"History; The company was founded as The Wallace Berrie Company in 1966 by Wallace Berrie. In 1979 the company obtained worldwide rights to The Smurfs and released figurines in 1979 at $1.50 each. The figurines became one of the best-selling toys of 1982. That year, the company acquired the Applause division from Knickerbocker Toys, which came with the licenses to Disney, Sesame Street, and Raggedy Ann and Andy. In 1986, the company changed its name to Applause Inc. and released California Raisins merchandise. It would also produce various Batman merchandise, focusing largely on small figures and dolls, from the late 1980s into the early 1990s. In 1992, Applause released the Magic Trolls Babies toy line. Dakin merger; From 1991 to 1995, the company built a strong retail business by focusing on its classic entertainment licensed brands with in-store merchandising displays as a platform for entertainment event properties. In late 1995 the company acquired Woodland Hills, California company, Dakin Inc., the most widely recognized brand name in stuffed animals. Dakin was founded in 1955 by Richard Dakin as an import business. This acquisition strengthened Applause's generic stuffed animal business to balance out its already strong entertainment license portfolio. In 1998 the company produced fast food toys for A Bug's Life, Mulan, Pokémon (KFC) and Godzilla. The Applause name was acquired by Russ Berrie in a bankruptcy auction." -Wikipedia
Company Info; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applause_(toy_company)
Product Review; "Heartwarming American memorabilia - I hearken back to simpler times. I found a collection being sold for a few dollars at a yard sale - but you can find plenty still available on sites like EBay. Make for great gifts for young, old and fans of American manufacturing history!" -MadeInUSAReview