You might not want the kids playing with the newest Mr. Potato Head featured
in Neiman Marcus’ annual Christmas catalog.
The jewel-covered spud has a whopping $8,000 price tag – slightly more than his plastic cousin that goes for $16.99 at Toys “R” Us.
The Neiman Marcus potato has deep Rhode Island roots. The creation was licensed by Pawtucket-based Hasbro and the 25,000 crystals that adorn the piece were placed by designers in Cranston.
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Rhode Island School of Design graduate Jay Strongwater designed the rich version of his favorite childhood toy and a production facility at Weingeroff Enterprises in Cranston produced them.
“A Neiman Marcus buyer wanted to do something special for the book – an over-the-top fantasy gift,” said Strongwater, a New York-based designer. “We got to talking about our childhoods and the toys we used to love playing with, I mentioned Mr. Potato Head and they thought it would be great to cover them in jewels.”
Mr. Potato Head won’t be traveling alone to his well-heeled fans; the Mrs. is also being produced for Neiman Marcus. Twenty-five of each figurine has been made.
Each of the 50 Potato Heads were hand-encrusted with Swarovski crystals at the Cranston facility and signed by Strongwater.
Strongwater said about 27,000 flat-back crystals were glued onto each standard Mrs. Potato Head toy and about 25,000 to Mr. Potato Head – the traditional toy has a little over a dozen parts.
It took more than 80 hours to cover each toy with 17 different colored Swarovski crystals, including the accessories like eyeglasses and Mrs. Potato Head’s purse.
The crystals are light, so each piece weighs less than a pound.
“They look beautiful and it’s been really fun,” said Strongwater.
Neiman Marcus never knows which of the “fantasy” type gifts will sell, the company said.
The Christmas books were put in the mail last week, so few responses to the toys were received and no orders had been placed as of Oct. 5, said Ginger Reeder, vice president of public relations for Neiman Marcus Direct.
“This is the time when we can do the sort of tongue-in-cheek fantasy items we don’t normally,” Reeder said. “I think this is a gift for a person who has a great sense of humor – who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, but also appreciates fine things.”
Strongwater has been designing home décor and jewelry items for Neiman Marcus since 1982. His design and marketing offices are in New York and all his items are sent to Weingeroff Enterprises production.
Most of the work at the facility is from Strongwater, who makes a conscious effort to have all his designs produced in the United States.
“It is a rare thing nowadays,” Strongwater said.
Hasbro is also benefiting from the sparkling version of their spud.
“Hasbro is very happy with the coverage it has received,” said Hasbro spokeswoman Kathy Carpano.
When Hasbro introduced Mr. Potato Head in 1952, the toy was a box of parts to stick into real potatoes. It wasn’t until 1964 that the Potato Head toy included plastic bodies, and today’s versions include a Mr. Potato Head “comes to life” that identifies and responds to his interchangeable parts as he gets them. Assemble his face and he’ll react with jokes and phrases such as “Doctor, quick! There’s an ear in my eye!”
It was the first toy to be advertised on network television, and has grown in popularity over the years.
In 1953, Mr. Potato Head met Mrs. Potato Head.
In 1987, Hasbro got rid of Mr. Potato Head’s pipe and it became the official “spokes spud” of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.
In 1995, Mr. Potato Head was featured in the movie “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” in 1999, an advertising campaign for Burger King French fries and a television series, the “Mr. Potato Head Show,” was launched in 1998.
