The First Furby

Dave Hampton and Caleb Chung both created the Furby. They spent nine months conceptualizing and designing them, and nine further months creating them. After two attempts at licensing the concept, they invited fellow toy and game inventor Richard C. Levy to join their efforts to sell Furby. Levy brought Furby to Tiger Electronics and Tiger's Roger Shiffman bought the rights to it. Furby’s first public appearance was at the American International Toy Fair in 1998.

In A Chat with Dave Hampton, he states he was originally inspired of the idea for Furby after seeing Tamagotchi at a Bandai booth at a toy fair, and also adds he didn't like Tamagotchi very much.

Concept art

The first concept art was drawn in 1997.

There appeared to be lore about Furbys arriving in UFOs that was scrapped.

The first drawing of the Furby concept

The First Furby

The first Furby prototype was made from a tennis ball, which was rigged to move around like a puppet. It is owned by Caleb Chung. This Furby was tested with a knob attached to the Furby with wires. It has one motor.

Chung holding the first Furby

Chung pointing to the speakers under the fur

The prototype, skinned

Comparison

Caleb Chung holding the front of Furby's mechanism

Mechanism Back

The First Designs

Christi Chung helped Caleb Chung on the first designs.

Building Concepts

Other Early Prototypes

Full Article here

A photo of a prototype Church Mouse Furby and a prototype Witch's Cat Furby

Adult Furby 1998 Commercial

Furby from the first commercial

Furby from the first commercial

A brown and white prototype

A gray and white prototype with green eyelids

Dana Munshaw and two prototypes

Dana Munshaw and some prototype 1998 Furbys at the American International Toy Fair in New York (Credits: Aflo and Reuters)

References

1. https://myfurbyworld.neocities.org/prototype.html