The History of Calico Critters

Calico Critters were created in Japan in 1985 and distributed by Epoch. Featuring a special flocked material, each figure was not only designed to be cute and soft to the touch, but also came with a list of assigned jobs, hobbies, and traits. The toy line also included buildings like homes and shops as well as furniture to decorate them with. Soon after the debut of Calico Critters, they were exported and became a hit in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and more. They quickly became beloved toys and collector’s items for both children and adults alike. Interestingly, while the toys are known as Calico Creatures in the U.S. and Canada, they are marketed under the name Sylvanian Families elsewhere. (Additionally, the Calico Creatures live in Calico Village, while Sylvanian Families live in the imaginary world of Sylvania.) The toys became so popular that they won Toy of the Year for three years in a row and over 120 million Calico Critters have been sold since they were first introduced. Many old, still-in-the-box toys are even sought after by collectors and there's even a Netflix series about the toys! Today, Calico Critters remain popular all over the world and are beloved by both children and adults.