“The doll you love to dress!”

Tammy, who?  For everyone after the days of flower power there really was only one true choice and she was Barbie.  But oh, those baby boomers – they had choice and she came with style.  Tammy was perhaps Barbie’s biggest challenger and she came equipped with well-made clothing that could weather even some of the roughest play a brother could give it, styled hair and side-glancing eyes that if you look at them long enough just might have crept you out.

Tammy was introduced in 1962 after Barbie had already started to cause quite the stir with her vivacious curves.  The appeal for mothers was that Tammy was a little less city and a little more country, which meant wholesome – like mom and pop wanted their daughters to be.  Tammy was produced by the Ideal Toy Company, and that’s just the reaction they wanted from their Debbie Reynolds/Sandra Dee-esque dolls.  Tammy measured in at a full 12-inches tall and came with moving joints, feet ready for high heels and tiny little individual fingers on her precious little hands.

The following year, Tammy came along with Mom and Dad, brother Ted and little sister Pepper.  Shortly after that, Tammy and the fam featured “Pos ‘N” arms and legs, allowing the parts and pieces to be completely maneuverable.  Mom and Dad got busy the next year and before we knew it, there was little Pete and Pepper decided to make some friends and brought Patty along for the double-jointed ride. 

You’d think it would be enough to keep Barbie at bay, but alas, it wasn’t nearly enough.  The Ideal Toy Company decided enough was enough with their ideals and went the way of the babe-a-licious Barbie and gave Tammy some “mature” curvatures.  Not only did she “develop” she slimmed down thanks to calisthenics.  Or maybe she started getting some of the body issues girls are so often plagued with…  Either way, the slim-down tricks seemed to wok and she picked up a boyfriend, Bud.  Pepper also slimmed down and filled out, but it seems as though the friendship was put on the backburner, since Tammy was now friends with Misty, the gussied-up fashionista in Tammy’s world.  Pepper wasn’t completely lonely – she made friends with Dodi, who was a bit like Barbie’s sister Skipper.  Hrmpf!

By the end of her three-year run, she’d gone through body changes, friendship mix-ups, a relationship or two, and she was also created in a rare “black” version.  The Ideal Toy Company also created a few toys made with famous faces, such as Super Girl in 1966, Wonder Woman and Bat Girl in 1967, and Aquaman’s wife, Mera, in 1967 as well.  For many collectors, as well as those of the 60s that were a little Barbie-weary, Tammy was a breath of fresh, plastic air.  With all the clothes, the sewing patterns and accessories, there was a never-ending supply of fun to be had creating new looks.  Best of all, she and her stuff were built to last.  Check out some doll clothes collections today – you just might find something Tammy once wore.