Sindy, the Doll You Love to Dress

Sindy AKA Barbie's competition in the United Kingdom, was produced in 1963. Sindy resembled another American fashion doll, Tammy, and even shared the same byline, the Doll You Love to Dress. When I was young, Tammy held no appeal for me. Tammy's head was GINORMOUS; she had no sophistication, no mystery. So I would not have thought that Sindy would hold any appeal to me as I grew into my teens because Sindy also had a bulbous big head. BUT Sindy had an exotic appeal that Tammy lacked: Sindy had the British edge.

Think Hammer House of Horror, Dark Shadows, and later Masterpiece Theatre. Goth Glamour. The similarities and the differences between British English and American English intrigued me. So when I saw the Pedigree-by-way-of-Marx brunette Funtime Sindy sometime in 1978 or 1979, well, I was more receptive. Sindy would be my third British-themed doll - Mattel's Twist'n turn Stacey and Mary Quant's Daisy were my first and second.

Sindy's realistic furniture and accessories were added to my collection. Then sometime in the early-mid 2000s, I discovered the Vivid Imaginations Sindy and Mel. Added them to my collection. The Vivid Imaginations Sindy doll had better head proportions although her build remained more youthful, more early teen build than MOST Barbies produced at the same time.

I started a Webshots folder with a Pedigree Sindy outfit. My other Sindy items will be added in the future.

For information about Sindy in her various forms, please read Sindy on Wikipedia AND for more recent information, see the current Pedigree Sindy 2000+.

Hasbro Guy Identified: The Defender

The Mystery has been solved, thanks to SuperCoolDollHouse and TheRealDollNerd.

In my July 2, 2009 post, I show a 12" action figure whom I call "my Hasbro guy." Well, SuperCoolDollHouse showed the photo to TheRealDollNerd who identified my Hasbro guy as "The Defender."

I think that Don America aka "The Defender" is pleased to have his identity restored.

More Links About Mattel Twilight Edward - Darn

I did say that I did NOT like the Twilight movie, didn't I?

I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to pop Bella or Edward first. Long, boring pauses with "deep soul-gazing" looks made me long for a fast forward button. The Edward deep-sniffing Bella bit struck me as funny, crazy, and impertinent. Was this a commercial stressing the importance of soap, water, DEODORANT, and the frequent application of the three? Mercifully, I don't recall the dialogue - but I recall shaking my head. A lot. When the "bad vampires" went after Bella, I hoped that they would get her. I howled in disappointment when they didn't.

I did NOT like the movie Twilight.

So now, I am getting my comeuppance for plotting on dolls based on a movie I did NOT like ...

On Toys R Us.ca, Edward is described as having golden eyes and "shimmering" skin. I "translated" that description to "hazel eyes and really pale skin." I'll pretend he has a skin disease. Then I read an article in Orato, an online magazine: Robert Pattinson Gets Own Barbie Doll in which the Edward doll is described as having "semi-transparent skin" and "red-rimmed eyes." So much for my assertion to another collector, that the Twilight doll would look "normal" because "He's by Mattel. They'll want to re-use the head." Ha!

It's like the movie bit [me] back through the Mattel dolls. Sigh.

Organizing Clothes by Season and Size

Note to self: separate doll and action figure clothes by season (spring-summer and fall-winter) as well as size. Most things will go in the spring-summer bin; heavy coats, jackets, sweaters, boots, etc. will go in the fall-winter bin. Then if I can break down by size -

infants/toddlers - 3" babies, Kellys, Todds

children - 8-10" children like Stacey, Harry Potter (young Hermione)

teens - 9-12" young people like Skipper, HSM crew, Mystery Squad, Generation Girl

adults - 9-13" juniors

misses - 10-13" fuller bodied females like G.I.R.L. Force, Get Set, Mixis, CyGirl

plump or husky - heavyset figures (probably keep w. individual doll or action figure)


Ideally, I would like to store the outfits I use for certain dolls or action figures with the doll or action figure. Course that makes it harder to share/borrow clothes across the lines.

2009 Independence Day, USA

Happy Independence Day!

Taboo took some photos of the morning fun.


Kat Listens to the Guitarist




Vinnie Barbeques while Nakia and Other Guests Play Basketball




Other Guests Stretch before Swimming or Chat with Kat

Mattel to Produce 12" Twilight Jacob in February 2010

I learned this exciting news at Denise Van Patten's Doll Collecting Blog, that

1. the Twilight Edward and Bella dolls will be released this November

and

2. that Mattel will release a Twilight Jacob in February 2010.

Here is the link: Denise's Blog

I think that Jacob is the Native American young man. It will be interesting to see Mattel do a new ethnic figure ... wonder if he will use an existing head mold or a completely new one.

Childhood Finds: Malibu Christie and Hasbro Guy

I found this single doll carrying case that houses two of my childhood dolls: Malibu Christie and a Hasbro action figure. Christie was one of my favorite dolls so while she has slight dust from being in that doll case for so many years, she is in pretty good condition. Likewise the Hasbro guy ... whom I bought in a baggie. His name is Captain Don America - at least, that is what I called him. (I don't recall his "real name.") As I took the photo, I thought

1. dust gets into doll cases

2. my Captain America was in the closet

I'm not saying that my Hasbro guy is gay. He's been Christie's companion for years. No, what struck me is that I had him in the closet area, along with Christie's clothes and accessories. OMG, it hit me, I have Kenified an action figure. I had relegated him to "accessory status."

I better duck the Joe fans.

Don's placement wasn't intentionally cruel or deliberate. It is a single doll case. It is Christie's case. There isn't enough room for Christie and Don to fit in that one doll slot. Don was in the closet so that he could share Christie's space. He was/is her man - after she had dated a brown fuzzhead G.I. Joe* and a Black fuzzhead G.I. Joe**.

I suppose I feel embarrassed that my action figures were demoted on entering my then largely doll world. They were drafted into "girl play." All their glory and ranking swept aside to allow them to support a child's storytelling. Rather like I did my dolls so maybe I was not so very bad to them after all.

For anyone curious, when last "played with" Christie was Chief of Police and Mayor of the Doll Kingdom. But Don became Chief of Police when Christie decided that she needed more time for her art. According to the side of the Malibu Christie box, Christie was Barbie's artistic friend.

Asides:

*the brown-haired Joe succumbed to drink.

**the Black Joe fell apart due to drug abuse. Translated: hard play involving Joe "blowing his mind" led to a breakdown of his strung body.

Hope no one is setting up a rescue mission for my action figures. I'm sure that they are happy here. Doesn't Don look happy?