The Story of the Founders of the Mattel Toy Company
In the Form of a Book Written by a Ten Year Old
My name is Peter Paccone, and I am a San Marino High School social studies teacher and part-time “special projects tutor” who, during the summer of 2024, was hired by a Southern California family to help their 10-year-old son, Allfa, learn how to use ChatGPT to write a book on a topic Allfa would find interesting (which, after interviewing him, I learned would be the founding of the Mattel Toy Company).
Several weeks later, Allfa completed his book The Story of Ruth and Elliot Handler: The Founders of the Mattel Toy Company. Here are the chapters:
- Chapter 1: The Early Days of Ruth and Elliot Handler
- Chapter 2: The Birth of Mattel
- Chapter 3: The Creation of Barbie
- Chapter 4: The Rise of Hot Wheels
- Chapter 5: Beyond Barbie and Hot Wheels
- Chapter 6: Beyond Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, and Uno
- Chapter 7: Allfa’s Planned Trip to the Mattel Toy Company Headquarters
- Chapter 8: Thank You, Ruth and Elliot Handler
Sidenote #1 (located immediately after Chapter 8) describes how this book came about step by step. And now, without further ado, here is Allfa’s book.
Chapter 1: The Early Days of Ruth and Elliot Handler
Once upon a time, in the city of Denver, Colorado, a little girl named Ruth Mosko was born on a chilly day in November 1916. Ruth was considered special from the beginning because she was the youngest of ten kids in her family. Her dad’s name was Jacob, and her mother’s name was Ida. They were a big, close-knit family.
Growing up for Ruth wasn’t easy because it was during a really tough time called the Great Depression. This meant that many people didn’t have enough food to eat or jobs to work. Even though times were tough during the Great Depression, Ruth learned a lot from her family about hard work and creativity, which helped her become a successful inventor and businesswoman later in life.
As Ruth grew older, things started to get better. Her parents sent her to Denver East High School. School was important, but Ruth didn’t finish college because she wanted to try different things. That’s when her life took an exciting turn. She met a boy named Elliot, who was born in Chicago and also knew what it was like to have hard times during the Great Depression.
Ruth and Elliot got married in 1938 and moved to Los Angeles, California. They started by making picture frames in their garage. But they soon stopped making frames and started a world-famous company called Mattel, using leftover wood from the frames to make tiny furniture for dollhouses.
Their hard work turned into a big adventure when they decided to start their own toy company. They named it Mattel, and it began in January 1945. This was the beginning of a new chapter in their lives where they would make lots of fun toys for kids all around the world.
Ruth and Elliot were a great team, and together, they started something really big. They showed that with a lot of creativity and teamwork, you can make your dreams come true. And this was just the start of their amazing journey in making toys!
In the end, Ruth Handler’s story is inspiring because she and Elliot started Mattel and made awesome toys for kids everywhere. They showed that when you work hard and use your imagination, you can make big dreams happen. Ruth’ and Ellito’s story is a reminder to always believe in yourself and keep trying, even when things seem tough.
Chapter 2: The Birth of Mattel
On January 10, 1945, Ruth and Elliot Handler took a big step and started their own toy company, Mattel. In 1945, when Mattel started, the world was just finishing World War II. In America, many soldiers were coming back home, and people were trying to get back to normal life. There was a lot of hope and excitement about the future. Families were starting to grow, and people wanted to buy new things for their homes. Factories and new inventions were making it easier to create and sell products. During this exciting time, Ruth and Elliot Handler began making toys in their garage, and that’s how Mattel was born, eventually becoming a famous toy company.
The name Mattel was a combination of Elliot’s name and their friend Harold “Matt” Matson’s name, who helped them in the beginning. Matt’s name is the first part of the word Mattel. Then the first two letters of Elliot’s name form the last two letters in the word Mattel.
