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Patti Playpal Party, So Cal, 1961
The flash of a flashbulb reflects in the living room window through which we see a tinsel-trimmed tree and someone peeking at the backside of a bevy of backyard beauties. This is the valley of the dolls! Which ones are real? Meet Patti Playpal! She is a “companion doll.”
The contrast between the big dolls and their little owners, or lack there of, is shocking and proves there’s quite a difference between a baby doll and a life-size plastic playmate. Seems Patti is less like a doll and more like a special friend. They can even share clothing. And they need to because the dolls are better dressed.
All but the young lady on the right looks into the camera. Perhaps she looks away in shame for she is the only one with a Patti Playpal wannabe, a fake, a fraud. Size-wise the faux Patti is slightly more monstrous, and judging by her hair and eyes, looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket.
The first Patti Playpal was born in 1959 at the Ideal Toy Company in New York City, the same fine company that introduced teddy bears to the world in 1903!
What I wanna know is… where are all the Patti Playpals and their playmates now!?
Here’s to Patti, her pals, Teddy, the Ideal Toy Company and YOU!
December 15, 2009
Los Angeles
PS! Join me THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, DEC 20th @ 2pm at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood… for my RETRO HOLIDAY SLIDE SHOW! Celebrate New Years, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas like you never have before. Your imagination will be inspired and your holiday spirit will soar! …also in Seattle, WA on Dec 27 and Portland, OR, Dec 29
Posted Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 under Slide of the Week.
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Whoa, Charles!!! I haven’t seen or talked about Patty Play Pal since about 1960!! I loved my P.P.P. Doll! Later, they came out with a version of the doll that walked. HOWEVER, Patty did not bend her legs or arms. She resembled a walking Frankenstein-Patty doll! Kinda’ scary for us kids!
Thanks for the memory!!!
Hugs and Happy Holidays!
Ellen B.
“L.A. Is My Beat”
To answer your question, “Where are all the Patti Playpals?” — they are here on ebay. I assume their playmates are biting their fingernails as the price climbs higher and higher during the auction. There’s even one going for $400!
Thanks for this picture! What a great memory. It was one of my best Christmas moments ever when I saw Patti Playpal standing next to tree. The 50’s were such an odd but awesome time to grow up!!!
I wonder why the little girl on the left looks so pissed? Maybe she was one of those “tomboys” who really wanted a fire truck or baseball mitt and instead got a stupid doll! My sis & I loved our Patty’s (my mom told me mine was “Penny” – was there one actually named that?) I can’t speak for anyone else, of course, but I know what happened to the PPP’s given to my sister & I-we hacked up their little plastic bodies for Halloween during our ‘tween years and displayed them in the yard drenched in ketchup-sick! And I feel sick to this day that I didn’t keep them long enough (intact) to make a “killing” with them on eBay…
I never had a Patti Playpal doll, but my best friend did. I had a large doll called “Sweet Sue,” which wasn’t made too long because the legs would come loose. I cried when Sue’s legs fell off as I was getting her ready for bed! We made many trips to the doll hospital with her. I still have Sweet Sue (after 50+ years) and she sits in a large doll chair in my living room. BTW, her legs bend and her rubber arms are jointed at the elbow. Despite the design flaw, she is so much prettier than Patti Playpal.
Thanks for the memories . . . it was indeed good to be a kid in the 1950s.
Hi Charles, wait, wait, blink, blink, The girl second from the right is holding a baby doll dressed in a gown and a bonnet. The ‘doll’ dressed in red, standing in front of her, is a REAL GIRL!!! and she is hiding a tiny doll under her sweater. You can just see the little doll’s face peeking out of the neckline of her outfit.. My daughter was just a baby when this craze hit, but I have a photo of her later on, with a ‘Chatty Cathy’ doll. Fun slide!!
Hey Charles-We miss you here in Panama City, Fl! I had one-know it was that one because I remember the Ideal trademark on the nape of her hard plastic neck. She was more of a substitute friend than a ‘dolly’; I remember sort of dragging her around to prop her in this place or that. Thanks for the memories and Merry Christmas!
YES – little missy 2nd from left brought with her a *real live* Patti Playpal, who brought her own baby doll, and a spare for “mommy”. It’s the real doll quasi-equivalent of Russian stacking dolls. Or something like that. (Looks like real live Patty Playpal is wearing high heels – tres petit chic!)
Ditto on the “Walking Frankenstein” comment above. The “locked-joint” nature of MY SISTER’S “Chatty Kathy” scared the hell out of many an unprepared toddler THAT CHRISTMAS DAY!
Are some of these little girls wearing make-up!? THEY JUST LOOK RADIANT. Maybe this was the spark for all those HORRIFYING “Little Miss Sunshine” contests that upper-class, Redneck-America FORCED THE MAJORITY OF THIER “PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRLS” INTO PARTICIPATING.
Well. ALL… except for the REALLY WIERD LITTLE GIRLS, THAT SOON DISCOVERED THE “POWER THEY COULD WIELD” OVER MERE CHILDREN & SOME ADULTS WITH THIER PRINCESS CROWN & LIFETIME SUPPLY OF SPAM.
Cool shot! Definitely hits the early-60s era on the nose. I do not remember Patti Playpal, though my wife does–we were both born in 1954.
Patti Playpal. Did she grow up to start Paypal? This is certainly a mix here. I do enjoy how the gal on the second right brought her own live Patti. Let’s just say she developed early. My sister had a huge ‘dancing doll’ that always scared the jeebers out of me.
Whoa, Charles!!! I haven’t seen or talked about Patty Play Pal since about 1960!! I loved my P.P.P. Doll! Later, they came out with a version of the doll that walked. HOWEVER, Patty did not bend her legs or arms. She resembled a walking Frankenstein-Patty doll! Kinda’ scary for us kids!
I had a Patty Playpal, too . . . dark brown hair and wearing the pink dress version above . . . when I got really bored, I would dress my baby brother in her little outfit . . . he was much livelier! Dad made me stop (LOL)– but I still have the pictures to prove it . . . lilfe seemed so much simpler back then– even tho’ it wasn’t.
there is a dynamite book named “the art of patti playpal”.cost is about 30.00.but it is beautiful,and filled with pictures and information about patti, and a section of other large dolls.which includes shirley temple in the 36″ size.patti hit the market xmas 1959,and was made untill about 1962.was released again in 1982.now a copy is sold by ashton drake.my wife and i are 80,and have a stock of 5 pattis,and one shirley.they are company since our grand and great grand children live 4,000 miles away in alaska.check ebay @ dolls and bears-ideal-playpals.we list one for sale now and a gain.if buying,remember all real pattis are marked on the back of neck and center of back.ideal doll g-35.the more valuable ones are platinum blond-carrot top red-black cherry-cinnamon-golden blond.not in this order,and this is hair color.