The original Troll dolls were not the most aesthetically pleasing, but were very popular nonetheless. Created in 1959, they quickly became one of the most sought-after toys around the world. The Trolls that we know and love from the last few decades were made from plastic in a variety of different shapes and sizes, all with uniquely whacky colourful hair.

Trolls have recently made a comeback with a new aesthetic format. Let’s take a look at their long, successful journey.

Troll Dolls History

The first Troll Doll was created in 1959 by Thomas Dan, in Denmark. It was originally made for his daughter as a Christmas present, as he could not afford to buy her gifts. Thomas carved the doll out of wood and once his daughter’s friends saw it, they all wanted one. Thomas saw an opportunity and started producing the dolls in more durable plastic, with them being known as ‘Good Luck Trolls’.

They became increasingly popular in Eastern Europe during the 1960s and before long they were introduced to the United States. The production of Troll Dolls continued to be solely based in Denmark, until the 1980s when the dolls made an unexpected comeback. This resulted in Dan giving an American company the rights to produce the dolls in the US.

The Troll Collection

Troll Dolls did not just come in doll format, they were everywhere. On pencil toppers and pencil cases, there were mini dolls and large dolls all having different coloured hair and occasional different professions such as a Troll Policeman and Troll Teachers.

As well as physical toys there was also a range of cartoon TV shows in the early ’90s, as well as videos games. They have also appeared in more recent TV and films such as Toy Story, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Dr Who!

Once again, like any retro toy, there is a small chance that specific Troll Dolls will be worth a bit of money. A Large Monkey Boy Sailor Troll was sold on eBay for £190. It might be worth digging out your old collection of Trolls after all!

Trolls Of Today

In 2013, the Dam family sold the intellectual property rights of Trolls to Dreamworks Animated, who then became the sole worldwide owner of merchandise rights. In 2016, a 3D animated film called ‘Trolls’ was produced with stars such as Justin Timberlake, James Corden and Anna Kendrick being the voices for the Trolls. The new animation design made the Trolls looks a little more pleasant and focused on a mission to save Troll village from a Bergen (a horrible creature whose main aim is to eat Trolls).

The film earned $346 million worldwide and was nominated for several awards including an Academy Award and Golden Globe. Off the back of the successful film came a whole range of new Troll toys, focusing on the film’s lead characters, Princess Poppy and Branch, including playsets, scooters, and jigsaws… you name it, you can probably get Trolls on it!

As much as we all loved the original Troll Dolls, it’s hard not to enjoy the cute new animation and the merchandise that comes with it!

We have a range of Trolls toys here on Toy Street – Come and take a look!

Editors note: This blog was originally published on May 10th, 2018. Updated on October 20th, 2021 to improve the information available.