Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (2024)

I'm pleased to announce that the second edition of
Crissy and Her Friends: A Guide for Collectors
has recently been released in e-book format.
Click here to read it!

Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (1)

Lesson One:


Now that you have found yourself at Crissy's very own website, click here to attend your first class.
Get basic knowledge about Crissy as she was issued year-to-year at "Crissy 101".

Lesson Two:


Other Big Girls
(Learn about Irish Kerry, the two different Sears Tressy issues, and sun-tanned Brandi.)

Lesson Three:


The Smaller Girls
(Learn all about the Velvet issues, impish Mia, sun-kissed Dina, Sears Posin' Cricket,
Tara, and the three different Cinnamon issues.)

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Click on the buttons below.

Click the below buttons for help with restorations.

Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (47) Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (48)

* Write the author for further information or if you have a question.
* I answer ALL emails. If you do not receive a reply, then you need to look in your spam file for it.
Please add my email address to your accepted addresses list so the reply won't end up in spam.

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HEADLINE NEWS! HEADLINE NEWS!
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

* WOW! What a pretty hair growing prototype doll by Ideal. Click HERE to see her!

* Read this interesting new information about Crissy's head profile art found on the earliest boxes! Go HERE to read this exciting news!

* Brandi has been Steampunk'd! This read is rated PG.

* And Tressy goes west. Another fun story... turn on your speakers!

* A letter from Mr. Neil Estern, one of the Crissy family sculptors.

This is my book, which is now sold out.

Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (55)

This beautiful advertisem*nt is from a toy trade magazine.

Learn how Crissy, her friends, family, clothes, and accessories were introduced to the buying
public from 1969 - 1985 by going to The Ideal Toy Corporation, Buyers Catalogs.

Looking for pricing guidelines?

Wanna be famous!? The "Me'N Crissy" page link is now active. Do you have pictures of yourself with your childhood Crissy family doll? Crissy And Beth would love to add your picture to the page! They are so charming and endearing. The files collected so far will definitely make you smile. If interested, get in touch now! You will be required to digitally sign your permission to use your photos. Thanks!

Have you heard? Crissy went on vacation! She has completed her 2006-2007 tour of the US, Australia, and Canada!

Read her on-line travel journal. On March 29, 2007, she made local news and was in the newspaper. Please read about it on her travel journal link, near the bottom of the journal entries.

The Glamour Dolls Dashboard link is now active! Have you ever wondered why the Crissy doll you just purchased is wearing clothing not identified on the catalog or aftermarket fashions pages found here on Crissy & Beth's website? They might have belonged to another doll altogether. Little ones were/are prone to dressing their dolls in any outfits that they have no matter who they belonged to. Grab a cup of java and see these dolls and their outfits by utilizing the dashboard.

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Have you ever wondered how many Crissy dolls were made? Just take a look at this photo below. It originated from UPI's photograph collection and somehow made it out into the public. But read what it said on the back! It appears to have been typewritten.

Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (56)

So from what this says, every day during the week that this doll was being made, let's assume Monday through Friday, 20,000 were made. That is 100,000 a week. So in approximately 32 week's time, over 3 million dolls were made? Is that even possible? There was only eight months between the beginning of production and when this picture was taken. That is probably why there are still so many of them today! The Beautiful Crissy doll certainly isn't rare.

My Story

I've been asked if *I* had a Crissy doll as a child. Sadly, the answer is no. But I've more than made up for it. I had a childhood friend who wasn't actually interested in letting me play with all of her toys and I never forgot her Crissy doll. When I was about 25, I found a listing in a doll magazine that mentioned there was a "doll show" just two hours from my home. This sounded interesting as I never heard of such a thing.

I was waiting in the lobby for my daughter who was using the facilities at the hotel where the show was being held. At this point, I was still clueless what a doll show was, thinking perhaps it was some sort of traveling antique show where you could go in and "look" but I didn't expect anything more. When I noticed everything had a PRICE tag, I could hardly wait for my daughter so we could SHOP!! And shop we did. I had only brought $30 or so with me, thinking we'd need lunch money. But when I saw THAT Crissy doll, in her box, with an extra outfit, I was nearly heartbroken... the tag said $35.

Now back then, that was TOO much, but I didn't care. And since I didn't have enough cash with me, the seller let me write a check. The rest, as they say, is history. She is the doll that started it all. Being a researcher by nature, my book Crissy doll and Her Friends: Guide for Collectors was released in 1998. It sold out in three years, but there are some available second hand on the Internet.

