1950s · toys
Mr. Potato Head
A plastic potato with interchangeable parts that made instant characters. Missing the ears meant he wore a hat by default, which was somehow fine.
Check price on Amazon
(paid link) · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
◆ Did you have this?
👍 I had this💔 I wanted this- Era
- 50s
- Released
- 1952
- Category
- toys
Before you buy
- For an original edition, compare the model name, packaging, and release details with the seller’s photos.
- Check the condition, included accessories, delivery cost, and return terms on the listing before ordering.
From the archive
Watch the commercial
▶ Now playing
The pitch
Mr. Potato Head lets you build a face any way you want! Stick in the eyes, nose, ears, and mustache, then swap them around for silly new looks. The toy that started as real potatoes before plastic bodies took over.
Why people remember it
- Mixing pieces from other sets broke all the rules in a fun way.
- Real vegetables came first, which is a wild origin story.
- The bucket of parts was chaos and creativity in one tub.
Did you know?
- Hasbro's first TV ad for Mr. Potato Head was the first toy commercial ever directed at children.
- Parents supplied real potatoes at first; the plastic body arrived in 1964.
- Mrs. Potato Head debuted in 1953, one year after the original.
- Pixar's Toy Story trilogy made Mr. Potato Head more famous to a new generation than the toy aisle ever did.
How people search for it
“plastic potato face”, “toy with swap parts”, “potato with glasses toy”
Questions people ask
- Can you still get Mr. Potato Head?
- Hasbro sells him, often bundled with Mrs. Potato Head. Sizes changed after Toy Story fame.
- Did people use real potatoes?
- Originally yes. Plastic bodies showed up so the toy lasted longer than a week.
