The Original Giant Stretch Armstrong. Stretch Toy,for ages 5+, Tie Him in Knots. He Always Returns to Size. Ideal Christmas or Birthday Present

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An estimated 67 different versions from Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, and other countries released Stretch Armstrong variations between 1976 and the 1990s. [5] a b Clark, Eric (2007). The Real Toy Story: Inside the Ruthless Battle for America's Youngest Consumers. Simon & Schuster. pp.44–45. ISBN 978-0-7432-4765-8. Strawberry Shortcake was a beloved character in the ‘80s. Her popularity spread through television shows and children’s books and is still a favorite today. While the world has seen an abundance of dolls to hit the market, Strawberry Shortcake’s key differentiator was that the dolls actually smelled like strawberries. This one-of-a-kind feature exponentially increased the doll’s value. Cabbage Patch Kids We’re thrilled to expand on our successful partnership with Character Options to help bring the Stretch Armstrong brand to new heights,” said Jess Richardson, Vice President, Global Toys & Games, Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro. “Fittingly, we’re stretching this brand from both ends to reach fans and engage consumers in new and exciting ways. This deal is a prime example of our Blueprint 2.0 in action by collaborating with strategic out-licensing partners to reignite the excitement of our beloved brands.”

a b Katz, David A. "Chemistry in the Toy Store" (PDF). chymist.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 25, 2011 . Retrieved March 29, 2011. The Stretch Armstrong toy concept was created by Jesse D. Horowitz, [2] the industrial designer for Kenner's R&D group. The idea was approved for development by the head of R&D, Jeep (James) Kuhn, vice president of Kenner.Stretch Armstrong toys were only sold in stores from 1976-1979. During those three years alone, the company sold over 50 million dollars’ worth of Stretch Armstrong dolls. The strangely loveable and totally unique stretchy corn syrup-filled toy was insanely popular then. Now, original and undamaged Stretch Armstrong toys are sold for hundreds of dollars to collectors. Stretch Ollie and Stretch Olivia, male and female octopuses (colored blue and pink, respectively) which had the same face shape but the only difference was their color. Kenner issued both weeks apart but Ollie was more popular. [ citation needed] The Denys Fisher UK toy company issued Ollie and Olivia in smaller boxes than their American counterparts, saving on shelf space. The figures are rare to come by now.

Toys in the 1980s were a mix of classic favorites mixed with new technology. Dolls and action figures remained a quintessential fixture of toy boxes everywhere, but technological advancements saw the rise of video games and more electronically savvy toys. Their worth was defined by the pioneering spirit of these new toys and their enduring appeal today. Koosh Ball The "stretch man" idea as it was called was pursued with two different bodies in mind. One was a sumo wrestler and the other was an All-American blond hunk. Horowitz sculpted the models himself instead of hiring a freelancer. The sumo man was too bulky and large, so the All-American body was cast by Kenner's model maker Richard Dobek, and the resultant resin model was taken to a latex doll manufacturer in New Jersey, where the first bodies were dipped. While rich in sentimental value, collectible toys from decades and even centuries—ago can fetch top dollar when sold in their original condition. The evolution of toys and how much they are auctioned for—from simple wind-up toys to technologically complex video games—gives us a glimpse into how the childhood experience has changed over the decades. Such cultural relics give collectors insight into our historical relationships with toys, and provide a hint at where the future of toys is headed.Relativity, Hasbro find 'Stretch' scribe". Archived from the original on June 21, 2012 . Retrieved April 17, 2020. The present invention provides a toy figure of any desired shape. For example, the toy figure may be a doll in the shape of a muscular man or a shapely woman. The toy figure may alternatively be in the form of an animal shape such as a giraffe, an elephant or a pig. In each instance, however, the figure will include an elastic skin having a memory and a highly viscous filling material. In addition to the original Stretch Armstrong man, they also later released other versions using the same latex and corn syrup model. There were 67 different versions of the toy released worldwide in the years following the Kenner Company’s original release. Many of these versions were made by companies other than Kenner, which is one of the reasons the original Stretch Armstrong toy lost appeal as the years continued. Denys Fisher Stretch Incredible Hulk (1979) This figure used the original Stretch Armstrong molds and graphics without permission, and was discontinued due to a lawsuit from Kenner in 1980. [3] Stretch Armstrong Movie Gets April 2011 Release Date". /Film. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010 . Retrieved February 7, 2010.

The corn syrup was condensed to the right viscosity to make the stretch return slowly to its original position, as the latex skin reacted against this highly viscosic goo. From 1976 to 1979 Kenner produced 40,000 Stretch Armstrong toys making over 50 million USD, and was the largest buyer of corn syrup over those same years! Mego vs Kenner The film is scheduled for release in April of 2014. The media and public exposure of Stretch should push values of the older figures even higher.In September 2017, IDW Publishing announced a new comic book based on the Netflix series Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters for January 2018. [19] Video game [ edit ] Disney tried to make a film about Stretch Armstrong in the 1990's starring Tim Allen, but the film never made it to production. The Stretch toy’s loss in popularity was likely a result of the over-saturation of the market with these products. The first Stretch Armstrong was a tremendous success because of how unique it was. There had never before been a stretchy toy that a child could literally tie into knots or pull to be over 4 ft. It was re-released in the 1990s, and some new Stretch Armstrong toys can still be bought today.