Sindy Dolls (2024)

Dating 1975-1985 Sindy Dolls

1975 to 1985 saw Sindy's most popular years. The facial type introduced in 1975 was used until 1985, although some slight differences in manufacturing (eg. differences in the width of the mold, or the color of the plastic) resulted in facial variation. However, the only consistent facial change over the years lay in the color of Sindy's face paint. In addition, the very popular 'Active' body type was redesigned several times, primarily to fix design flaws which tended to result in broken dolls (the 'Basic' body type is not discussed). These differences in face paint and body type can be used to date Active body dolls from this era.

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Head Markings

Markings on the back of Sindy's head provide the best clues to the age of the doll:

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1974 to 1976: "033050X" in small print.Sindy Dolls (3)
1977 to 1980: "2 GEN 1077" on raised rectangle, "033055X" beneath that.Sindy Dolls (4)
1981 and 1982: "033055X"Sindy Dolls (5)
1983 to 1985: Sindy logo on raised rectangle, "033055X" beneath that.
Faces
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Dolls from the late 70s and early 80s tended to have paler face paint, and paler lips in particular, than the mid-70s and mid-80s dolls. The mid-80s dolls tended to have a wider apple-cheeked face. The 1975-1976 heads were made from a very hard plastic, whereas the later heads were much softer and more malleable.

Hands
Sindy Dolls (7)1975-1977 Sindys had ball-bearing wrist joints. The hand terminated in a spherical hollow which snapped onto a sphere attached to the end of the arm. The wrist rotated on the sphere.Sindy Dolls (8)This style of joint was rather fragile and the hand tended to snap off, especially if the wrist were bent at a 90 degree angle. Often, in snapping off, the lip of the hand would crack, making it impossible to reattach the hand without glue and thus without immobilizing the joint. Very little effort was required to break this kind of joint.Sindy Dolls (9)In 1978 Sindy's wrist joint was redesigned. The new hand was hinged, and terminated in a long plug which was rooted in the arm. Sindy Dolls (10)The hand and plug could swivel within the arm, and the hinge could bend to a 90 degree angle. The hand could with some force be pulled from the arm, and then reinserted into it. Sindy Dolls (11)This design was very sturdy and rarely broke in the course of normal play.
Shoulders
Sindy Dolls (12)1975 and 1976 Sindys had metal rivets in their shoulders. The shoulder joint protruded from the torso, holding the arm slightly away from the body. The rubber bands connecting the arms to the torso were exposed in this design, making them less resistant to wear and more liable to snap.Sindy Dolls (13)1977-1985 Sindys did not have the metal rivet, and their arms were set closer in to the torso. This design offered greater protection to the rubber bands inside Sindy's shoulders and was therefore more durable.
Waist
Sindy Dolls (14)The 1975-76 Sindy had two waist joints, there being a half-spherical dish fitting between the torso and pelvis. Wear on the disk tended to loosen the joint over time, making it difficult to stand the doll upright.Sindy Dolls (15)In 1977 the waist joint was redesigned, and the torso was connected directly to the pelvis. This style of joint allowed less freedom of movement, but was sturdier.
A Note about Melt Marks

Many dolls may be found with melt marks, typically at the shoulders and hips. These marks are caused by a chemical reaction between Sindy's hard plastic torso and her soft vinyl arms and legs. Acetone slowly leaches from the vinyl and melts the hard plastic. If vinyl and hard plastic are left in contact for a long time (typically years) melted areas will develop where the two materials touch. These marks are not a result of abuse -- dolls which have never been removed from their original packaging can carry these marks.

This is not a problem confined to Sindy. Many dolls and other toys also suffer from melt marks. If the marks are not too large, they can be removed or minimized with polishing. Severe melting which prevents the joints from moving can be gently pried apart and the melted area cut off with nail scissors.

Never use nail polish remover to clean a Sindy doll. The acetone in polish remover can cause considerable damage as it reacts with the doll's body. Even if washed off immediately after use, small amounts of acetone can remain, causing damaging chemical reactions for many years.

Sindy Dolls (2024)

FAQs

Is Sindy doll British or American? ›

Sindy is a British fashion doll created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys in 1963.

Who was first Sindy or Barbie? ›

Despite (or perhaps because of) the success of Barbie, Pedigree Soft Toys launched Sindy in 1963, aiming to prove there was a market for another fashion doll.

