12 Fascinating Facts About Troll Dolls

Much like witches or choker necklaces, troll dolls have a knack for reappearing every few decades. While '90s kids may recall gathering these wild-haired, bare dolls adorned with gemstone bellybuttons or attaching their tiny forms to pencils, children of the '60s were equally enamored with their own versions. Now, with the latest Trolls movie releasing this weekend (and that Justin Timberlake tune still echoing in your mind), these beloved potbellied, grinning fuzzy figures are set to dominate the toy shelves once more.

1. THE ORIGINAL TROLL DOLLS WERE CARVED FROM WOOD.

Thomas Dam, a Danish fisherman frequently out of work, had a knack for wood carving. Initially crafting small gifts for his kids, his wife saw the financial potential in his skill. She urged him to sell his creations door-to-door, which eventually led to a gig designing large Christmas displays for a department store in 1956. Customers soon wanted to purchase the trolls from these displays, prompting Dam to focus entirely on carving troll dolls for sale. He later opened a factory, transitioning to rubber bodies filled with wood shavings for cost efficiency. By the late '50s, he was selling over 10,000 trolls annually in Denmark.

2. DAM'S TROLLS WERE INSPIRED BY SCANDINAVIAN FOLKLORE.

In Scandinavian tales, trolls vary in size from giant to child-like, but their defining trait is their grotesque appearance. Often depicted living under bridges or in mountains, they are notorious for deceiving humans and are universally described as repulsive. Dam, however, transformed their typically unattractive traits—wrinkled skin, large noses, and big ears—into small, endearing figures. Drawing from Scandinavian tradition, which holds that laughter wards off misfortune, Dam envisioned his Good Luck Trolls as amusing charms. "They were so ugly," Dam once remarked, "that you couldn’t help but laugh, and when you laugh, luck follows you."

3. THEIR HAIR HAS ALWAYS BEEN WILD AND UNTAMED.

From the very beginning, Dam’s trolls were known for their wild, untamed hair. The Icelandic sheep’s wool used for their hair was dyed in three colors—white, black, or orange—and glued onto the dolls to create a thick, exaggerated mane. Life magazine described it as "strangely soothing to the touch." As demand grew, the company switched to synthetic hair, which stood even more upright. In 1964, production demands were so high that Dam had to purchase Iceland’s entire wool harvest for the year.

4. DAM HAD A KEEN SENSE OF HUMOR.

Cheryl via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0

Dam appeared to embrace the humor in his name (pronounced "dahm" rather than the American "damn"). As his trolls gained popularity, he named his toy company Dam Things, and the premium trolls were branded as Dam Dolls. One particular design was even called Dammit.

5. MOST TROLLS ON THE MARKET WEREN'T ACTUALLY DAM'S CREATIONS.

By the early 1960s, troll dolls had become a global phenomenon. Dam quickly expanded his operations, establishing factories in New Zealand and Florida. However, due to their instant popularity and Dam’s failure to secure a copyright, imitation trolls flooded the American market. Competitors released similar dolls under names like Wish-niks, Fauni Trolls, and Lucky Shnooks. As reported by The New York Times, "the Dam Company captured only a small fraction of the estimated $4.5 billion generated by Trolls worldwide."

6. A DAMMIT DOLL ONCE MET THE PRESIDENT.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Decades later, in 1963, pilot Betty Miller became the first woman to achieve the same feat across the Pacific. Her sole companion during the challenging journey? A Dammit doll. After her groundbreaking flight, Miller was invited to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy, and she brought her beloved troll doll along.

7. TROLL DOLLS WERE THE PREDECESSORS TO BEANIE BABIES.

The troll craze swept across America with immense force. In 1964, the Chicago Tribune highlighted a trend where "bring your own troll" parties became a popular activity among teenagers. Many of these enthusiasts evolved into serious collectors. Paula Dolog, known as "The Troll Princess," shared with her local newspaper in 2009 that her 45-year collection had grown so vast that some trolls "hadn’t seen the light of day in years." Others recounted how they initially bought trolls to uplift sick relatives, only to become avid collectors themselves. During the '90s resurgence, 29-year-old Lisa Kerner created Troll Monthly Magazine, a pre-internet platform for collectors to trade and sell dolls. Today, resale sites feature a variety of troll dolls, from a 1950s stuffed Dam doll priced at $225 to themed dolls like a vintage Viking troll for $175, and even a 1960s Lucky Shnooks doll with a haunting charm.

8. A SELF-DESIGNATED TROLL QUEEN OPERATES A TROLL MUSEUM.

In Alliance, Ohio, a woman named Sigrid, who calls herself the Troll Queen, claims to be a huldra troll—a mythical creature that blends into human society. Her passion for trolls has led her to collect nearly 3000 unique dolls, earning her a Guinness World Record. Sherry Groom, her human name, has transformed her obsession into The Troll Hole, a quirky museum housing over 18,000 trolls and related memorabilia. She offers daily guided tours in costume, with a modest $10 troll toll for entry.

9. TROLL DOLLS HAVE ASSISTED IN POLICE WORK.

In an initiative dubbed "Trolls on Patrol," the Tarpon Springs Police Department in Florida purchased 5000 troll dolls in 2003 to foster connections with local children. "It should encourage friendly interactions," Police Chief Mark G. LeCouris told the St. Petersburg Times, emphasizing the goal of making officers seem approachable and relatable to kids. The department had previously distributed items like junior police badges and anti-drug bracelets, which were well-received. Officers handed out the trolls during Halloween and community events, with LeCouris noting, "They really put smiles on kids' faces."

10. AFTER FOUR DECADES, THE DAM COMPANY SECURED THEIR PATENT.

Despite losing his creation to the public domain in the U.S. during the '60s, Thomas Dam's company continued to thrive in Europe. The '80s brought a resurgence in troll popularity, spurred by Eva Stark, a New York marketing executive who imported Dam's trolls and rebranded them as Norfin dolls (a blend of "elfin," "orphan," "Norway," and "Finland"). After Dam's death in 1989, new legislation in 1994 enabled the Dam Company to take legal action against imitators, ultimately securing global rights to the troll doll design.

11. DESPITE A MAJOR SALE, THE DAM COMPANY RETAINED CONTROL IN SCANDINAVIA.

Following a poorly received attempt to modernize the Troll brand in 2005 (rebranding them as Trollz in the style of Bratz dolls), the Dam Company sold global rights—excluding Scandinavia—to DreamWorks Animation in 2013. "Trolls is one of those rare, timeless, and universally beloved brands," Shawn Dennis, DreamWorks’s franchise head, stated at the time, outlining plans for a multi-platform marketing strategy. Within a year, DreamWorks reimagined the Trolls movie’s original concept, transforming it into a musical comedy with Justin Timberlake as executive music producer. This decision proved successful, as the soundtrack’s lead single, "Can't Stop the Feeling!", topped charts in over 15 countries upon release.

12. HASBRO HAS LAUNCHED A NEW COLLECTION OF TROLL DOLLS.

The trolls featured in the new DreamWorks film boast modernized designs—while their large heads and compact bodies echo the '60s originals, their facial features are more refined and less exaggerated. Additionally, they now feature soft, huggable plush bodies. With numerous Trolls movie characters available as both plastic figurines and plush dolls, it’s likely only a matter of time before collectors reignite their passion for these charming creations.