impressive Kenner toys success story. The non-toxic, non-staining modeling substance is made from wheat flour, water, a hardening agent and other ingredients. The addition of kerosene gives the toy its distinctive aroma! Play-Doh comes in different colors and tub sizes, keeping pliable if it is kept in its sealed container. Such is the impact of this product; there is a National Play-Doh Day every September.
The most successful companies obtain the rights to popular franchises in addition to marketing their original merchandise. Kenner toys included a range of action figures and accessories for the Star Wars trilogy of films, starting with the original movie from 1977. This range has become highly collectible and a resurgence of interest followed the more recent films in the series. The figures include the major characters of Darth Vadar, Hans Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leila.
Television heroes are also represented in the range. Kenner toys entered a lucrative market with the license for making action figures for the hit show, Six Million Dollar Man. The character of the Bionic Man, aka Steve, was the iconic figure of the decade and the toy came with a bionic arm and the famous bionic grip. His boss, Oscar Goldman also had a figure, as did his enemy, Maskatron. There was also a line for The Bionic Woman, aka Jamie Sommers.
Another popular range was launched in the 1980s, when Kenner made a deal with DC Comics. The Kenner toys known as the Super Powers Collection were based on superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. The heroes were joined by villains like Lex Luthor, the Joker, the Penguin and Mr. Freeze.
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