Troll Dolls. They're weird, they're wild and they're wacky. And while I did not find them cute growing up, they are definitely growing on me with their beady eyes and fluffy hair! These crazy haired toys are more than just collector's items, though. They have achieved things we could only dream of!
Did you know that Betty Miller, the first woman to fly solo over the Pacific Ocean, brought a Troll Doll to accompany her on her journey? The troll, named Dammit, apparently gave her good luck and was even invited to The White House to meet JFK!
Not only have Trolls met Presidents and flown solo, they have even had their place in TIME Magazine as one of one of history's best toys. They are so popular that there is even one in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the world's largest art and design museum.
A brief Trolls timeline -
1950s: The first Troll was made in 1959 in the Netherlands by Thomas Dam who created one for his daughter for Christmas. It was made of wood and sheep's wool (for the hair). Her doll was so popular with other children that he started to make and sell more.
Early 1960s: Dam started the DAM Company, making Troll Dolls from plastic. He got this idea after he was commissioned to make Santa displays for a store. He made these Santas out of plastic so they would be easy to put up and take down in the store. Customers kept asking if they could buy the displays so Dam decided to start making Trolls more cheaply out of the same plastic.
1980s: Troll Dolls became highly marketable in America and were advertised for resale from the Netherlands as Norfin Trolls. Troll Dolls became very popular, with many imitations also being made. Other American companies such as ACE Novelty (Treasure Trolls) and Uneeda (Wishnik Trolls) began imitating the product.
1994: Dam's family finally wins a lawsuit against Uneeda and Uneeda is banned from making any more "Wishnik Trolls."
2003: Dam's copyright is fully restored.
2013: The Dam company sells the rights of Trolls to Dreamworks except in Scandinavia.
Post-2016: The Trolls movie comes out. Netflix Short Animation Series was released in 2018 and a second Trolls movie: "Trolls World Tour" is due to release in 2020.
