These Huge Companies Are Now Household Names, But Their Humble Beginnings Are Inspiring

This Toy Company Was All Child’s Play In The Beginning

Mattel is a household name when it comes to children’s toys, but fans of this booming business may find it surprising that the company began selling picture frames. Mattel was created by Harold “Matt” Matson and Elliot Handler in a garage in Southern California in 1945.

The picture frame company decided to make the most out of extra material by creating dollhouses out of the surplus of frames. These side-project toys began selling better than the picture frames, so Matson and Handler decided to shift their focus to toys. Mattel is now the largest and most profitable toy company in the entire world.