Velvet was released in 1970. Her head is mold marked 1969. Her body is marked 1970.
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Velvet was released in 1970. Her head is mold marked 1969. Her body is marked 1970.
One may find that the black issue of this doll wears a more "hot" pink version of the dress. The panties are also hot pink. Notice that the tissue that these dolls are wrapped in is lavender (for both white and black dolls).
Velvet also talked from 1971 to 1973. She was known as Talky Velvet (right). Talky usually has a shag haircut on her foundation hair. Too bad, because it really looks whacked to collectors. Very few have the usual style for Velvet's foundation hair, but there are some. The doll above, on the far right, has the usual foundation hair. Talky Velvet was a white issue only.
Talky's outfit was a housecoat just like Talky Crissy's outfit. Under that were matching panties and she wore yellow shoes in the usual style of Velvet shoes. Included in the box was a large baggie that held large and medium hair rollers, a brush, ribbons and bobby pins. She was a pullstring talker like Talky Crissy. At the end of her string was a butterfly. She spoke six phrases: "Come play with me." "My hair grows." "Hi, I'm Velvet." "Comb my hair, please." "I want to be your friend!" "I want to wear my new dress!"
In the picture above, one may note that the two boxes for Movin' Groovin' Velvet and Talky Velvet are very similar.
This issue had matching panties on under her dress made in the same taffeta fabric. She is a corresponding doll to Look Around Crissy. Her foundation hair is a tad more wavy with more body than previous Velvet issues. Both black and white dolls were dressed the same and functioned the same way.
Her torso is jointed at the waist as is her upper neck. They are motorized and activated by a pullstring (just like LA Crissy). At the end of the pullstring, like all Crissy family dolls with a pullstring function of any sort, was the butterfly pull tab. After it is pulled, she looks around, her neck and waist moving to the left and right in tandem.
The Illfelder Toy Company used up old stock from Ideal by re-packaging the Look Around Velvet (far right).
The 1973 Velvet with a Beauty Braider (above, left) is a straight waist doll that corresponds to the Beautiful Crissy with the Swirla-Curler. In fact, their boxes are very similar. Her hair gimmick is the Beauty Braider (which was also sold in the Beauty Salon- click to see that section of this site). The directions were somewhat confusing but one was to divide the hair into three sections and place each section in place in the Beauty Braider. It really did make a nice smooth braid once one got the hang of it!
Both the white and black dolls wore the same lavender floral dress decorated at the waist with a flocked sewn-in sash with a large bow on her back. The shoes were lavender and shiny. The back and the front of this box are very pretty. The black version of this doll in the above picture is still sealed in her body baggie and hasn't been touched my human hands since 1973. Amazing!
The 1974 Velvet with the New Swirly Daisies was the corresponding doll to Beautiful Crissy with Twirly Beads. Both black and white dolls wore the exact same outfit with no variation. Her mini-dress was created in a plaid print, trimmed with a flocked "velvet" sash. The panties matched, having been made in the same plaid. On occasion, in an MIB example, one may encounter a doll that has the previous year's dress (Beauty Braider) included in the box, sealed in a baggie. This was an attempt to get rid of leftover stock. But what a nice surprise! Two outfits for one doll!
Her Swirly Daisies device was created just like the Twirly Beads device in that it had a cone that was inserted into the doll's grow hole. It was wired so that it could be woven into her 'tail to create a fresh Spring hairstyle.
These Eighties Ladies' hair function was profoundly different. Their hair "grew" by means of a pullstring on a ring that came out of her back. It functioned just like Baby Crissy's ponytail. Their foundation hair was also styled differently. It had a side part and was rather wavy.
Dina's "tattoo" was actually a sticker. It came in the box with the doll, usually folded inside the directions. The sticker did not adhere to the doll very well, therefore it's hard to find it on the doll.
Cricket's outfit was constructed similarly to the number one Velvet's outfit, an A-line dress trimmed at the waist with a flocked ribbon. Her panties were made of the same material. Her shoes were a shiny red-orange t-strap. The little hair clip above is original to the doll and is usually missing. It was held in place by a small plastic pick. It was made of the same fabric as her flocked ribbon waist trim. This doll can on occasion, be found with blue eyes. If she has blue eyes, her hair will be a darker auburn, very similar in color to Crissy's. If one finds a blue-eyed Cricket and her hair is the same cinnamon color that is usually found, then the eyes were more than likely replaced in order to fool the customer. Please shop carefully. At the bottom of this page, one can see a nice picture of the blue-eyed Cricket, third photo from the bottom. She is modeling her Sears exclusive The Wedding Belles bridesmaid outfit. When she was packaged with the exclusive outfit, she wore her original issue outfit, described above, along with her shiny red-orange shoes. The bridesmaid outfit was packaged separately and included in the box. No extra shoes to compliment this special outfit were included.
Tara's outfit is a very sweet yellow and white gingham pantsuit completed with yellow t-strap shoes. She has small white bows tied to her pigtails at her temples. The box is very sweet. Here again, we find an instance where Ideal photographed the doll with a child, something they didn't do often.
Be aware that her original issue outfit was heavily starched from the factory. Remember, as starch ages, it can become dingy or beige-y. But don't despair... Tara's outfit can be returned to its original yellow and white by hand-laundering in an oxygen-bleach type detergent and cold water (to prevent fading). Hang up to dry in front of a fan to dry it quickly.
Interestingly, evidence has finally surfaced that Ideal toyed with other names for Velvet's Little Sister. Please enjoy this must read page!
In 1973, she was known as "Velvet's Little Sister, Cinnamon with a Hairdoodler," black or white. Her Hairdoodler device could be found in the Crissy's Beauty Parlor set as well. This year, she wore a variation on the previous year's dress but with an added collar. Her shoes were the same.
Her Hairdoodler was a nifty device that created a mound of swirls and curls on top of her head.
By 1974, she came in another outfit, but sometimes had her previous year outfit packed in the box with her. She was called "Velvet's Little Sister, Cinnamon with the New Curly Ribbons." She also came black or white. The white doll wore orange shoes but curiously the black doll wore dark blue shoes in the same style.
She was sold with a hair device that resembled yellow and white ribbons that was used to create new hair styles.
All Cinnamon dolls (above) are being shown in their issue outfits.
On occasion, the collector will encounter a version of Cinnamon that has eyelashes configured another way. This has been referred to as cross-lashes or X-lashes. Not only are the top lashes painted differently, but the bottom lashes are painted more plentifully. Below is a picture of the Cinnamon with X-lashes.
Notice both sets of lashes, upper and lower. Some, though not all, of these dolls have deeper auburn hair than the "usual" Cinnamon with pale copper colored hair.
All text and photography, © June, 2005, by Beth-Ellen Colvin