Read more in 5 facts about Good Luck Trolls further down the page.
Good Luck Trolls - How did it start?
The inventor of the fortune teller, Thomas Dam, was born in Gjöl, which is a small town in northern Denmark. Thomas grew up in modest circumstances with a father who was a fisherman by profession
Trolls have been part of Scandinavian and folk beliefs since ancient times.
During his childhood, Thomas heard many stories about the evil trolls who lived in the forest near Gjøl and also in the mountain. That is, an approximately 18 meter high hill on the outskirts of the town.
It was said that expectant women in particular were at increased risk of being abducted, and that after birth their children would be abducted by the goblins to be replaced by a replacement.
The people who were abducted could indeed return to society, but ran an imminent risk of suffering from a so-called changed disposition. ">Lyckotroll as a brand has charmed both children and indeed adults for several decades with characters and stories that many can relate to.
The idea was that Thomas would follow in his father's footsteps as a fisherman, but he was a far more creative soul, and was not at all attracted by a hard profession at sea and became a baker instead.
The 40s, which was an economically tough period for most people in Europe, were affected, and also the Dam family, who were so poor that they lacked money to buy Christmas presents for the children.
However, Thomas wanted to give a Christmas present to his daughter Lajla, whereupon he forged a wooden magic doll. A Good Luck Trolls. Lajla's new toy became a topic of conversation in the village and parents started asking Thomas to create magic dolls for their children. Thomas' wife Betty saw an opportunity and suggested Thomas should start trying to sell the wooden dolls he forged in his spare time as a business. All said and done, the rumor began to spread far beyond Gjöl and Thomas was able to switch from baker to toy manufacturer.
The trolls attracted enormous attention when the famous pilot Betty Miller received a medal from John F Kennedy for her feat of flying a small plane alone across the Pacific Ocean. She had a Lucky Troll with her on the trip.
The rest is, so to speak, a success story.
5 quick facts about Good Luck Trolls
• Good Luck Trolls are actually the second best selling toy after Barbie dolls.
• Good Luck Trolls are one of the few collectibles whose value can be maintained and even increased by altering the original. You can buy Troll Wigs on eBay from Troll Collectors.
• The Original Battle Trolls slogan was "Big Haired Dudes with Bad Attitudes" which despite the slogan never became a hit.
• In 1964, Good Luck Trolls was named the Christmas gift of the year in the USA
• According to estimates by the Dam family, at least 200 million people have owned a Good Luck Trolls at some point.
The trolls is still manufactured in Denmark and sold all over the world. In addition to new production, they are popular collector's items and can command high price tags.
The film Trolls premiered in London in 2011 to generally positive reviews from critics. In total, it grossed $346 million worldwide against a $125 million budget and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Can't Stop the Feeling!
What is your best memory of Good Luck Trolls?
