Strawberry Shortcake, Jem, Punky Brewster, and Polly Pocket--all of them were products of the 1980s. Polly Pocket was imagined by Chris Wiggs. In 1983, he created Polly for his daughter, Kate, in England. Six years later, Bluebird Toys of Swidon licensed the concept and Polly hit the shelves in 1989. They retained the license until 1998, when Mattel took over production.

Since the takeover, Mattel has redesigned Polly to make her more like a modern girl and revive the idea that the doll can be a collectible. The new design has tinges of the original Polly, but for the most part, she is a more life-like representation and is larger in stature. The accessories now include rooms that are themed and can be snapped together to form a mansion, as well as rubber clothing that snaps into place.

The original doll was much smaller and was literally pocket-sized. The creator, Chris Wiggs, fashioned a small house for the doll out of a powder compact. The charm of the original doll was derived from this concept. Little girls could take their toys with them and play with friends at a moment's notice.

Playing today is a bit different from the 1980s, despite the fact that it's only been about 20 years. Computers hadn't become such a large part of a child's world and a source of entertainment. So, to compete with technology-driven games and toys, Polly Pocket has increased in size and has a flashy website for children to explore.