Their first toy that Mattel sold a lot was a toy called the “Uke-A-Doodle.” A ukelele is basically a little guitar that kids can play with. It was brightly colored, often in shades of red, blue, or yellow, making it appealing to children. It was small enough to fit in a child’s hands, with a smooth finish that made it easy to handle and play. The toy had real strings that could be strummed, allowing kids to create simple melodies. It made them feel like real musicians. Children loved the Uke-A-Doodle because it was lightweight and portable, perfect for carrying around and playing anywhere, whether in their bedroom, in the backyard, or on the go. Its cheerful design and the ability to produce music made it a favorite among kids, sparking their interest in music and creative play.
It became really popular, helping Mattel become known as a company that made fun and innovative toys. But Ruth and Elliot didn’t stop there. They kept thinking of new and exciting ideas for toys.
One of their next big ideas was to create a doll that looked like a real person, with clothes and accessories that kids could change and play with. Ruth had a vision of making a doll that allowed kids to use their imagination and pretend to be grown-ups with different careers and adventures.
Ruth and Elliot worked really hard to make this idea come to life. They teamed up with engineers and designers to create a doll that could move its arms and legs, which was something very new and exciting at the time. After a lot of hard work and creativity, they finally introduced Barbie to the world in 1959. Barbie was an instant hit, and kids all over the world loved her.
Mattel continued to grow and create more amazing toys. Ruth and Elliot’s dedication to making fun, high-quality toys paid off, and Mattel became one of the biggest and most successful toy companies in the world. They showed that with a lot of creativity, teamwork, and hard work, you can turn a small idea into something huge and wonderful.
So, the next time you play with a toy, remember Ruth and Elliot Handler, the founders of Mattel, who started with a simple idea in their garage and ended up creating some of the most beloved toys in history. Their story is a great example of how dreams can come true when you believe in yourself and never give up.
Chapter 3: The Creation of Barbie
The creation of Barbie began with Ruth Handler’s desire to make a doll that looked like a real person with clothes and accessories that kids could change and play with.
This idea came from a German doll named Bild Lilli. Ruth saw this doll for the first time on a trip to Europe when she was a kid. Right after seeing Bild Lilli, she told herself that she wanted a doll that let kids use their imagination and pretend to be grown-ups with different jobs and adventures.
Barbie was named after Ruth’s daughter, Barbara Handler. When Barbie was introduced to the world in 1959, she had a blonde ponytail and wore a zebra-striped swimsuit.
She was different from other dolls at the time because she had movable arms and legs and looked more like a grown-up.
Barbie’s first outfits were designed by a really good fashion designer. That made her more special.
Ken, Barbie’s male equivalent was introduced in 1961. The doll was named after Ruth’s son, Kenneth Handler. Ken wasn’t as famous as Barbie, but he was important because he added more play possibilities to Barbie. Some of these were dating, marriage, and having different jobs.
Over the years, Barbie changed a lot. She went from having just a few outfits to having all kinds of outfits. She had fancy dresses and casual sports clothes. Barbie also took on many different careers, like being a doctor, astronaut, scientist, and even president. This showed kids that they could be anything they wanted when they grew up.
Barbie also changed a lot. She started to have different skin tones, body types, and even different athletic abilities so that more kids could see themselves in their dolls. This made Barbie even more special and loved by kids all over the world.
Barbie didn’t just stay a toy; she became a cultural icon. An icon is a person who everyone knows about. She appeared in movies, TV shows, and books.
Recently, a movie was even made about Barbie. This movie brought her story to a new group of kids and showed that Barbie is still fun today.
In the movie, Barbie goes on exciting adventures and teaches valuable lessons.
So, as you can see, Barbie’s influence extended beyond just playtime. She became a symbol of empowerment for girls, showing them that they could be anything they wanted to be.
And it wasn’t just Barbie. It was also her dreamhouse, various vehicles, and excessive pets. All of these things contributed to the endless possibilities and imaginative play scenarios that kids loved.
In a nutshell, the the creation of Barbie and her story ever since shows that with creativity and determination, even a simple idea can become something amazing.
