One must crawl before they can walk, walk before they can run - and snap before they can zip. Of course that last part only makes sense to those who ever fumbled endlessly with their doll clothing before their little hands were quite up to the task of the plethora of buttons, hooks, eyes and zippers necessary for your average costume change. Thankfully, Dolly Pops offered a glimmer of hope to those with underdeveloped dexterity who just wanted to change their dolls dress like everyone else.

It was the fine folks at Knickerbocker who made dressing a snap for little doll owners everywhere when they introduced the line of Dolly Pop dolls in the late 70s. Standing at only 3” high, they had long flowing manes of hair, either blond or brunette, and a pair of white bloomers just aching to be covered with one of the two easy-to-snap-on outfits that were included. And for more wardrobe choices, there were four sets of outfits available, falling into the categories of Play Time, Party Time, School Time and Country Time. Whatever the occasion, Dolly Pops were ready for action.

 

But what’s a doll without a colorful environment in which to play? Wouldn’t it be nice if, say, there was a dress show she could attend, or a horseback riding adventure, or a nice home to come back to after one of these playful excursions? Well, never fear – all of this and more was available, thanks to various little plastic suitcases that when popped open, revealed the scenery necessary to put her right in the middle of the action. And then there was Pop Town, the grand daddy of accessories for the Dolly Pop. It was a virtual neighborhood of fun ready to be folded out and explored – complete with a dress shop and toy store. Throw in nine, count ‘em, nine fabulous outfits and a baby complete with snap in cradle, and the sky was the limit.

As the 80s wore on, Dolly Pops eventually faded from the store shelves, but not before giving a bunch of little girls the opportunity to play with their beloved dolls, without the same hassles that wardrobe changes presented in other, more sophisticated playthings. Dolly might not have offered all the possibilities of, say, a pretentious Barbie - but let it never be said that she wasn’t a snappy dresser in her own right.