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Original poster

Sindy was far superior to Barbie

213 replies

LittlePotteryBird · 05/01/2026 09:44

I feel sorry for girls today who don’t know the pleasure of playing with a doll whose arms and legs bent (sometimes resulting in a nasty open fracture but never mind). I loved my Sindys and the outfits and accessories were so much better and more conducive to imaginary play than the Barbie stuff I see around. Barbie outfits in particular look shite to me.

Does anyone know of a poseable doll like Sindy that comes with good accessories? I know my granddaughter would love a ballerina, or a police officer, or a doll that wore normal clothes.

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18
ApplebyArrows · 05/01/2026 10:45

Always been a bit freaked out by "realistic" dolls and action figures and find the more joints they get the more the uncanny valley feeling increases. I much prefer more stylised toys.

GalaxyJam · 05/01/2026 10:43

IMissTheLittleBluePackets · 05/01/2026 10:42

My Sindys and Barbies lived harmoniously in one section of my bedroom so I never paid too much attention to what was 'Sindy' and what was 'Barbie'.

However, I've been surprised as an adult when I've looked up my favourite playsets and discovered that most of them were Sindy! The Make Up Counter, Hair Salon, Cafe etc, all Sindy.

The hair salon was brilliant. My best Christmas present!

KimberleyClark · 05/01/2026 10:43

I had a talking Barbie at one point. When you pulled the string at the back of her neck she would make inane comments like “I have a date tonight” and “how shall I wear my hair?”

IMissTheLittleBluePackets · 05/01/2026 10:42

My Sindys and Barbies lived harmoniously in one section of my bedroom so I never paid too much attention to what was 'Sindy' and what was 'Barbie'.

However, I've been surprised as an adult when I've looked up my favourite playsets and discovered that most of them were Sindy! The Make Up Counter, Hair Salon, Cafe etc, all Sindy.

GalaxyJam · 05/01/2026 10:41

SoManyTshirts · 05/01/2026 10:27

I wanted a Barbie and full from-frou but got Sindy and her practical clothes instead, “because you’ve got brown hair”. Went off the whole doll and dressing up thing pretty quickly after that.

My Sindys were all blonde!

UnusualOtter · 05/01/2026 10:39

I also had this one which Google tells me was called Fair Lady Sindy

Sindy was far superior to Barbie
leporello · 05/01/2026 10:38

They had a thing going on with my brother's Action Men though, tut tut.

leporello · 05/01/2026 10:37

YANBU, I loved my Sindys - ballerina, majorette and equestrian. I have rarely been so jealous as when my cousin got the Sindy house for Christmas.

Bowednotbroken · 05/01/2026 10:36

I had a Sindy and a Tressy and her hair eventually wouldn’t retract too!
I also had a Sindy bed and wardrobe, and I think my sister had the horse? Many hours of fun.

FranklyAnd · 05/01/2026 10:36

Ohpleeeease · 05/01/2026 10:35

Sindy all the way. She had a pony and a boyfriend with hair.

I had the pony. And my Sindy was brunette! I loved her and played with her obsessively for years.

Ohpleeeease · 05/01/2026 10:35

Sindy all the way. She had a pony and a boyfriend with hair.

UnusualOtter · 05/01/2026 10:33

Sindy was superior and Masquerade Sindy was best of the lot, with her wee fan and mask and all that curly hair. Can't believe my mum gave mine to my cousin's daughter (to be fair I was in my 30s at the time).
Also between me and sisters we had ballet Sindy, "rain and shine" Sindy (she had a sundress and also a raincoat and umbrella) and various generic Sindys.

Sindy was far superior to Barbie
mrsfeatherbottom · 05/01/2026 10:32

I only had Sindy when I was young and between my two best friends and I, we had all Sindys and only one Barbie and the Barbie was always the evil Stepmother!

My girls had Lottie dolls when they were young - they are great.

KimberleyClark · 05/01/2026 10:31

Always think of Sindy as a horsey aristocrat who might have dated Prince Charles. While Barbie was a supermodel who dated rock gods or film stars.

AphroditesSeashell · 05/01/2026 10:30

Every Christmas my sister and I would each get either a Barbie or a Sindy. It switched round on random years for who got what. Whoever received the Sindy was always quietly disappointed as it was perceived as the lesser of the dolls...

I once had a Christmas Barbie that was wearing a beautiful red velvet, 'fur' trim dress...ah she was a beauty. At 40-odd years old, I'd still like the Stevie Nicks Barbie doll, but it's only available in America, is £££ and was probably limited edition anyway.

5foot5 · 05/01/2026 10:30

KimberleyClark · 05/01/2026 10:24

Does anyone remember Tressy? The one with growable hair? Or Daisy, the Mary Quant one?

Yes!

I remember one day at primary school it was the last day of term and we were told we could bring a toy in. One girl brought Tressy and we were all fascinated and encouraged her to make the hair grow as long as possible. She did and then the mechanism seemed to get stuck so she couldn't wind the hair in again. Tressy turned in to Cousin It.

ImWearingPantaloons · 05/01/2026 10:28

Sindy had a horse.

End of discussion

Livelaughlurgy · 05/01/2026 10:28

I had the ballet Sindy, it was GORGEOUS. And then a Sindy with a dog. I also thought it was Cindy up until this thread.

SoManyTshirts · 05/01/2026 10:27

I wanted a Barbie and full from-frou but got Sindy and her practical clothes instead, “because you’ve got brown hair”. Went off the whole doll and dressing up thing pretty quickly after that.

Soashamed60 · 05/01/2026 10:26

@PineappleCoconut I always thought Barbie was the sluttier one. I'm surprised to hear this. I only ever had Sindy, never a Barbie. My mum was very old fashioned for her age. I just can't imagine her buying me the sluttier one 🙂

TwillTrousers · 05/01/2026 10:26

Agree. Even if ballet Sindy broke her legs.

Lightwell · 05/01/2026 10:25

Shittyyear2025 · 05/01/2026 09:59

Yanbu. I would die on this hill.

moi aussi. Bloody loved my Sindys.

My daughter really likes monster high and rainbow high - they are more poseable than Barbie, and have more interesting hair. They have a wider range of figures with big bums and knock knees and fatter and thinner.

The styles esp Monster High also speak to a more dark and counter-cultural attitude that DD has.There are boy dolls who aren't so bland looking and have make-up and hair and stuff.

Barbie is always giving "bland middle class insta influencer in beige" even when they try and make her be a surgeon or something. She is late capitalism.

My DD likes different hair colours and bodies that look more interesting and varied and a wider range of taste.

MajorBoobage · 05/01/2026 10:24

Much preferred Sindy. All the Sindy figures that I had were sporty versions with cool outfits and trainers whereas all the Barbie ones were in excessively sequinned ballgowns and stilettos.

I also liked that Sindys arms and legs could be contorted in various ways whereas Barbie was far more rigid and limited in her movements!

mine shared a townhouse and were in a three-way relationship with Ken.

KimberleyClark · 05/01/2026 10:24

Does anyone remember Tressy? The one with growable hair? Or Daisy, the Mary Quant one?

GoldOpenAccess · 05/01/2026 10:24

TomatoSandwiches · 05/01/2026 10:21

Wasn't it Cindy? Or am I thinking of something else?
Anyway, I chewed the feet off all my dolls to see how they moved inside 🙈

😲😧 At least you're honest 😂