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Before Nintendo Game & Watch—and decades before smartphones placed games in everyone’s pocket—Mattel helped create the handheld electronic-game revolution. Beginning with Auto Race in 1976, followed by the phenomenally successful Football, Baseball and an entire generation of LED handheld classics, Mattel Electronics changed the way children played. Those unmistakable red electronic lights introduced millions of young players to portable gaming and remain among the most recognizable collectibles of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
This extraordinary artifact comes from inside the company that made those games possible. It is a genuine MATTEL EMPLOYEE AWARD GIFT: a compact, all-metal, two-blade pocket knife featuring a beautifully detailed raised enamel figure of MATTY MATTEL—the company’s crowned “King of Toys” mascot. Matty is shown wearing his royal crown and colorful jacket, proudly displayed on the front of the brushed-metal case. The knife also incorporates a flat metal clip on the reverse, and the blades are marked “STAINLESS JAPAN.”
Matty Mattel was not simply a cartoon character. He was the face of Mattel during the company’s formative years—the little king who appeared in advertising, television commercials and company imagery. After Mattel replaced him in its primary logo, Matty later returned during the 1980s, appearing on company materials during the same broad era in which Mattel’s electronic games were becoming childhood icons.
Employee awards and internal company gifts were never produced for ordinary retail sale. They were presented directly to the people working behind the scenes, making them far scarcer than the games themselves. After nearly 50 years of collecting, buying and selling vintage electronic games, I have never encountered another example of this Matty Mattel knife. Extensive searching has also failed to reveal another one being offered or documented.
The knife remains complete with both folding blades and shows honest surface wear, scratching and age consistent with an authentic employee piece. The colorful Matty emblem remains intact and displays beautifully. Please study the photographs carefully, as they show the exact item and are an important part of the description.
A Mattel handheld collector can always search for another Auto Race, Football or Baseball. What almost never appears is an internal employee artifact tied directly to the people and corporate culture behind those legendary games. Displayed beside a collection of Mattel Electronics handhelds, this tiny crowned mascot tells a story no ordinary game can am listing a massive collection of vintage electronic games, game consoles, and arcade memorabilia.I have fiddled with vintage games for more than 45 years. If you are a serious collector...or looking for the perfect nostalgic gift for someone who grew up in the 1970s, ’80s, or ’90s...you may have just hit the jackpot. Many of my items are extremely rare, unusual, and sometimes one-of-a-kind finds, so be sure to check my other listings and check back often, as I am constantly adding new treasures from the collection.
I believe in describing every item openly and accurately to the best of my ability..I do not intentionally hide flaws or problems. With the nature of these old games they will almost always have some little issue...buttons don't press perfect, screens faded, small scuffs or wear from play.... battery covers don't stay on perfect. All games are sold as is due to the nature of these games. If I see something obvious I will point it out.Please study all photos carefully, as the photos are 95% of the description and show exactly what you are buying. I am always happy to combine shipping whenever possible. Unless specifically stated in the listing, batteries are not included with electronic games. Yes I combine shipping on all US orders. I do not combine shipping on International orders. I will not label boxes as gift. International shipping can take extra time. I only use Global shipping. The price you see for shipping is what is collecting...not me. International orders are responsible for duties and taxes. does not have a process in place for this. All items are insured. Shipping price includes packaging and time for labor, etc. Thanks for looking, and enjoy the hunt—you never know what rare piece I’ll list next!
Don’t let this chance pass you by. Own it.
NOTE...You may see a number and a letter in the Title like "A1" this is a label for me telling me the location of the game in my house so I can find it quickly amongst all of the games listed. Thank you
