In 1986, the boxes for all Mr. Potato Head sets were changed to a blue and white pattern that remained until the mid 1990’s. Although essentially the same, you will notice small changes to the boxes when the removable arms were added in 1990. This larger body style has remained relatively constant for Mr. Potato Head for nearly 20 years. The difference with the arms (bendy vs. removable) is the most predominant variation.
But if you look close, some other differences can be found. The writing inside the trap door has changed several times over the years. The original 1983 version can be distingished by the large Hasbro Preschool logo on the inside of the trap door. Also, the 1983 version did not have a hole in the top of the head. The addition of new hats a few years later prompted Hasbro to include the hole up top.
