Childhood Dolls from the Past
Dolls by Ideal Toy Corp, 1968-1971
This post began with a desire to photograph two dolls by Mattel. During the process, I reacquainted myself with several dolls that were major hits for children during the late-1960s through the early-1980s. Their manufacturers – Ideal, Mattel, and Remco – were quite competitive during this 20-year time span with Ideal and Mattel taking the lead in sales. My collection consists of several other dolls by these manufacturers and others (EEGEE, Horsman, Kenner, Shindana, to name a few) that are not shown or discussed in this post. The ones shown “chose” to be featured and discussed at this time. (They all needed a good dusting and I am sure are still thanking me for it!)
Ideal
Lazy Dazy by Ideal, 1971
Lazy Dazy ©1971 is a 13-inch vinyl and cloth doll with dark brown sleep eyes. She has a two-piece canister-type body. The doll can sit, but with the slightest movement, she tilts over as though she is falling to sleep. Lazy Dazy wears her original floral print pinafore over her peach flannel body. She is missing her matching floral print pillow.
Me So Glad, Belly Button Baby by Ideal, 1970
Me So Glad, Belly Button Baby, ©1970, is a 9-inch all vinyl baby with soft vinyl head, arms, and legs. When her belly button is pressed, her head, arms, and legs wobble about as though she is extremely excited. The doll has black rooted hair and brown painted eyes.
Newborn Thumbelina, Ideal, 1968
Newborn Thumbelina, 9 inches, has brown straight rooted hair with a side part and brown painted eyes. The pull string in back activates her wiggle-like-a-baby movement. She wears her original white top and orange knit pants with enclosed feet. Newborn Thumbelina has a copyright date of 1967 and entered the market in 1968.
Mattel
Baby Beans, Mattel, 1970
Baby Beans, ©1970 is 10-inches with vinyl head and hands and pellet-filled cloth body with sewn-on orange romper and matching hat. Underneath the hat are black rooted bangs. She has brown painted eyes and a wide smile.
Baby Brother Tenderlove, Mattel, 1976
Baby Brother Tenderlove is a 13-inch, anatomically correct drink and wet baby with vinyl head and one-piece soft vinyl body with brown curly rooted hair and painted brown eyes. This doll made his doll market debut in 1976 and is Mattel’s first anatomically correct Black baby doll. Anatomically correct females were available, but the male was more controversial.
Baby Skates, Mattel, 1982
Baby Skates is a 15-inch rigid vinyl wind-up doll that skates. She has a soft vinyl face, rooted brown hair, and brown painted eyes. She wears a pink and yellow skater’s outfit, yellow elbow and knee pads, and roller skates. The copyright date for this skater that does not require batteries is 1982.
Baby Small Talk, Mattel, 1968-1969
Baby Small-Talk, is a 10-1/2-inch pull-string talker that was available from 1968-1969. The doll has a vinyl head, arms, and legs and a rigid plastic body. The rooted hair is brown as are her painted eyes. The mouth is open with two upper and two lower teeth. She wears her original aqua and white polka dot dress with daisy appliqués, white panties, and pink hair ribbon. Baby Small-Talk says eight different “baby-talk” phrases. Seven of these are: “I love you. Kiss baby. I’m sleepy. Go bye-bye. Nite-Nite. Play Patty Cake. Baby Sleepy.”
Hush Little Baby, Mattel, 1975
Hush Little Baby is a 15-inch battery-operated crying and moving doll, ©1975. She probably entered the market in 1976. The doll has vinyl head, arms, and legs, and a rigid vinyl body with battery compartment in back. The brown hair is rooted and was originally curly. Because of the poor condition of her hair upon arrival, I shampooed and conditioned it before styling in several braids held with ponytail holders and barrettes. She wears her original pink and white short pants, white top with animal motif on front and pink and white trim at sleeves and collar. Hush Little Baby has brown painted eyes.
Remco
Growing Sally, Remco, 1968
African American doll artist, Annuel McBurrows sculpted Growing Sally for Remco. The doll has a box date of 1968, style #3295. Sally is all vinyl with black yarn hair and painted facial features. She is 6 inches before she grows a half inch taller. There is a mechanism in the middle of her body that activates her growth. An extra full-length dress and wig are included for her to wear after she grows.
I love Growing Sally's facial features.
Discussed in another blog post, other dolls sculpted by Annuel McBurrows for Remco include: Baby Know It All, Brown Eye Billy, and Winking Winnie. These dolls are from the Brown Eye doll series. Additional Brown Eye dolls along with a head shot of McBurrows can be seen here.
Singing Mimi was also a popular 20-inch fashion doll by Remco, 1973. Mimi is not a McBurrows design.
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As a child, did you own any of these; or did your children own any?
dbg
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