13 Retro Dolls From The Wards Catalog
12.27.07 By Deanna Dahlsad
The following scans come from a set of Wards catalog pages (saved by a crafter and part of those huge auction lots we bought). None of the pages have any date, however, it’s pretty clear these dolls are from the late 60’s.
Li’L Miss Fussy: She kicks & cries until you change her diaper. I guess it’s realistic & teaches little girls all about the demands of a baby, but noisy, noisy, noisy. My guess is Li’L Miss Fussy would have been kickin’ and screamin’ in the bottom of my toy box.
Suzy Homemaker Doll: Talk about preparing girls for their futures, Suzy teaches your girl just how long and painful the beauty process is… Wigs, falls, wash her hair, dry her hair, put on makeup, coloring her hair, give her a manicure — I wonder if it comes with instructions not to share makeup & wigs with friends’ dolls due to lice and infections? Anyway, the Suzy Homemaker name seems a tad contradictory given that homemakers do not spend their days at the beauty parlor… But (as seen on TV!), these Deluxe Reading dolls (Topper Toys) also had more domestic skilled accessories too.
Tammy Tears & Baby Tammy Tears: Wards’ Exclusives, these dolls do the predictable crying but at least they don’t urinate.
Tubsy: No, she’s not called ‘Tubsy’ because she’s plump; she’s ‘Tubsy’ because she kicks and splashes when you put her in water — and she comes with her own bathtub. I’ve never seen a Tubsy doll, but I’d like to see a water-activated doll that plays in the water instead of peeing & crying. (Not to mention, Tubsy is supposed to stop when she’s out of the water.)
Baby Chatterbox: Turn the bow on her back and “She laughs! She talks!” Along with talking, Baby Chatterbox moves her arms, head and legs and can open & close her eyes. A 14 inch doll for just $6.99 sure opens my eyes.
Cindy: Another Wards’ exclusive, Cindy came with a wardrobe trunk, clothes, a grooming set, and “puffs”. If you know what puffs are, please do tell; for now, I’m assuming they are of the cheese variety.
If I seem to dislike the baby dolls, well, it could be that I knew that childhood would be brief, so why waste it pretending to do the things I would later be forced to do? Or it could be because I really only played with one doll… It was my sister’s doll and I cut the hair to have a baby boy, Timmy. And then I was rather terrified my sister would kill me. Moving on… Let’s see about the other dolls — the less work, more fun, dolls.
Liddle Kiddles: I had a few of the Liddle Kiddles, though not these exact dolls. I love the names/themes: Soapy Siddle and bath set, Liddle Diddle in crib with duck, Surfy Skiddle and surf board, Freezy Sliddle and sled, Windy Friddle pilots plane, and Trikey Triddle has a trike with training wheels (hey, I’m copying the ad; but I don’t think trikes have training wheels — but it’s pretty clear this batch of Kiddles was focused more on the rhyming names).
Lucky Locket Kiddles: Now these I had! I don’t remember any of us wearing the lockets — or even saving those. But the Kiddles themselves were everywhere!
Baby Peewee Twins: Are clearly Fraternal.
Peewees: “4-in folks in Wards Wee-Keeper rack.” What else can I say
Pocketbook Dolls: I don’t remember these at all either… Heidi, Spunky & Pip? I know I’d remember a 5.5 inch doll with Mrs Beasley glasses.
Bottle Babies: “It’s fun to collect… Bottle Babies!” It’s also creepy to display Bottle Babies.
Barbie Goes BRANIFF!: Scream it with me now, “All 4 stewardess outfits designed by Emilio Pucci!” Just look at that “bubble top” which “keeps her hairdo perfect on the way to the plane” — apparently, Barbie knows what Suzy Homemaker knows.
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Article Tags: Chatterbox, dolls, domestic, Fussy, Homemaker, Kiddles, retro, Tears, Thursday Thirteen, vintage, Wards================
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December 27th, 2007 at 8:37 am
I’m scared to say some of those look very familiar…guess that tells a bit about my age, huh?
