Early Sanrio Animal Characters 1977 Mini Clips Set Bear, Rabbit, Elephant, Bird

Description

View Early Sanrio Animal Characters 1977 Mini Clips Set Bear, Rabbit, Elephant, Bird with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. SANRIO – ©1977 – SANRIO CO., LTD – MADE IN JAPAN. These are early Sanrio collectibles from the late 1970s, predating many modern character lines. •One of Sanrio’s most common early motifs. •Very common in Sanrio stationery from 1975–1978. Pre-Hello Kitty vintage unbranded Sanrio animal characters plastic mini clips, made in Japan and dated 1977. This set includes four different character designs featuring a rabbit, elephant, bird, and bear with simple pastel artwork typical of early Sanrio items. Each piece is marked on the back: SANRIO – ©1977 – SANRIO CO., LTD – MADE IN JAPAN Originally sold as small novelty clips for paper, notes, or crafts. These are early Sanrio collectibles from the late 1970s, predating many modern character lines. Details: •Set of 4 matching clips •Approx. 1 inch wide each •Molded plastic •Original vintage production •Made in Japan Great for Sanrio collectors, vintage stationery fans, or 1970s kawaii décor displays. Please see pictures for condition, size, and details. Sanrio began in the early 1960s as Yamanashi Silk Company, initially selling gift items rather than character franchises. By the early–mid 1970s, Sanrio was experimenting heavily with: •Small, friendly animal characters •Minimal facial features •Pastel colors •European picture-book aesthetics Most characters from this period were not named or franchised. They were design motifs used across stationery, clips, erasers, pencil caps, and small desk items. Hello Kitty wouldn’t debut until 1974, and even then it took several years before Sanrio fully shifted to character-driven branding. These four figures fall squarely into Sanrio’s “generic animal character” phase. 1. Rabbit (Red Polka Dot Dress) •One of Sanrio’s most common early motifs •Represents innocence, childhood, and gentleness •Rabbits were used frequently before My Melody (1975) became dominant •This is not My Melody (wrong color palette and outfit) 2. Elephant (Yellow Dress) •Elephants symbolized kindness and calm •Very common in Sanrio stationery from 1975–1978 •Often paired with flowers, reinforcing a gentle, friendly theme •These elephants were never given formal names 3. Bird (Striped Dress) •Birds were popular transitional designs between animals and humans •Often styled upright with clothes, like picture-book characters •Similar birds appear on Sanrio memo pads and erasers from the late ’70s 4. Bear (Pink Dress, House + Star) •Bears were already popular in Japan before later icons like Rilakkuma •Early Sanrio bears were softer, more abstract •This is not related to later characters like Corocorokuririn or Pompompurin (those came much later) ⸻ Why They Don’t Have Names •Sanrio did not name every character in the 1970s •Characters were treated as design elements, not IP brands •Items were sold based on cuteness, not character recognition •Names only became standard when licensing exploded in the 1980s ⸻ Why Collectors Care About These These appeal to a different buyer than Hello Kitty fans: •Vintage Sanrio historians •Japanese stationery collectors •1970s design & kawaii collectors •People who prefer pre-commercial Sanrio Condition: Used. Category: Collectibles › Animation Art & Merchandise › Animation Merchandise › Other Animation Merchandise. Brand: Unbranded.

Brand

Unbranded

Type

Clips

Signed

Yes

Color

Multicolor

Theme

Animals & Dinosaurs, Animation, Anime & Manga

Material

Plastic

Franchise

Sanrio

Country of Origin

Japan