"Littlest Pet Shop" (LPS) was, originally, a toy line released by Kenner in 1992 using magnets and/or mechanisms rather than the now-iconic bobbleheads we see in generations between 2005 and the present (except for one... we'll get to that) as consumer incentives. the pets were far more realistic looking than, again, the iconic LPS we imagine after hearing the acronym, and were subsequently taken off shelves by 1996.
in 2003, Hasbro--the parent company of Kenner since 1991--bought the rights to the "Littlest Pet Shop" name, revamping the designs of the pets in a cartoonish direction while maintaining neutral and realistic color palettes. upon their release in 2005, Hasbro's LPS gained major popularity. with circular eye shines highlighting their huge eyes, huge bobble heads atop tiny bodies, and magnet accessories continuing to sell the toyline, the LPS brand was ready to expand; by 2008, LPS were given more detail in both their bodies and faces, with eye symbols becoming a staple of the toyline; defining a pet's personality (cuddliest, fanciest, friendliest, etc.), the design trend lasted until 2009, as Hasbro reverted back to simple, circle eye shines on all pets until 2012.
announcing an LPS cartoon would begin airing on the Hub Network--Hasbro's network in partnership with the Discovery Family Channel where My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic also aired--in 2012, consumers saw a drastic shift in their favorite toy products. the pets, becoming progressively colorful and creatively painted as time progressed, were suddenly mostrous charactures of themselves, with heads no longer bobbling and eyes of a child's nightmares. although the style of this generation reflected the style of the TV show, nostalgic and newer consumers alike were enraged by the sudden shift in the LPS aesthetic they'd come to know and love, prompting many to call Hasbro and demand they "bring back the old LPS!"
while a small selection of "Bobble in Style" pets were released after mass outrage and a significant decrease in sales, Hasbro ignitied the beginning of the end of their success with this line of pets. with many redesigns and generations following their flop release in hopes of regaining consumer loyalty, Hasbro only lost more money, finally ended LPS toy production around 2020-2022 (unsure).
around late 2022, unexpectedly, rumors began to spread about a Canadian nostalgia-based toy company called Basic Fun and their involvement in LPS reproduction, specifically 2005-2012 LPS molds. buying the rights from Hasbro, Basic Fun released their first wave of new-old littlest pet shops to mass success... with disapproval soon following. because LPS consumers were used to going through Hell & back defending their favorite toy's legacy, Basic Fun shouldn't've been shocked to face the wrath of unhappy consumers complaining of new-in-box pets coming damaged, chipped, misprinted, and/or smelly. while the mentioned issues with the newest production of LPS remain, collectors are beyond grateful their favorite toy is back on shelves, in stores, and not devilish in aura.
wanting to double up on a previous success, Hasbro decided to re-introduce Kenner's '70s doll, Blythe, through their successful LPS line aroun 2011. with sets falling under the "Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop" line, consumers typically threw the mentioned dolls to the side, eager to play with the toy they, you know, were interested in. while some committed collectors do seek out LPS Blythe dolls and sets (mainly completionists, in my opinion), most collectors are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on Blythe sets excluding the namesake doll, disproving Hasbro's Kenner-Success Hypothesis into the 2020s.
upon releasing the doll, however, Hasbro began formulating a television show for their beloved toy line featuring Blythe, taking the "pet shop" premise literally. Blythe Baxter, a teenage girl forced to move with her father to--get ready for it--Downtown City after he recieves a promotion, is adjusting to living above a pet shop called "Littlest Pet shop" (THERE IT IS!). while interested in fashion, Blythe becomes an involuntary animal whisperer; discovering she and the pets below can converse, antics certainly ensue. airing between november 2012 and june 2016, the show lasted four seasons and took down the toys it based itself upon.
youtube launched on valentine's day, 2004, but didn't gain traction until 2008-2010 (in my opinion); while LPS had a following upon their initial release, videos with LPS were not something many consumers thought to create. on november 21, 2007, however, the first LPS youtube video was uploaded by LPSlover. dubbed the "birth of LPSTube," LPSlover's "Littlest Pet Shop: The Haunted House" initiated series such as LPS: Popular by SophieGTV, a 15-year-old series that now has, an MINIMUM, over one million views per episode (of which there are 29).
as both youtube and LPS gained traction, some "LPSTubers" became large figures--celebrities--in the community, establishing themselves after gaining over 100k subscribers. puppylover863, SophieGTV, LPShannah, Lps Emily, MusigGirl Pro, LPSskittles, AwesomePossumProducions, and more are some of the largest figures the community's seen to date, although many creators with potential quit LPSTube after youtube instated COPPA, as their videos were no longer monetizable and, regardless of the storylines features, were moved to youtube kids, disabling comments and sabotaging algorithmic success. among the largest creators to quit were LPShannah--the largest LPS channel on youtube--and KinseyLeigh, an adult LPS creator with a distinct and enjoyable style for older LPS fans.
prior to COPPA, however, LPSTube was already "dying." after aging out of the iconic toy line, many LPS creators uploaded videos saying goodbye to their fans, announcing they'd be selling their collections and leaving the platform; others would simply disappear, disabling their channels and/or privatizing all content in extreme cases (i.e. AwesomePossumProductions, PuppyPetshopsTV). while some creators continue uploading, "popular" videos now gain less than 50k views, if that. while LPSTube isn't dead, it certainly is nowhere near as alive as it once was. still, many lovely creators continue to upload LPS videos and attempt to hold the fragile community together; with the re-release of LPS in 2023, the community has grown a decent amount, and loyal LPSTube fans remain active on their host site.
information stripped from en.wikipedia.org, the lps fandom wiki, and my brain
© mkclldub (mk morrison) 2025