Toy OTD: Knickerbocker Hanna-Barbera Plush: Yogi Bear (1959)

Most of the time, I'm a fanatic about how similar a toy looks to its original source - the more "on-model", the better! Sometimes, though, "off-model" toys have a certain charm. There's few toys more oddly appealing than Hanna-Barbera merchandise from the late fifties and early sixties.

It's amazing that stuffed Yogi here still looks cute in spite of the fact that the entire head was molded in the muzzle color, making Yogi look as if he'd been shaved. In fact, there's not much fuzziness to be had anywhere - only the paws look fairly cuddly. While Yogi's usually brown, it's fairly safe to say that this toy wasn't, even if you account for fading. As crazy as this doll may look when you set it next to the cartoon character, this is nothing compared to other old H&B toys!

This toy is pretty sun-bleached, and who knows how much fur has worn off in the last fifty years. I'm pretty sure that it's complete, but just because it has all of the clothing that's featured in the drawing doesn't mean that something isn't missing! Toys from this period will be colored in crazy ways or sport clothing, accessories - even fur! - that they never had in the cartoons.

There is something really great about this toy, though, and that's simplicity. The shapes and colors of the plush may be way off, but overall the design's not much more complicated than the original artwork. There's four paint passes on the head - that's it. Grab the closest modern toy within reach, and unless it came from a party store, there's probably a lot more than four paint passes. There's just four fabric colors/types on the body, too.

I really like the use of vinyl heads atop plush bodies. That's pretty rare these days, as it probably doesn't pass muster under modern safety standards. Still, you get the design crispness of vinyl combined with the cuddliness of a plush, which I think is pretty cool.

I know that some Knickerbocker toys were packed in boxes, but I'm not sure if this particular item was - I think some may have simply been sold with a tag. The package designs weren't dazzling, if I remember right... mostly some red/blue text graphics on cardboard-colored boxes, similar to the old Fisher-Price containers from the same period. The tags weren't all that exciting either, but they had a boldness and simplicity to them.

This toy is old enough that you'll need to look at toy shows or on eBay to find one. I think I paid about $65 for mine, so you might have to pay more if you find something in even better shape. Still, a lot of people are cashing out their collections these days, so you may be able to find a deal. There's a great-looking 26" version on eBay right now, in fact! Here's another one starting at $6.00. There's several more for sale, but many are missing the tie, so be careful. Look sharp and happy bidding!

PS - Now that I've pored over some eBay photos, I'm a lot less certain that my Yogi plush was originally yellow.

Photo by Jeff Pidgeon.
Yogi title card art courtesy of Warner Brothers and this blog.