Chapter 4: The Rise of Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels are small toy cars that fit in the palm of your hand, and they were invented by Elliot Handler in 1968. Elliot Handler is one of the co-founders of Mattel, and his Hot Wheels were created to be better than Matchbox, a popular English toy car company at the time.
Elliot invented 16 Hot Wheels cars, now called the Original 16, or the Sweet 16. The first Hot Wheels car was the Custom Camaro. It was blue with a black roof. Many Hot Wheels collectors want it. Someone on eBay is selling a Golden Custom Camaro for one thousand dollars, but they never specified if it was real gold or not.
Something else worth mentioning about Elliot’s Hot Wheels is that they had special plastic wheels. These wheels made them go really fast. Mattel also made tracks so kids could race their cars at home. Over time, Mattel made more toy cars, playsets, and even video games. Some Hot Wheels are very valuable, like the Pink Rear-Loading Beach Bomb, which is worth $175,000!
Hot Wheels started in 1968 with 16 cars, and now there are many more. They continue to be a favorite toy for kids all over the world. For example, I got Hot Wheels for Christmas. They came in a pack of eight cars. Among them were two Lamborghini, one pickup truck, a Volkswagen Bug, a Nissan, an unidentified car, a hot-rod-looking car, and a car that had Hot Wheels RESCUE printed on the roof. Hot Wheels has launched different series, like the Gran Turismo series, an older series called Ultra Hots, and a newer series called Neon Speeders. The world’s smallest Hot Wheels can fit on your finger and is produced by the brand World’s Smallest.
My brother Kffa also has Hot Wheels. He is 6.
As I write this, I have a red Lightning McQueen Hot Wheels car next to me. Its paint is chipped, but I still love it because it reminds me of how fun these cars are.
Not everything I have to say about Mattel’s Hot Wheels is good. In August 2007, Mattel had to recall 19 million toys sent from China. In an announcement, the company said it was recalling 436,000 Chinese-made die-cast toy cars depicting the character Sarge from the animated film “Cars” because they contained lead paint.
Despite this setback, Hot Wheels have become a beloved toy for generations. They continue to be a popular choice for kids and collectors alike, with new models and series being released regularly. Whether you’re racing them down tracks or collecting rare editions, Hot Wheels have a special place in the hearts of many.
- Only 12 are in existence
- Released in 1995
- Valued at $3,500
- Only two are in existence
- Released in 1969
- Valued at $80,000 — $125,000
- 18-karat white gold and 2700 individual diamonds
- Released in 2008
- Valued at $140,000+
- Rarest of its kind
- Released in 1971
- Valued at $1,500 — $7,000
- Originally called Mad Maverick
- Released in 1970
- Valued at $15,000
Chapter 5: Beyond Barbie and Hot Wheels
After Mattel started making Barbie and Hot Wheels, it went on to make some other fun toys and games. I guess most readers would know what they are. story.
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe, for example. Polly Pocket and Uno are some more examples. Even though they might not be as famous, they are still parts of Mattel’s cool history
Masters of the Universe is one of the cool toys Mattel created after their first big successes. It came out in 1982 and featured action figures like He-Man. He-Man is a superhero with super strength who fights against the evil Skeletor. Kids loved playing with these action figures because they could imagine epic battles and adventures in the land of Eternia.
These Masters of the Universe toys, like He-Man, weren’t just figures; they also had cool playsets like Castle Grayskull, where He-Man lived. There were a bunch of variations. One of the variations was a green castle with a skull from something that looks like an animal in the middle and the mouth of the skull serving as the entrance to the castle.
Masters of the Universe also had vehicles like the Battle Ram and Wind Raider. The Battle Ram was a heavily armed vehicle but with no cockpit and a spiked object at the front, and the Wind Raider was an open-cockpit airplane with an anchor-looking thing on the front of the plane.Both made the adventures even more exciting and therefore became very popular,mostly because Masters of the Universe had a TV show that kids watched.