I believe I own the most complete collection in the country, if not the world. It includes every doll issued mint in the box (MIB), every outfit issued by Ideal, mint in pack (MIP) and a loose one too, and every paper doll, coloring book, pattern, case, accessory set, etc. ever made. The archives include counter displays, prototypes and some examples that never made it into actual production. I also have the most complete catalog collection out there so that I can ID nearly any outfit that was sold to compete with Ideal's creations. Wards, Penneys, Sears, and several Canadian outlets created catalog exclusives and competition for Ideal. Additionally, there are literally thousands of aftermarket outfits in a zillion variations as well as Sew Simple kits that one could use to create Crissy couture; many of these are featured in my archives. My collection has grown quite vast over the past thirty-something years. If you ever find yourself in Atlanta, let us know! Crissy and I would love to meet you! We can always make time for a play date complete with tea and cookies!

As time allows me, I update, add to, and recreate this site. While I'd love to say I have a staff of people photographing and writing for me, I don't! It's just me (c:

Please know that you are welcome to come back often. I LOVE having company!

DEPERATELY SEEKING! Have you ever wondered, "Where are they now?" Please go here to see these "Crissy Models" and if you know one of them, maybe you can tell us where they are now.

Copyright warning! All photography and textual content of this website are protected. Please do not copy and use for other purposes (such as eBay.)

* Send an Email
* I answer ALL emails. If you do not receive a reply, then you need to look in your spam file for it. Please add my email address to your accepted addresses list so the reply won't end up in spam.

ALWAYS BUYING-ESPECIALLY BOXLOTS AND CHILDHOOD COLLECTIONS!

Crissy and Beth, The Ultimate Guide on Crissy Family Dolls (2024)

FAQs

How did the Crissy doll work? ›

Movin' Groovin' Crissy

This issue is often confused with the "Look Around Crissy" model released in 1972. This doll, who came wearing a jewel-toned taffeta floor-length gown, was different from previous Crissy models as it employed a mechanical apparatus, set in motion by pulling a pull-string.

What are the names of the Crissy dolls? ›

Ideal's Crissy Family: Velvet, Dina,Tara, Mia, Cricket, Brandi, Kerry, Cinnamon and Life size Baby Crissy.

How old is Chrissy doll? ›

Released in 1969 from Ideal, the Crissy Doll was a big and bold entry into the fashion doll scene, with the unique (at the time) ability to “grow” hair.

What was the doll experiment? ›

In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark designed and conducted a series of experiments known colloquially as “the doll tests” to study the psychological effects of segregation on African-American children. Drs. Clark used four dolls, identical except for color, to test children's racial perceptions.

Did the Crissy doll have a sister? ›

Cinnamon, Crissy's sister. Ideal Toys family of dolls that had growing hair by the push of a button. Crissy doll, Vintage dolls, Doll family.

What does the name Crissy mean? ›

Origin:Latin. Meaning:Follower of Christ. Crissy is a feminine name that serves as a fun spin on names like Christy and Christine. Coming from the Latin name Christianus, it translates to “follower of Christ.

What doll had hair that grew? ›

Tressy doll..... her hair grows | Fashion dolls, Childhood memories, Dolls.

What doll has hair that grows 70s? ›

Gorgeous Ideal Crissy red head growing hair doll from the 1970's.

How tall is Kelly Barbie doll? ›

Kelly is only 4 in tall and Chelsea's over 5 in tall.

Who was the first celebrity doll? ›

First Celebrity Doll

The original Twiggy doll had iconic Twiggy makeup and wore a yellow, green, and blue vertical-striped mini dress and yellow boots. She was the beginning of a long line of dolls made to resemble celebrities and fashion's elite.

How did Tiny Tears doll work? ›

If there is already enough water inside the doll and you continue to feed her, water will spill out from the doll's mouth. Stop feeding. Press the doll's back (upper back button) a few times, the doll will make crying sound with water coming out from the doll's eyes as 'real tears'.

How did the chatty Cathy doll work? ›

The ring was attached to a string connected to a simple phonograph record inside the cavity behind the doll's abdomen. The record was driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string. The voice unit was designed by Jack Ryan, Mattel's head of research and development.

How do American Girl doll eyes work? ›

The eyes are made of three parts. The main eye is a half circle of molded plastic with attached lashes; there are two small pegs to allow rotation. The main eye is encased in two parts. The back is a plastic half-dome that the hinges rest in, with a stop so the eye cannot rotate back too far.

How was the American Girl doll invented? ›

The dolls were conceived as an accessible way to teach children, especially girls, about different parts of American history. Pleasant Rowland created American Girl in the 1980s when she went toy shopping for her niece and was appalled by the options for girls.

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