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!

@LondonBus38 I had the Barbie caravan.

I still vividly remember it too. The pull down bunk beds, the sun roof and the tiny cutlery it came with.

@Garysmum

Cindy Range Rover - red. That was my favourite

Ah I had that. It’s still at my parents.

@FizzingGently - what a perfect description, the only thing I would add is candles for light, 3x a week. The strike couldn't have gone on for that long, but the evenings by tea- light are still vivid in my head.

I was allowed a ballet Sindy, but everything else was barred because it was plastic. I had a friend who had everything. I swear there was a pink rolls Royce, but I might be confused because her dad had a rolls. Her life seemed a dream, even though I know she was miserable. Many a happy hour colouring the horse's mane with felt tips

Ballet Sindy's bend feet finally broke from too much ballet, which made her look like a victim from the Kathy Bates movie...

Did anyone have a Suntan Tuesday Taylor doll? She was a blonde, Barbie style doll who actually tanned in the sun!! She came with a little sheet of stickers in the shape of hearts and rainbows etc, that you could stick on her body so that when she had been out in the sun you could peel them off and see her white patches hahaha.

My Mum and Dad bought her for me one Christmas around 1978 along with her very snazzy, two storey beach house!

Google her, she was great!!

I had the Barbie McDonald's and also the tv studio. I loved the Sindy wardrobe and armchair and dog too.

I've still got @petitebleu's cooker and @Legoisthebest 's pool. Plus an entire house, furniture and accessories... All in pretty mint condition - I'm an only (def not a lonely though!) and was a careful player. I spent many, many happy hours with my Sindies. DD (21) then played with them and am hoping any grandchildren will share our Sindy joy one day!

DixieSun was your Barbie McDonalds in french too?
I vaguely remember the girl down the street's Dad was the kind of bloke that bought toys from some geezer round the back of the pub - which is possibly why her McDonalds was French

We have just unpacked this beauty of a windy house that is 34 years old. It belonged to my sister. My mum packed it all carefully away including all the bits and tiny piece. My niece now plays with it regularly. It's so much better than the ones you can buy now.

Ah, i loved that Sindy house, best Christmas present ever. I got a stable/garage extension the year after. All Sindy items were such good quality.

Aww hugs to everyone who wanted a Pippa's Apartment.
I was amazed I got it though. The only decent present I remember getting. I grew up in the 80s with not much money to splash.

I remember being sent upstairs to play with the daughter of my mum's friend. She had the Barbie (?) house that was 3 stories and a balcony and a lift on the outside. And she wouldn't let me play with it. What a mean child!

I used to think the Barbies just looked odd. Nowadays they are slightly more realistic. Biceps and no thigh gap are pretty good.

I like the Mattel frozen dolls, and the Mattel Disney princesses dolls. They managed to make them all look like the actresses/ characters. No thigh gaps!

Can't stand thing gaps and spindly legs on a doll!

Lottie Doll is a new one, she's lovely. Like the anti-barbie!

Age 8ish body, can stand up, age appropriate clothes. Really lovely.
And the B&M horses (sometimes unicorns) in a stable box fit them perfectly!

@SweetPotatoDumpling

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 😢

I had a Tressy doll, but she was my mum's originally (she was born in '59 and I was born in '82). Her hair just didn't go back in one day.

I had one Sindy doll as a child but I don't remember the packaging and always thought of her as Cindy.

Swan lake Sandy. I had this one I loved her.
But why do I rememberCindy with a C not a S

I loved Pippa, she was tiny.
J also had Tressy and Daisy, the Mary Quant doll.

I can't remember if they were Barbie or Sindy. I had a 3 story mansion with a balcony and lift. I could never get the lift to work so my brother tied a bright orange shoe lace to it and rigged it up his own way. I had a red sports car. A jeep and a camper van. I had stables but no horses. My horse mad sister was given the horses. She housed them in her my little pony castle.

I had a Sindy cafe, with dozens of tiny bits of cutlery, glasses and plates. Which by the time I had set if up just felt life housework.

We loved days when my big brother would come and play dolls and my little pony with us. He would bring his trolls and action men.

I remember seeing gone with the wind Barbie once in toys r us it was beautiful. I wanted it so badly. But I think it was an expensive collectors item.

I collect Sindy dolls, did you know there are now new ones in the shops? Look on Facebook & Instagram for adult collectors.

[quote mnahmnah]@Fuuuuuckit

Mine was this exact one. I had the pink kitchen unit. The wardrobe with big S on each door. The white fancy dining table. The fluency pink bed.[/quote]
That's what I had was just trying to picture it! Thank you lovely memories

I loved barbie back in the 80s, I had a Sindy but she was always cast as the evil harlot trying to steal Ken away while barbie was at work (as a champion horse rider/hairdresser/doctor)

I had this house which was amazing, the bed was a four poster that glowed in the dark and my favourite barbie was this one - she had a skirt that doubled up as a bag! ( what a woman)

Does anyone remember the travel hospital that folded up into a carry case?

Nat6999 I follow lots of Barbie collectors on Instagram, they are amazing.

Is it me or were toys so much better in the 80’s?

@Malibuismysecrethome

I have boys, without much interest in Barbie and Sindy etc, so I can’t compare! Nerf guns and the thwack from their bullets are pretty high standard

@NoToLandfill

I had a Pippa's Apartment, I LOVED it

Me too! I loved it do much!

I still have a case of pippas in a carry case. Some only have one arm or leg. I have a princess pippa with really long hair. My DD is now 19 but she never really played with them. I remember using my slippers as a car!!! I definitely had ponies for them too.

@maddiemookins16mum

My mother refused to buy me a Sindy or Barbie. I had an Action Girl (and her useless horse).

Oh God, yes! I had 2 Action Girls, brunette and blonde. They were so dull. And their horses were dull because their legs were fixed. I remember one of their front hooves was slightly pointed forward though, like that weird pose Instagrammers do all the time.

In the late 70s, my friend had a beautiful, posable Holly Hobbie doll wearing a gorgeous dress, petticoat and bonnet. She also had the lovely bedroom set. The quality was amazing. I would pay very good money to get my hands on one now.