Dream Pets are collectable miniature stuffed animals, made of velveteen and filled with Willow sawdust, manufactured in Japan beginning in 1957 by Japanese toy designers Tochigi Mongi and Tomy for R. Dakin & Co. The manufacturer surprised Dakin by using these little toys as packing material for a shipment of battery operated toy trains which Dakin had ordered. That same day The president of Dakin, Roger Dakin placed an order by cable to Japan for 25 dozen of the little velveteen toys, by the end of the day he changed his order to 300 dozen.By 1961 Dream Pets were being designed by Dakin's Senior toy designer Virginia Kemp in the United States. The toys became popular, and by the end of 1979 there were over 2000 different characters. In 1995 Dakin merged with The Applause Toy Co. Applause Toys re-issued copies of 24 of the vintage Dream Pets in 2004.
In late 2005, Dakin ceased to operate as an independent company. The names Dakin and Dream Pets were purchased by retail chain Big Lots, as of July 2011 Big lots had not produced any further Dream pets.
Famous quotes containing the words dream and/or pets:
“He was high and mighty. But the kindest creature to his slaves—and the unfortunate results of his bad ways were not sold, had not to jump over ice blocks. They were kept in full view and provided for handsomely in his will. His wife and daughters in the might of their purity and innocence are supposed never to dream of what is as plain before their eyes as the sunlight, and they play their parts of unsuspecting angels to the letter.”
—Anonymous Antebellum Confederate Women. Previously quoted by Mary Boykin Chesnut in Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, edited by C. Vann Woodward (1981)
“How wonderful to meet such a natural little girl. She knows what she wants and she asks for it. Not like these over-civilized little pets that have to go through analysis before they can choose an ice cream soda.”
—John Lee Mahin (1902–1984)