ABSTRACT
Most American-made musical toys were of the mass-produced variety that tended to break after minimal handling, in 1945, when Mattel, Inc., was merely a small workshop in a garage. Comparable European products performed a lot better but cost as much as twenty-five dollars. By 1951, all Mattel toys were musical, and most of the musical toys made in the United States bore that company's name. Ranging in price from 98ȼ to $2.19, Mattel grossed around $4,500,000 that year. Products utilizing the music box included plastic guitars, a miniature covered wagon that played "Oh Susannah", organ grinders with dancing monkeys, nursery-rhyme books, and a jack-in-the-box that played "Pop Goes the Weasel". In addition to licensing other musical-toy makers in Latin America, Mattel found itself receiving orders from Europe, including Switzerland, original home of the handcrafted music box. During the 1950s, Mattel wisely embarked upon a policy of product diversification, most notably the Barbie doll.