What is an original Sindy doll worth? ›

The 'Gale Sindy', produced in 1985 is rare and highly valuable; it recently surfaced on eBay valued at 1,102$. Another model which is popular is the 1977 'Royal Occasion Sindy', 'Superstar Sindy' the ice skating beauty and 'Weekender Sindy' of that same year are all good investments.

What was the name of Sindy doll boyfriend? ›

In 1965 Sindy got a boyfriend called Paul. According to the Style Guide they met at a dance and Sindy was immediately attracted to his pleasant, shy personality. The leaflet says “She noticed what a well-dressed young man he is (and you know how important clothes are to her!)”.

What is the difference between Barbie and Sindy? ›

Sindy was believed to be created as a competitor of the Barbie doll. She was meant to be a younger, simpler version of the glamourous Barbie. Barbie was, and still is known for her more mature and beautiful looks. She also has her many furniture pieces, homes, and cars.

Does American Girl have a black doll? ›

Du Bois). Claudie is the fourth Black doll in American Girl's historical line.

What was the popular doll before Barbie? ›

The Lilli doll was copied, and altered to some degree, for Mattel upon the direction of that company's co-founder, Ruth Handler. Mattel acquired the rights to Bild Lilli in 1964, and production of the German doll ceased, in favor of Mattel's new vinyl doll, which they called Barbie.

When did the first pregnant Barbie come out? ›

Midge (Barbie)
Midge Hadley
The controversial "pregnant" Midge doll
First appearance1963
Created byMattel
In-universe information
3 more rows

Who was Barbie's first sister? ›

Skipper Madison Roberts was the original little sister of Barbie, and has been quite popular over the years.

What is the rarest my child doll? ›

The African-American dolls have black hair; Hispanics have dark brown hair, and the others had platinum blonde, ash-blonde (two tone), brunette, red, and (in the last year of production) strawberry-blonde. Strawberry-blonde therefore being the rarest and most valuable, followed by red heads and brunettes.

What is the rarest doll in the world? ›

1. L'Oiseleur (The Bird Trainer) doll - $6,250,000. This is the most expensive doll in the world.

How do you identify a vintage Sindy? ›

Markings on the back of Sindy's head provide the best clues to the age of the doll: 1974 to 1976: "033050X" in small print. 1977 to 1980: "2 GEN 1077" on raised rectangle, "033055X" beneath that. 1983 to 1985: Sindy logo on raised rectangle, "033055X" beneath that.

How old are Cindy dolls? ›

Sindy was launched in 1963 as 'The Doll You Love To Dress', and soon became Britain's best-selling and most loved, teenage fashion doll around.

Who is Ophelia doll? ›

Ophelia, The Doll That Dies, is a product that stirs up a diverse array of opinions and questions, but ultimately has the power to change perspectives on death. The doll is made out of biodegradable and compostable materials that degrade over time with play.

What is the history of the Sindy doll? ›

She was the first UK toy ever to be advertised on television. The name “Sindy” was chosen after a street poll where young girls were shown a photo of the doll and asked to choose their favourite name from a list of four. The most popular choice was “Cindy”, although the spelling was changed to “Sindy”.

Who is the dark haired girl in Barbie? ›

Raquelle is a fair-skinned young woman with long wavy black hair and brown eyes. She is the same size and body type as Barbie, allowing her to borrow Barbie's clothes as needed.

What is Barbie's sister? ›

Did you know #Barbie has 3 sisters? Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea.

Who was the first non white American Girl doll? ›

American Girl introduced Addy Walker in 1993. She was its first doll of color. The character was born into slavery in North Carolina. With her mother she escaped to freedom and moved to Philadelphia.

Which American Girl doll was homeless? ›

Sept. 26, 2009— -- She might never live in Barbie's dream-house, but Gwen Thompson is the talk of toy town. She's the world's first "homeless" doll.

Are there any biracial American Girl dolls? ›

The Chinese-American doll Ivy Ling was a companion to the white historical character Julie Albright. The biracial Japanese-American doll Jess McConnell was the 2006 Girl of the Year, but both sides of her family had lived in the United States for several generations.

What is the most famous doll ever? ›

Barbie. The first mass-produced doll in the U.S. with adult features, Barbie officially debuted on March 9, 1959, at the International Toy Fair in New York and went on to become not only a sales juggernaut—but a global cultural icon.

What is the rarest Barbie doll? ›

1 Original Release Barbie Doll

While she may not have the highest sale price, or a gown made of diamonds, or a limited run, the original 1959 Barbie doll from when the icon we know and love now first debuted is one of the rarest Barbies in the world.

