 Modern version of the Chatter Telephone | |
| Type | Toy telephone |
|---|---|
| Company | Fisher-Price |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1961–present |
| Materials | Wood, plastic |
| Slogan | "Look who's talking now!" |
The Chatter Telephone is a pull toy for toddlers 12 to 36 months of age.[1] Introduced in 1961 by the Fisher-Price company as the "Talk Back Phone" for infants and children, which was updated to the name Chatter Telephone in 1962, is a roll along pull toy. It has a smiling face, and when the toy is pulled, it makes a chattering sound and the eyes move up and down. The toy has a rotary dial that rings a bell, and was conceived as a way to teach children how to dial a phone.[2]
The original version was made of wood, with a polyethylene receiver and cord.[3] In 2000, Fisher-Price changed the rotary dial for a push-button version with lights in an effort to modernize the toy, but consumers complained and the rotary version returned to the market the following year.[4] The Chatter Telephone was designed by Ernest Thornell,[5] whose daughter Tina would drag around a metal phone while playing. This gave him the idea of adding wheels, which with a bent axle permitted the movement of eyes, adding to the "whimsical" nature, that Herman Fisher desired of all Fisher-Price toys (from phone conversation with Ernie Thornell and recollections of Herm Fisher by John Smith).
From its introduction through the 1970s, the Chatter Telephone was Fisher-Price's best selling product.[6] It has been cited as one of the company's offerings that helped save Fisher Price in the 1990s following a failed attempt to market toys for older children in the late 1980s,[7] and enjoys continuing popularity.[8] It is available both as an authentic reproduction[9] and in a modern form.[10]