Even though some kids today might not have watched the show or heard of Masters of the Universe (like me, before I tried writing this book), it still has a special place in the hearts of many kids who grew up in the 1980s (according to what I learned online.) The action figures and their epic battles made for hours of fun and imaginative play, it seems.
Polly Pocket
As for Polly Pockets, they were small cases that could fit in a mid-sized pocket. Inside the case were dolls and a model of a scene. They were invented by Chris Wiggs and his co-worker, Chris Taylor. Polly Pockets had magnets that allowed you to stick them anywhere within the set. Each set typically included at least two miniature dolls that could interact with each other, providing many play possibilities. Kids loved Polly Pocket, but between 2000 and 2010, 9 million Polly Pockets were recalled because the strong magnets would occasionally fall off and kids would swallow them, which could cause a lot of harm. Polly Pockets were therefore discontinued in 2012. That said, Polly Pockets were relaunched, with better design quality in 2018 and so they are still in stores today.
Uno
Uno is a card game that Mattel acquired in 1992. Families and friends can play it together. The goal of Uno is to get rid of all your cards by matching the color or number of the card in the center pile. Special cards like “Skip,” “Reverse,” and “Draw Two” make the game even more exciting and unpredictable. Probably the most recognised part of Uno is that you have say “UNO!” when you are at your last card. If you don’t or forget, you have to get two extra cards.
Uno became a family favorite because it’s easy to learn and can be played by people of all ages. The game brings a lot of laughter and fun, whether you’re playing at home, at a party, or on vacation. Even though it might not be as famous as Barbie or Hot Wheels, Uno has a special place in many homes as a go-to game for family game night
Toys and games, like Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, and Uno, show how Mattel kept innovating and creating fun experiences for kids and families all over the world.
Chapter 6: Beyond Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, and Uno
Since the early 1990s, Mattel has continued to expand its toys. Before describing the toys and games they have invented in the past 25 years, here’s a summary of the history of Mattel to this point:
Ruth and Elliot Handler started Mattel in 1945. At first, they made picture frames and little furniture for dollhouses. In 1959, they created Barbie, a doll that became super popular really quick. In 1968, they made Hot Wheels, tiny cars that kids loved to race. In 1982, they introduced Masters of the Universe, with action figures like He-Man. In 1989, Polly Pocket came out, with tiny dolls and playsets you could carry anywhere. In 1992, Mattel got control of Uno, a card game that families enjoy playing together.
With all these successes, Mattel became a big name in the toy world. Now, let’s look at how Mattel continued to innovate and expand with American Girl dolls, Little People, and Pictionary.
American Girl Dolls
American Girl dolls are super cool dolls with their own stories and outfits. Each doll is from a different time in history and a different background, and all dolls have really detailed clothes and accessories that match their stories.
You can play with them and even read books about their adventures. You can even get a doll that looks like you with different hair and eye color and stuff.
Little People
Little People by Mattel are these tiny figures that come with all sorts of playsets. They’re perfect for little hands to hold and play with. There are different characters like farmers, firefighters, and animals, and you can make up all kinds of stories with them. The playsets are super cool too, like farms, schools, and houses, where you can move the Little People around and create different adventures and scenarios. They’re really fun and help you use your imagination.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a super fun drawing game. You play it with a group of friends or family. One person draws a picture based on a word they get from a card, and everyone else tries to guess what it is. You only have a short amount of time to draw, so it gets really intense. Sometimes the drawings are really good, but other times they’re silly and make everyone laugh. It’s a great game because it’s easy to play, and everyone can join.
Chapter 7: My Planned Trip to the Mattel Toy Company Headquarters
As I finish this book, I’m really excited because now I plan to visit the Mattel Toy Company headquarters and especially the toy store located there!
From searching the internet, I also found out that the Mattel Toy Company headquarters are in El Segundo, California, though I’m pretty sure that you need to personally know someone there in order to be able to get in.