What is the most sold Barbie of all time? ›

Totally Hair Barbie, 1992

With hair that touched her toes — complete with a tube of styling gel, this Barbie became an instant hit — and the best-selling version in Mattel's history, with some 20 million sold.

Why was Midge doll banned? ›

Critics thought it promoted teen pregnancy, so Walmart pulled Midge from the shelves until Mattel made a version where she'd already had the baby — and no longer appeared to be pregnant.

Why was Midge Barbie banned? ›

The original Midge, waistline skinny as can be, was first introduced in the early 1960s. In 2002 she was pregnant, the subject of controversy, and was pulled from store shelves after parents complained the doll, packaged alone without family members, sent the wrong message.

What year did Barbie first get a belly button? ›

Even though Barbie has been everything from an astronaut to a computer engineer (what a kerfuffle that turned out to be), it wasn't until 2004 that she got a belly button. And it wasn't until 2016 that Mattel announced it's introducing three new body types to its Fashionistas range of dolls.

Does Barbie have 7 siblings? ›

3. She's just one of seven Roberts kids. Over the years, her siblings for sale have included: Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea, Krissy, Kelly, Tutti, and Todd.

What is black Barbie's name? ›

In 1968, Mattel created Christie. Christie had the same body as Barbie so that their clothes were interchangeable. But her face was a new design intended to highlight the facial features of a Black woman. Many consider Christie to be the first “Black Barbie.” Christie was part of a series of talking dolls.

Who is Barbie's son? ›

1961-present: Ken Carson was introduced on March 11, 1961. He was named after Kenneth, the son of Barbie creator Ruth Handler. Ken's backstory is that, like Barbie, he is from Willows, Wisconsin.

Which doll never falls? ›

A roly-poly toy, round-bottomed doll, tilting doll, tumbler, wobbly man, or wobble doll is a round-bottomed toy, usually egg-shaped, that tends to right itself when pushed at an angle, and does this in seeming contradiction to how it should fall.

What is the oldest doll in history? ›

Wooden paddle dolls seem to be the oldest complete doll found as they were found buried in Ancient Egyptian burial grounds and tombs which date back all the way to 2000BC.

Are Cabbage Patch Kid dolls worth anything? ›

Cabbage Patch Kids were insanely popular in the 1980s-90s, and like most unique doll brands that took off, they're highly collectible today. In fact, the original Cabbage Patch Kids sell for thousands of dollars some 40 years later. Hopefully, you kept just one or two of these valuable must-have Christmas gifts.

What was the first evil doll? ›

"Dead of Night" was released in 1945, meaning that this doll, Hugo, might be the original scary doll. "Dead of Night" is an anthology horror film — the most famous part involves Hugo, the dummy, who seems to somehow have a mind of his own.

Are any holiday Barbies worth money? ›

The most valuable holiday Barbies are from the years 1988-1992. Dolls that are MIB (mint in box) from those years sell for between $40-$200. A set of NRFB (never removed from box) dolls from 1988 to 1998 can sell for around $1,000.

What did the Sindy doll look like? ›

HOW TO IDENTIFY SINDY DOLLS: 1963-64 doll: "Made in England" is on her neck, 29 centimeter (11.4 in) in height, soft head, rigid body without marks, hollow and hard legs; hair colour is blonde, brunette and auburn and it has a fringe (bangs) and looks like a messy bob.

How can you tell if a doll is collectible? ›

Lift up the hair around the back of the doll's head to see if the manufacturer's mark has been stamped. The majority of antique dolls have a mark but it could also be somewhere else on the doll's body, for example on its back or the soles of its feet. You could also check the inside of the doll's clothing for any tags.

How do I know if my old dolls are valuable? ›

Searching through doll reference books and price guides is often the best way to identify an antique doll's manufacturer mark. Additional methods to identify an antique doll include: Take it to an antique appraiser specializing in antique dolls. Send images to an online doll appraiser.

When did they stop making Sindy dolls? ›

Hasbro remodelled the doll to look more American. But as Mattel's Barbie continued to grow in popularity and enjoy continuing market growth, Sindy's declined which eventually led to her being delisted from major retailers in 1997 and Hasbro returning the doll's licence to Pedigree.

Where is the Sindy doll Museum? ›

Welcome to the homepage of The Little Sindy Museum (TLSM) a small museum in Sweden, only about 45 square metres, filled with the love of Sindy dolls.

How many Pippa dolls are there? ›

Employing subtle variations, Palitoy produced over 30 different 'Pippa and Friends' variants by using only three head moulds and different hairstyles. They also produced numerous fashions for the dolls, along with an apartment, a pony, a car, and even her own hair salon.

