Something About Polly

Who remembers Polly Pocket? The collection of colorful mini dollhouse toys were incredibly appealing to me as a little girl. Incredibly interactive, these small plastic units include one-inch tall dolls that fit perfectly inside their interior space. Each case looks plain and simple on the outside, much like a powder compact, until the beholder opens up the unit to find Polly's pretty pocket-sized world, complete with different levels and components - including tiny doors, windows and staircases within various living spaces.

Always attracted to regular sized dollhouses, I became especially enthralled with the creative components and physical characteristics of the Polly Pocket toys, including the variation in size. By manipulating the scale of a dollhouse, horizontal and vertical measurements were planned and executed to produce interesting shapes and details within a miniature play scene, resulting in a fantasy world that encourages a child's imagination to thrive. The dimensions were only enhanced by a colorful interior design palette of brightly colored wallpaper and window panels. This concept struck me as accessible and clever. But most of all, it was really fun to play with.

In 1983, Chris Wiggs designed the toy for his daughter so that she could easily carry around a small world in her pocket. Blue Bird Toys then distributed them to the public, before they were bought by Mattel in the late 90's, whereupon the initial design concept totally changed. Thus, original sets stopped production and sales in '97, and are currently selling for good money on eBay as a sought-after collectible toy. Now, Polly dolls are bigger and more life-like. The modern design is probably more in alliance with health codes , and choking hazard regulations, not to mention easier for small hands to handle (come to think of it, I feel grateful that Polly did not get wedged inside a nostril of mine). However, I am biased in that I was a kid of the 90's, so I will remain loyal to the original design, which has now been dubbed "vintage." Personal nostalgia probably has something to do with my uninterested feelings about Polly's enlarged world, but I also have trouble accepting the fact that Polly Pockets are no longer pocket-sized, which was the whole point, right? I think I'll just have to dig around the storage room of my parents' house where I grew up, in hopes of finding my PP collection. Thanks for the fun times, Polly.
-AM