Kids are always told not to play with their food — unless they’re anthropomorphizing a potato.
In the 1940s, toymaker George Lerner invented plastic eyes, noses, and mouths that you could stick into fruits and vegetables to create a face.
Lerner initially struggled to find a manufacturer as many toy companies found wasting food distasteful — people hadn’t forgotten the rationing that occurred during the Great Depression and WWII.
But after he sold the idea to a cereal company to use as a box prize, it caught the attention of the toymaker Hassenfeld Brothers — later shortened to Hasbro. They bought the idea back, made a deal with Lerner, and began marketing the toy as Mr. Potato Head in 1952. For just 98 cents (~$11.60 today), kids got 30 facial features and accessories.
Of course, potatoes eventually rot and the ‘60s saw new safety regulations regarding pokey choking hazards, so Mr. Potato Head got a plastic head and larger accessories.
This simple toy has remained relevant across the decades, spawning all sorts of potato people, scoring a starring role in the Toy Story franchise, and selling 100m+ toys.
Fun fact: Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on TV.