Happy TT
http://moondancerdrake.livejournal.com/
December 27th, 2007 at 11:10 am
It’s amazing to me (after having a real baby) that kids want a doll that kicks & screams & wets a diaper, LOL.
My Thursday 13 is up!
December 27th, 2007 at 11:18 am
YOU HAVE TOTALLY MADE MY DAY!
“Little Suzy Homemaker” is a HUGE inside joke with my family since I can remember…
I’m shocked not to see “Mrs Beasley” for those young ladies who needed their inner nasty librarian stroked!
December 27th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I had a bunch of Kiddles. There were some that walked with a big plug thing stuck in their backs.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
My niece got a doll for Christmas that poops out green stuff.
December 27th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I always wondered where the phrase “She’s such a Suzy homemaker” came from! Great list!
December 27th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
I’d forgotten about the locket dolls and the “little kiddles”–I had a few of each.
And boy, I remember “Suzy Homemaker”–I lusted after all those kitchen toys.
And here I am now, helping my 8 year old clear up her toys. She has TONS of dolls and has ruined a batch of them–including my prized “Hawaiian Barbie” Ingrate!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane and happy holidays!
December 27th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Whoa. I wasn’t much of a baby doll player, either; my stuffed animals were way more fun.
Those are cool to look at, though. Thanks for the chance to check them out!
Happy TT and thanks for visiting today.
December 27th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
You saved the best for last! I love Braniff Barbie! (Thanks for visiting my TT)
December 27th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
I suspect a screaming, kicking doll would get old very quickly!
December 27th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Gotta love a Wee Keeper Rack! These were so cool. Thanks
December 30th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Why does Barbie have a goldfish bowl on her head?
Great TT
I have three TTs this week:
Review of 2007:
http://www.ravensroads.com/index.php/2007-in-review/
Motorcycling review of 2007:
http://www.ravensrides.com/tt13-2007-in-review
13 RV adventures in 2007:
http://www.ravensrv.com/2007-adventures/
January 8th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Love these retro dolls! Does anyone remember “Baby Whistle”? I’m really trying to find this doll, it was popular in the early 70s when I was around 7 or 8. My sister AND brothers use to love this doll.
January 17th, 2008 at 7:13 am
No, I don’t recall Baby Whistle personally… But I’ll see if I can find any pics or ads. As always, Google it often & do a save search at eBay. Sooner or later you’ll get lucky.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Oh my I swear I had the dolls in the bottles when I was little, maybe they came into fashion in the late 70’s. But my favorite doll from when I was little was my baby beans.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:37 am
The dolls in bottles creep me out… Like little see-thru tombs! But I suppose, as kids, we didn’t think that way.
January 26th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I had a Tubsy doll and am now searching for her. I have yet to find one in very good condition with her tub and robe! If anyone out there has one to sell I am VERY interested! I also LOVE little kiddles and remember the little jewelry dolls that you could pin on or there’d be a necklace or racelet? My fav(and another thing I am willing to pay for if anyone has) are the tiny ones in rings! I was born in 64. Take care all, Ruthy
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:57 am
Oh, I think that the bottle babies were so adorable. The concept was bottles and babies go together. They’re so cute to look at. Don’t you guys love babies?
August 17th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Tubsy did splash. There was a spot on her back or belly can’t remember it was a water line and when you had the was to the line she splashed on her own.
When you took her out she did stop. I’m so sorry I got rid of her as well as my other dolls. I also had Beautiful Crissy, and Penny Brite. Penny Brite was with me until I was a teen when I gave her to my step sister who was much younger.
One thing I did was save my daughter’s first baby doll and now that she’s 26 and expecting her first baby girl I will be giving her back. I can’t tell you how many times I rescued her from the garbage.
Well, take care, Becky