Has Anyone Seen My Lazy Hound Dog?
“If You Build It – They Will Come” is a well known saying.
I built and sold them and now I wondering what happened to them.
I’m talking about stuffed toys. I was a stuffed toy designer from the late 1950s to the early 1980s – about 25+ years. The Lazy Hound was one of my favorite designs. Probably because it was one of my best selling creations.
My Mother was Mary Meyer of the Mary Meyer stuffed toy company. The company has been making “stuffed stuff”, mostly stuffed toys, for 80 years. Mary Meyer stuffed toy company is a family business started by my Mother and Father in 1933. I continued managing through the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. My four sons took over in 1985 and manage it today.
Lazy Hound from Mary Meyer 1960’s
My favorite job was creating new designs. How do you do that? Well, you look at what has been successful and you go from there. You experiment with new ideas, new fabrics, possibly new colors and try and create something you like, that’s not the same old teddy bear.
That’s how the Lazy Hound came into being. I wanted a body that was different and the lazy, lying body concept looked good. I wanted either a cat or dog, because they are the most loved pets, people have. I can’t do a “Lovable Spider”, because who wants to take a Spider to bed with them. It should be warm, cuddly and lovable. So the Lazy Hound came into being.
His colors are Cocoa Brown like many everyday pups. His ears and snout were a contrasting color. Blue buttons on his chest, Large Red tongue, and a light Blue satin ribbon finished a nice color combination. I was totally happy with his design.
The Lazy Hound went into production in 1965 and sold for over 10 years, until the late 1970s. We sold over 1,000 a year for over 10 years. There could be 10,000 Lazy Hound in closets and attics all over the USA, but I haven’t seen one in years. If you check on ebay and search for stuffed animals, as I just did, you will find 314,263 on website for sale.
314,263 Stuffed Animals for sale on one website. Add Amazon, etc. How many other websites have stuffed animals for sale?
How many stuffed animals are sold in the USA each year on website and in stores? Millions.
How many stuffed animals are in attics and closets waiting to be found again, after being discarded after many years of love. Million and Millions.
People don’t throw stuffed animals away. Yes some get lost each year. A few are discarded and sent to thrift shops. But the vast majority are saved because they are loved and are the prize possession of a youngster, now grown into an adult.
That’s where my Lazy Hounds are hiding. In closets, attics and in suitcase and laundry bags of every youngsters once-loved stuffed toy pals.
Hey, you out there!
Do you have my Lazy Hound sleeping in your attic? You can’t just forget him. He was your pal, your buddy for many years and you can’t just abandon him sleep forever in some remote bureau. He deserves a place of honor in your life. Show him to your kids and maybe grand kids. He was your best friend and should be where you can continue your friendship for years to come.
Anyone finding a Lazy Hound, please email me at walter_meyer@marymeyer.com and send me a photo if you can.
Sincerely,
Walter Meyer
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