Did Ophelia have schizophrenia? ›

Ophelia is a character in Hamlet who is shown to be diagnosed with the mental illness “Schizophrenia”. Her diagnosis within the first acts of the play is weak, however, her mental illness reaches its peak in act 4, as a cluster of schizophrenia's symptoms are shown.

Who was Ophelia the daughter of? ›

Ophelia is Polonius' daughter and Laertes' sister. She has been in a relationship with Hamlet. Claudius is the newly crowned King of Denmark and husband to Gertrude. He is Hamlet's uncle.

Why did Ophelia fake her death? ›

Ophelia later learns Mechtild is not only Gertrude's twin sister but also Claudius' former lover. He ruined her by accusing her of witchcraft when she miscarried their son. She escaped persecution by faking her own death with a special poison.

How many Sindy dolls are there? ›

Inspired by the original Pedigree dolls, each of the six dolls wears a modern interpretation of the fashions of original Sindy doll releases from 1963: Shopping Look, Weekender, City Chic, Dream Date, Skater Girl, and Sleepy Time. Each of the six versions is limited to 1,963 dolls.

What doll was first Sindy or Barbie? ›

Sindy hit the toy stand five years after her biggest rival, in 1963, courtesy of Pedigree Dolls & Toys. And while Barbie had already won over most little girls, many a British girl was won over by this new, curvier, fuller-lipped role model.

Does the UK have American Girl dolls? ›

Amazon.co.uk: American Girl Doll - Dolls & Accessories: Toys & Games.

Is Barbie American or British? ›

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.

Is Generation doll an American Girl doll? ›

Our Generation® dolls are 18-inches tall, making them comparable to American Girl® dolls. The two brands of dolls have very similar bodies, and are pictured above in 123 Mulberry Street Gotchies both made from the same size pattern in order to show the similarities and differences in their proportions.

How can you tell if a doll is an American Girl doll? ›

If it says "American Girl" or "Pleasant Company", then the doll is an authentic American Girl doll. Another way to check the doll is to check the doll's body for a body tag. Body tags are more prominent in Mattel-era dolls, but they exist: Hope this helped!

Why are most American Girl dolls white? ›

White bodied dolls were all made in West Germany until the factories moved to China in the mid 1990s, and some people prefer that quality.

Is there a biracial American Girl doll? ›

Everything About American Girl Doll Evette Peeters

When she discovers racism in her own biracial family, she works hard to heal her world—family, friends, river, and all.

Is American Girl doll losing popularity? ›

American Girl Sales Drop 19% in Q2 2022 (But It's Not That Bad!) American Girl sales have dropped 19 percent in the second quarter (April, May and June) of 2022, from 40.6 million to 32.8 million.

Which Barbie is Hispanic? ›

Puerto Rican Barbie (1997)

She comes complete with a white ruffled outfit, earrings, a ring, and shoes. iQue linda!

What's Ken's real name? ›

Kenneth Sean Carson is a fashion doll and fictional character invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by American toy company Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier.

What is Barbie short for? ›

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Barbie was named after Ruth Handler's daughter, Barbara, and Ken after her son, Kenneth. She is from (fictional) Willows, Wisconsin, where she attended high school.

Who is the most rare American Girl doll? ›

Without a doubt, the most collectible American Girl dolls are Addy, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Molly, and Samantha. Look for dolls manufactured in the 1980s. They were first released in 1986, and these original dolls are the most valuable of all of them.

What is the oldest American Girl doll? ›

The Kirsten Larson doll was released in 1986, along with Samantha Parkington and Molly McIntire. They were American Girl's first three Historical Characters. Kirsten was officially archived in January 2010, though a Special Edition version was released for the 35th anniversary in 2021.

Why are American Girl dolls retired? ›

Dolls have been retired for various reasons. Some include: Some dolls are retired due to low sales or low stock. Others dolls have been retired soon before or after a doll of a similar nature is released.

What is the black American Girl doll called? ›

Addy was the first Black character released by American Girl, as well as the first doll of color. Addy was the first doll to be released with earrings; she and Josefina Montoya are the only two characters with attached earrings.

Did American Girl doll change their name? ›

Truly Me (originally American Girl of Today in 1995; shortened to American Girl Today in 1996; renamed Just Like You in 2006; renamed to My American Girl in 2010; and renamed to the current name in 2015) is the line of clothing and dolls that are intended to reflect a more modern time than that of the Historical ...

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