In any case, the toy story and the company headquarters are about an hours drive from where I live.
I really hope to visit both the headquarters and the toy store before the printed version of this book is published. If I can, I’ll include pictures.
Even if I can’t finish everything in time, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. Thanks for reading my book!
Chapter 8: Thank You, Ruth and Elliot Handler
Last but not least, I want to thank you, Ruth and Elliot Handler, for your amazing creativity and for making toys that let us kids play, dream, imagine, and have fun. My brother and I, and millions of kids elsewhere, will always remember and appreciate the happiness your toys and games have given us. Thank you!
Allfa’s Sources
- Mattel Official Website — Our History
Mattel, Inc. — Our History - Encyclopedia Britannica — Mattel, Inc.
Encyclopedia Britannica — Mattel, Inc. - ChatGPT; OpenAI. (n.d.)
from https://chat.openai.com - Mattel facts for kids; https://kids.kiddle.co/Mattel#:~:text=Mattel163%20(50%25)-,Mattel%2C%20Inc.,headquartered%20in%20El%20Segundo%2C%20California.
- Mattel’s Early Days: Eliot and Ruth Handler Create a Toy Empire
http://blogs.dailybreeze.com/history/2019/02/22/mattels-early-days-eliot-and-ruth-handler-create-a-toy-empire/ - MATTEL
https://www.pgpedia.com/m/mattel
The Writing Process (in the Words of Allfa’s Tutor)
To help Allfa write his book, I employed the step-by-step approach described below:
Sidenote #2:
I have known and worked with Allfa on various special projects for nearly two years. Allfa is bright, articulate, curious, and has a wonderful personality, making him very easy to get along with.
That said what stands out most about this young man is his exceptional ability to read text of all kinds and then explain what he has read in simple and easy-to-understand terms.
Writing, however, has proven more challenging. Therefore, translating his ability to explain something verbally into written form has been a key focus of our work together. Still, Allfa made considerable progress in the time we spent together.
For those wondering “to what extent was the text of his book AI-generated,” here’s how Quilbot, the AI detector, answered that question.
In response to the above, I directed him to spend a whole hour trying to rewrite the first chapter “to make it his.” Without hesitation, he went to work, reading, typing, researching, and thinking.
The revised chapter ended up looking like this.
A girl named Ruth Marianna Mosko was born on November 4, 1916 in Denver Colorado. Her dad’s name was Jacob, and her mother’s name was Ida. They were a big family that got along well.
Growing up for Ruth wasn’t easy because it was during a really tough time called the Great Depression. This meant that many people didn’t have enough food to eat or jobs to work. Ruth learned a lot from her family about hard work and creativity, which helped her become a successful inventor and businesswoman later in life.
Fortunately, she could afford to go to school after the Great Depression. Her parents sent her to Denver East High School. Ruth didn’t want to finish college because she wanted to do other things. Soon, she met a boy named Elliot Handler, who was born in Chicago and also got born in the Great Depression.
Ruth and Elliot got married in 1938 and moved to Los Angeles, California. They made picture frames in their garage. But soon, they stopped making frames and started the famous toy company Mattel, using leftover wood from the frames to make tiny furniture for dollhouses. Mattel opened on January 1945. They worked really well together, so they started a really great business.
Ruth Handler’s story is inspiring. It’s inspiring because she and Elliot started Mattel and made awesome toys for kids everywhere. The most famous toys are Barbie and Hotwheels. They showed that when you work hard and use your imagination, you can make big dreams happen. Ruth and Elliot’s story is a reminder to always believe in yourself and keep trying, even when things seem tough.
Here’s what Quilbot had to say about the effort.
And here’s what it said after another 30 minutes of editing.
And this after another 15 minutes of editing
Last but not least, I directed Allfa to try to add another 100 words to the chapter without using AI in any way whatsoever. I then ran what he produced through the Quilbot. Here’s how it responded
