953 nut 58,255 #1 Posted April 30 Mr. Potato Head Day has been celebrated on April 30 since 1952, when Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to appear on television. This T.V. commercial starring Mr. Potato Head was the first advertisement that targeted children specifically. This holiday honors the beloved toy that changed the face of advertising. Featuring a plastic potato body, it has a variety of other plastic parts that can be attached to it — like a cap, nose, mouth, eyes, ears, and even feet! The list of additional accessories has grown over time to include even items such as a car and a boat trailer. 1 2 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 5,040 #2 Posted April 30 Wow that has been going a long time. Didn't realise you had to provide your own taty though lol. First ones I saw had a plastic potato to stick the accessories into. First ones had a pipe for dad too, wouldn't be allowed today. But my great grandmother smoked a pipe in her young days, as did all the womenfolk in Yorkshire. The potato heads from the 80s onward had a mobile phone in the kit, but it got stuck in the hole and could never be removed, kind of like mobile phones in real life. These days they come with a smart phone clasped in the hands, with enormous thumbs! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 58,255 #3 Posted April 30 Yes, the early Mr. Potato Heads could be a bit messy if you were using a freshly dug tater. But once they had been played with mom didn't have to poke vent holes for baking it. 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 9,059 #5 Posted April 30 HASBRO is (was) a local Company here in RI. "Was" because they have one foot out the door being wooed to relocate to the Boston area.... The Hassenfeld Brothers started off making pencils & plastic pencil cases about 2 blocks away from my Parents house in Providence. So it goes, the brother got into the toy business with Mr. Potatohead during the Great Depression. It was concieved to be all plastic, but was feared it would cost too much and would flop... Enter the real potato, something found in almost every household then. Sales soared. One early accessory deletion has his smoking pipe - deemed to be not politically corect... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
