Wooly Willy®

Wooly Willy is a famous guy with a lot of history. You can find him at toy retailers nationally, he’s all over the internet, he has an iPhone App all his own and he’s a hero in Smethport, PA, where he even has his own annual festival. Everyone loves Wooly Willy. But where does this handsome celebrity come from?

Wooly Willy was born in Smethport, PA in 1955. James Herzog created the very first Wooly Willy from magnetic dust on the factory floor. At first, Wooly Willy was not very popular, but soon one person decided to give him a chance and, as it turns out, Wooly Willy charmed the population and soon became one of the top 40 toys in the period of 1950–1980. His popularity rose because of his affordable price, ease of use and novel play. You simply use the magnetic wand and you can move magnetic dust up to his face and make Wooly Willy look however you wish. It’s fun, and it’s clever.

To read more about James Herzog and Wooly Willy’s history, click here.

Eventually, Wooly Willy sprouted a family. Dapper Dan®, Hair-Do Harriet™ and other characters follow in Wooly Willy foot steps, but Wooly Willy will always be the original magnetic personality!

Click here to see what new designs you can create with Wooly Willy.

Wooly Willy continues to entertain families and is now honored with Smethport, PA’s National Wooly Willy Wonderdaze festival. The festival is sponsored by the Smethport Area Chamber of Commerce, with involvement from many other Smethport organizations. The June festival features many Wooly Willy themed events and tons of fun for families. For more information on the festival, please visit Smethportpa.org.

Even though Wooly Willy has been around for over 50 years, he still keeps up with the times. You can now find him on an iPhone/iPod Touch App. Download the App to create fun Wooly Willy and Hair-Do Harriet faces. You can even use pictures of your friends and family and “magnetically” draw hair on them!

Click on Wooly Willy above to download the App for your iPhone or iPod Touch!

What else will Wooly Willy be up to in the future? It’s hard to say. Keep checking back to make sure you don’t miss any news or updates on the fabulously famous Wooly Willy!

If you have a story to share about Wooly Willy, we’d love to hear it! Email patch@patchproducts.com.

To purchase Wooly Willy or read more, please click here.