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
Worlds of Wonder (toy company) Worlds of Wonder (toy company) Worlds of Wonder or WoW was a 1980s American toy company founded by former Atari employees, including Don Kingsborough and Mark Robert Goldberg. Class Act is a product line of school supplies created by Worlds of Wonder in 1987. The line is "high-tech" in style though the only one piece of the ensemble that is "high-tech" in nature is "Express It": The Locker Answering Machine. The line consisted of: There were also decorated Trapper Keeper-styled folders and pencils as part of the line. When Worlds of Wonder declared bankruptcy in 1988 the line was severely