Liddle Kiddles were dolls originally produced by toymakers Mattel Inc. in 1965. They were introduced at the 1966 New York Toy Fair and put on the market soon after. Initially about 3 inches tall, they were tiny by doll standards. The sensation they created in the toy world caused other toy companies to produce their own tiny dolls.
Mattel founder Elliot Handler oversaw the project. He told engineers and sculptors that he wanted the dolls to resemble little children in neighborhoods across America. Martha Armstong-Hand, the famous doll sculptor at Mattel, made the first Kiddles in 1965. She explained that the first set of ten dolls used only three different head molds but had different hairstyles and face paint. Armstrong-Hand also sculpted other Mattel dolls, such as Drowsy (1965), Baby First Step (1965) and Cheerful Tearful (1966).
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Kiddles were made of soft vinyl with painted facial features and rooted, brushable hair. The first, second, and third series (called "bigger bodies" by collectors) ranged from 2¾ in to 3½ in, while the Skediddle Kiddles were 4 in tall and had a special mechanism inside the body which allowed them to walk, wave, and ride vehicles with the push of a child's hand. The Kola and Kologne Kiddles were 2 in, and the mini Jewelry Kiddles were 7⁄8–1 1⁄16 in. All the dolls were marked with "Mattel" or "MI", a date, and either "Japan", "Hong Kong" or "Taiwan" on the back of the shoulders or on the back of the head near the hairline. The smaller dolls were marked under their non-removable clothing. Most Kiddle accessories were also marked. Some were marked with the Mattel seal, and some were only marked with a number.
The bigger bodies (the first ten dolls) were designed to resemble typical neighborhood children at play. The name Liddle Kiddles was actually taken from the words "little kid". Each of the first 24 dolls had detailed clothing and accessories that perfectly matched their theme and size. Wire skeletons inside the vinyl bodies enabled the dolls to be posed and re-posed realistically. The small 2-inch dolls, however, had no wires inside for posing and, unlike the first 24, their clothes were not removable.
Kiddles were packed in cardboard blister/bubble cards, in cellophane window boxes, or with paper hang tags. Heat and humidity damaged some dolls over time, and repeated play broke the posing wires of some dolls, rendering them unable to hold a pose. The hairstyles, painted facial features and clothing have proved durable.
They had no special mechanism to enable movement, just posing wires, the sharp ends of which usually protruded through the soft material, though they could still be posed.
Prototype Kiddles are a rare find for collectors. These were one-of-a-kind artist samples used by Mattel to develop Kiddles, to introduce Kiddles to prospective buyers at toy fairs, and to use for advertising. Prototypes usually had experimental bodies, unusual hairstyles in unusual colors, or prototype clothing often made from existing Mattel fabrics, like those used for Mattel's Barbie line. Prototype dolls generally had hand painted faces, and some were created only as heads with no bodies.