13 Retro Dolls From The Wards Catalog
12.27.07By 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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