Mattel

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If you have never owned a toy made by Mattel... Well you have. They are the makers of the gy-normous Barbie and Hot Wheels lines of toys. And those are just two of Mattel's big wins. Never had either? How about one of those old "See 'n Say's" or a Chatty Cathy doll? Still you say, "No"? Try Polly Pocket, Matchbox, Pound Puppies or Toss Across. Really, I could do this all day. Just trust me. At some point in your life you have owned (and probably loved) something made by Mattel.

Mattel's electronics division had a go at making video game consoles starting in the late 70's. (What toy/electronic company didn't?) They even had their hand in making Nintendo's goods in Canada. Odds are, since you ended up at a used video game site, the Mattel toy you seek is the Intellivision or the HyperScan.

Mattel has been credited with pioneering the development of handheld video games. They were even honored for doing so at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards in 2008. OK, call me cynical but, was that really necessary? Do you honestly think Nintendo would have been lost and without a DS line if Mattel hadn't made some cheesy little handheld sports games back in the 70's? Somehow, I'm thinking they'd still be doing just fine.

Nonetheless, they are a toy giant and as such they have had their share of difficulties. Once you have looked into the history of Mattel it is easy to speculate on if they will ever recover from their misguided acquisition of The Learning Company. Oh, and if you paid any attention to the news in the late summer of 2007 you might recall hearing a little something about 3 back-to-back MASSIVE product recalls. (I'm thinkin' that summer and fall weren't exactly fun times at Mattel.)

But, whether they curl up a die or persevere we will always remember their toys. Anyone got a tissue?