Wooly Willy is a

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

in which metal filings are moved about with a

magnetic Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, m ...

wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...

to add features to a cartoon face. The toy was originally manufactured in

Smethport, Pennsylvania Smethport is a borough in and the county seat of McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The mayor is Wayne V. Foltz. The population was 1,430 at the 2020 census. Smethport is part of the Bradford, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, Bradford, ...

and was launched on the toy market in 1955. It remains in production as of 2025. Similar toys were made, some by the same company like the larger version, "Dapper Dan The Magnetic Man," which sold for three times as much. The Woolly Willy trademark is currently held by the

Beloit, Wisconsin Beloit ( ) is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. Beloit is a principal city of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area (Rock Co ...

-based company

PlayMonster PlayMonster (formerly Patch Products) is a manufacturer and marketer of family entertainment products that specializes in games, children's puzzles, toys, activities, and teaching tools founded in 1985. In February 2016, Patch changed its compan ...

, formerly known as Patch Products, which purchased the Smethport Specialty Company in 2008.

Description

Wooly Willy is the smiling face of a man without hair, under a vacuum-formed clear plastic with a large number of magnetic shavings in it. When the attached magnetic wand moves along the plastic or the cardboard back, the black shavings follow it and this "hair" can create features like

beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, beards are most commonly seen on pubescent or adult males, though women have been observed with beards ...

mustache A moustache (; mustache, ) is a growth of facial hair grown above the upper lip and under the nose. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Itali ...

s, and shaggy

eyebrow An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the Supraorbital ridge, brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, human communication, communication thro ...

s on the face."

Creation

The brothers Donald and James Herzog developed Wooly Willy while working in the Smethport Specialty Company, their father's toy production company, in

, United States. James came up with the idea as a use for the magnetic filings that resulted from creating other toys; Donald learned about vacuum-forming. "Leonard Mackowski, an artist from nearby Bradford, Pennsylvania, was recruited to create Willy’s face" and his hidden signature is still visible.

Launch

Priced at

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

0.29, Wooly Willy was initially unsuccessful. A buyer for G. C. Murphy

dime store A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, auto parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, furniture, and a selection of groceries. It usually sells th ...

chain initially purchased six dozen of the toy and expected not to sell them for a year. The buyer called Herzog just two days later and ordered 12,000 for nationwide distribution.Attoun, Marti. "Wooly Willy Attracting Smiles for 50 years". ''American Profile'' Sep. 27 - Oct. 5, p 12.

F. W. Woolworth Company The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's or simply Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It was among the most successful American and international five-and-dime businesses, se ...

also distributed the toy. More than 75 million Wooly Willies have been sold.

Honors

Wooly Willy became a hit with young

baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom that ...

s, sellling more than 75 million unitsand remains in production as of 2025 by the Smethport Specialty Company, which is now owned by PlayMonster. In 2003, the

Toy Industry Association The Toy Association is an American trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a sp ...

added Wooly Willy to its "''Century of Toys List''", a roll call of the most memorable and creative toys of the 20th century. In 2006, ''

I Love Toys ''I Love Toys'' is a miniseries on VH1 and the eighth installment of the '' I Love the...'' series that premiered on March 6, 2006. It is a countdown of the 100 greatest toys, chosen partially through public voting on vh1.com and also considerat ...

'', the eighth in VH1's series of ''I Love…'' nostalgia shows, presented a countdown of the 100 greatest toys, chosen partially through public voting on vh1.com and also consideration of "sales, historical significance and longevity," according to VH1. Wooly Willy placed at #81.{{fact, date=June 2025

References

1950s toys Products introduced in 1955 Magnetic devices Toy brands Smethport, Pennsylvania