Founded in Hong Kong in 1966, Playmates Toys has grown from a regional subcontractor into one of the world’s best-known toymakers.
By the late 1970s, the company had evolved into a brand owner, opening a sales office in Boston to introduce its own Li’l Playmates preschool and doll lines in the U.S., followed by its first foray into licensing with The Walt Disney Co.
In December 1984, Playmates Toys became the first toy company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising capital to expand its U.S. footprint through a new marketing and distribution center in California. Shortly thereafter, the company began appearing regularly in The Toy Book and The Licensing Book, scoring its first major breakout with the interactive doll, Cricket, in 1986.
At the 1988 New York International Toy Fair, Playmates Toys unveiled a line inspired by an obscure, black-and-white comic book property called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. After funding the first five episodes of an animated series and toning down the source material to add colored masks and a love of pizza to the titular Turtles, the line took off, dominating action figure aisles everywhere by 1990.
Over the years, the company followed the success of its early licensing deals by partnering with top studios and creators to balance licensed and proprietary brands, including Waterbabies, Star Trek, Exo Squad, Space Jam, Nano, Amazing Amy, The Simpsons, Disney Princess, Strawberry Shortcake, The Addams Family, Voltron, Ben 10, Miraculous, and more.
Today, Playmates Toys celebrates 60 years with a portfolio including Power Rangers, Winx Club, Monsterverse, Stuntman Stu, Team Mekbots: Animal Rescue, and more. Congratulations, Playmates Toys!
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A version of this feature first appeared in the 2026 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Read the full issue here!
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