Barbie and Sindy in the 80s

[mnahmnah]

Hi

I’ve been reminiscing with a friend about our favourite Christmas presents as children in the 80s. We both loved Sindy and Barbie and both got the three-storey townhouse one year for Christmas and a swimming pool. But we remember the swimming pools differently. Hers was the one that shows up on Google images now, whereas I can’t find any trace of mine. I’ve checked with my mum and she confirms I remember it correctly.

Did any of you have the same one I wonder - it was free form style, with a graduated Rocky/grassy edge to it and a plateau for a sun lounger. I can’t remember if it was Barbie or Sindy.

Also, did any of you have a pink and purple Barbie nightclub, with a revolving dance floor and a disk shaped backdrop with flashy lights? Another I distinctly remember, but doesn’t show up anywhere on Google!

@NoToLandfill

I had a Pippa's Apartment, I LOVED it

I had that too, I chucked it when I cleared my dads loft out ☹️

@switswoo81 you just have been the envy of all your friends!

@RhubarbFairy yes! Now you mention it, my kitchen unit I think had actual water come through the tap. And a lift on the outside I think

Some of you may like a dolls house, it’s a lovely hobby, so relaxing escaping for an hour in a tiny world.

@QueefofSheena

My Pippa had a red sports car. This was in 70’s though. I also had a Tressy, who had hair that would ‘grow’ if you pressed a button on her torso.

I had Tressy too with the key !

October 2019 I went to the Palitoy factory in Leicestershire, they had all of the dolls they made, action girl, pippa, action man, Carrie (tiny baby doll you carried around in a car seat thing ), it was absolutely fascinating. They’d chucked loads of dolls bodies into a mine when they were shutting the factory. Worth a visit if they do it again !

I was always very jealous of all my friends who had Barbie and Sindy dolls. I had a Tressy doll (who had hair that grew...you pulled it out of a hole in her head 🤦‍♀️🤣). Whilst I loved her, I still wanted Barbie/Sindy like every other little girl had 😢

My dad made me a 3 story house. When I grew out of Sindy, it became a bookshelf.

And of course Tiny Tears !

I had these guys the barbie ‘heart family’.

Maybe mine was a different version as I’m sure the kids had the same outfits as the parents and were less, err Chucky-like

@mnahmnah everyone worked there at the time, it was a huge employer in the area. The Christmas parties for kids were legendary for the amount you brought home.
I remember my dad coming home with a sofa or a table for my house in his pocket after a shift or extra colouring pencils for my Fashion Wheel!

I had this one. The switch on the side turned it into a bubble spa. I also had a garden furniture set with a BBQ but that was generic non brand bought from the local market. I had the Sindy beach buggy car and the Land rover car and a horse. My Sindy's lived in a secondhand pink 1970s Barbie house.
I am slightly jealous of the life Sindy had.

A girl in my street had a Barbie McDonalds set. But the stickers with the menu etc were all in French.

@Legoisthebest that’s the one I had !

Cindy Range Rover - red. That was my favourite

I had Tiny Tears then moved up to Sindy. I had some of the accessories but alas never had the house. One of my friends had the house with the lift at the side, I was so jealous!
Also had a Hollie Hobbie rag doll and a Cabbage Patch doll. Does anyone remember the stickers that came out, think they were called Garbage Pail kids, we all used to collect them.

I remember one Christmas (v early 80s)getting a Barbie Doll with a single, I distinctly recall it had Video Killed the radio star on one side. Can't find any trace of it online anywhere!

Aww you just reminded me I had the Barbie Fantasy Palace. I just googled it and its exactly how I remember it. You could soap solution in the palace and blow bubbles, it was ace. Completely forgot I owned this toy, thanks for the thread OP 😊

@switswoo81

Well that sounds like a dream!

I had the orange bathroom set. Basin and loo. But her bath was an earlier model and was turquoise.

Rubbery plastic sofa and armchair.

Piano and stool

Think I had kitchen units too. Definitely had a bed. Plus a yellow car.

Horse and carriage.

My DM bought me Ting a Ling Trudy if anyone is ancient enough to remember her.
I had a Sindy given to me by an aunt.
My DM thoroughly disapproved of Sindy and Barbie but I loved Sindy and longed for the horse.
My DDad built my Dsister a dolls house which was truly awful but I’d give anything to see it now.
We had a proper 1970s childhood full of disappointments, itchy jumpers, benign neglect, terrible cooking, poverty and feminism.

Omg @switswoo81 - I loved playing with my older sisters Fashion Wheel. I bet growing up in your house was ace. This thread is making me nostalgic.

My sister had the house with a lift up the side and I had some rubbish second rate version (to me) which was four pieces of cardboard that slotted into a centre post to make four rooms. I was so

Oh yes the fashion wheel! Loved it

@Tempnamelady

I also had a six million dollar woman doll and beauty salon 🤣🤣 , she looked a bit masculine I remember. I also had the six million dollar woman outfit . Anyone remember this?

I remember! and if I recall correctly there were flaps that opened on her arms and you could see the bionics! One doll I remember is Dusty! I loved her air hostesses outfit!

@AmberLynn1536 😂😂😂😂

This was my best ever Christmas present. I unfortunately found it four weeks earlier tucked under a blanket in the cot in my Granny's back bedroom.