How a Married Couple’s Innovative Risks Changed the Toy Industry

In ‘This Week in History,’ a new doll makes its debut at the 1959 Toy Fair in New York City and becomes an American icon.

In the 1960s, power couple Ruth and Elliot Handler brought toy company Mattel to great heights. Courtesy of Mattel, Inc.

In 1956, Elliot and Ruth Handler arrived in Switzerland, their two children in tow. The family was on vacation, and with the demands of running a growing business, the couple were no doubt in need of some time away. The Handlers, however, were always keeping an eye out for ways to create new products. The previous year, they had invested $500,000—practically the total worth of their company—in advertising. Stepping inside a local Swiss store, Ruth came across something that would trigger a financial boom for the family-owned business.

In 1938, high school sweethearts, Elliot and Ruth, got married. Elliot was an innovative entrepreneur with a tireless work ethic. In this case, positives attracted, as Ruth was equally innovative and hardworking. Elliot began building furniture from Lucite and plexiglass, and Ruth became his salesman. The California couple quickly grew the business, even securing a contract with a leading manufacturer, Douglas Aircraft, which built many World War II aircraft.

Forming Mattel

In 1945, Elliot and Ruth launched a new business with a friend and fellow WWII veteran (Elliot was in the United States Army), Harold “Matt” Matson. Harold and Elliot combined their names (Matt and Elliot) to create the name Mattel. Business operations were conducted out of the garage of the Handler’s Los Angeles home. The business was small in scope, making picture frames from those aforementioned plastics of Lucite and plexiglass. From the scraps of those frames, Mattel cobbled together furniture; but this time, it was dollhouse furniture. The toy accessories were a success, and the company maneuvered away from the picture frames to focus on the furniture.