Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Dolls, dolls, dolls

I had dolls, you probably had dolls and in the 1980's Cabbage Patch Kids made it ok for boys to have dolls (wasn't GI Joe a doll?). I've been thinking about dolls as a potential bead series so I've been researching my childhood and probably yours too.

Here's the first doll I remember getting for Christmas one year - Chatty Cathy. The commercial is for an older version of the one I had. Watch the commercial, I had that winter coat with the fur, minus the hat. No not for the doll, my sister and I had a version and I have a picture of the two of us in front of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree when I was probably 3 and a half. Anyways, here's Chatty....



One year, I wanted a Barbie, but was given a Skipper instead. I think because she cost less than the Barbie.



Then there's "Swingy" - where the toy companies co-opted the swinging '60's and made a doll out of Nancy Sinatra!

I finally got the Barbie, The Living Barbie! There was nothing better than Marsha Brady and Barbie (I had a version of Marsha's jumper too!)



What dolls did you have growing up? Dancerina? Baby Secret? Comment and tell me who you had!

7 comments:

angelinabeadalina said...

Chrissy, the one with the hair that grew, not the chubby cheeked baby version but the one who looked like a teenager. I also had a doll who cried tears when you raised her arm up, but I have no idea what her name was.

Which one of yours was your fav?

Sharon Driscoll said...

Wow, fun concept Cindy! I started with a Barbie. Before that was Raggity Ann and my Grandmother thought I should collect Madame Alexander's. They we boring and I kept them up in the closet. My very favorite was a sock monkey, hehehehehe.

Katie said...

I had a Raggedy Ann doll that was almost as big as me :o) My mom, who was very handy with a needle and thread, also made me a "Momma Patch" doll - she couldn't get her hands on one the year they became SO popular, so she made one for me...She also made us sock monkeys - complete with the red on the butt :o)

As for Barbies...I always chuckle when I remember that I didn't have an actual Barbie - I had a Brooke Shields doll...Unibrow and all :o)

Cindy Gimbrone said...

Hi Angie,

Oooo, Chrissy! She was hip! That hair was the coolest thing going! LOL!

I loved my Barbie when I finally got her - used to sew clothes for her and my knit her sweaters!

My dolls were well loved so none of them were saveable ever. I gave Chatty Cathy a bath and ruined her ability to speak forever! LOL!

Cindy

Cindy Gimbrone said...

Hi Sharon,

Who doesn't love a sock monkey?! I agree with you, what's a doll you can't take out and play with and maybe give a bath (see my comment above - wink)!

Cindy

Cindy Gimbrone said...

Hi Katie,

You had Brooke Shields and I had Skipper at first. Look at how Barbie and Brooke have both survived! Both still lovely - how did they do it? :-)

Cindy

Larc said...

Wow that's pretty neat, it's so funny to go back and watch things from the yesteryear. You can listen to the theme song and find Cabbage Patch Kids birthday party supplies, cake decorations, and Cabbage Patch Kids coloring pages at JuniorToons.com if anyone is interested. I had the small Teddy Jefferson. I wonder how they came up with all the names?