Elliot Handler daughter, Barbara, who was the namesake of Barbie dolls; and a son, Kenneth (who died of a brain tumor in 1994) who was the namesake of Ken dolls. While a struggling art student and designer of light fixtures, Handler partnered with Harold Matson to design a realistic-looking miniature piano that received roughly 300,000 orders; however, they mispriced the product and lost a dime on each one produced. Mattel received its name from business partners Harold Matt Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945. Elliot's wife, Ruth, took Matson's role when the Handlers bought his share in the late 1940's. Ruth Handler
Maco (toy company) of products and did not operate in other countries. Competitors included Hawk Model Company, Applause Inc, and Louis Marx and Company. In 1955, the New York City Council passed a bill to "ban the manufacture, sale or possession of imitation revolvers that resemble the real article too closely". In a debate about the measure, an Army .45 caliber automatic manufactured by Maco was used as an example of a toy gun which was similar enough to the real model to be used as a weapon in a robbery. Maco (toy company) Maco Toys, Inc., was the name of a popular