![]() By 1982, the diminutive blue Smurfs had joined Steven Spielberg's alien E.T., a fat orange cat named Garfield, a doll named Strawberry Shortcake, everyone's favorite dog Snoopy, and G.I. A Belgian company called IMPS was marketing the little blue characters, including a hit television series, product merchandising, and even a theme park in Lorraine, France.īerrie's company released the little blue figures in 1979 at $1.50 each, compared to the industry's standard $.29 and $.39 little stuffed figures. "The Smurfs Song" was recorded for Decca in 1977 by the "characters" and Dutch singer Vader Abraham, followed in 1978 by two other singles, "Dippety Day" and "Christmas in Smurfland," all of which became hits in Europe. ![]() Unaware that other companies had turned down the property, Berrie obtained worldwide rights to the little-known characters otherwise known as The Smurfs, created in 1958 by a European artist named Peyo. Early growth was slow until 1979, when a package arrived containing little blue characters about "three apples tall." The company was founded in 1966 by Wallace Berrie, a successful manufacturer of drugstore novelty items, as The Wallace Berrie Company. Larger competitors have included Hasbro Inc., Tyco/Matchbox, Mattel, Milton Bradley, Kenner, Parker Bros., Playskool, Playmobil, Playmates, and Galoob.įrom the Start to the Smurf Boom, 1966-86 Licenses have included characters from Mickey for Kids and Mickey Unlimited Looney Tunes Jim Henson's Muppets Sesame Street Raggedy Ann and Andy Peanuts Precious Moments Disney's Winnie the Pooh, The Little Mermaid, and Mu-Lan LucasFilm's Star Wars Twentieth Century Fox's Anastasia Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" New Line Cinema's "Lost in Space" as well as proprietary plush designs under the Dakin brand name, including new and classic plush, puppets, infant products, and seasonal merchandise, and Dakin's own licenses of Benji Garfield and Odie Fido Dido Chip & Cookie the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast Clifford the Big Red Dog Snoopy The Pink Panther The Animaniacs Cuddles Bear Lamb Chop Looney Tunes Lovables Barney the dinosaur The Flintstones Betty Boop and the 1996 Olympic mascot, Izzy, among others. The company specializes in plush toys, figurines, and collectibles and is known worldwide for its high-quality, emotionally appealing product lines, featuring the most popular classic, promotional, and collectible characters in the marketplace. is a leader in design innovation, marketing year-round gift products for consumers of all ages. specializes in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of high-quality, innovative plush, collectibles, and novelty gift items for children of all ages, featuring America's favorite licensed and non-licensed brands.Īpplause Inc. SICs: 3942 Dolls & Stuffed Toys 5092 Toys & Hobby Goods & SuppliesĪpplause Inc. Incorporated: 1966 as The Wallace Berrie Company
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