1968 Scenesetters
When you look at the “1967-1968 Tri-ang Bumper Book of Toys” it would appear that only two Scenesetters were released for sale in 1967 and in comparison with the 1968 Sindy Brochure, there was a wealth of brand new Scenesetters for 1968. The first 1960s Scenesetters saw Pedigree’s initial steps into providing scaled accessories for Sindy. These additions proved to be very popular and so Pedigree began to produce more of them. These scenestters became a staple part of the Sindy product portfolio alongside the dolls and outfits.
All the old scenesetters were still available but ‘Paul’s Scooter’ was now renamed ‘Sindy’s Scooter’ and her ‘Wardrobe’ had been restyled to match her cherub ‘Bed’. In addition a new bedroom furniture range was introduced as well as items which complemented Sindy’s outfits. There was also a brand new scenesetter for Patch, her own pony. The boxes were finely drawn stylised pictures of the scenesetter contained within.
The 1967-68 Hamley’s catalogue, which was released in time for 1967 Christmas ordering shows items for Sindy, Patch and Paul which span both 1967 and 1968. For example the Sindy shown is the original short-haired version, Paul (who was dropped at the end of 1967) is also shown, but surprisingly you can also see Sindy’s new restyled ‘Wardrobe’ and ‘Patch’s Pony Pixie’. This is quite logical, Pedigree made toys and you need new attractive products for the Christmas spending rush. So in all likelihood, as we have seen elsewhere, some of the items that we show belonging to certain years were available earlier, probably to capture the Christmas market. The photos that we are now able to show for 1968 of Sindy’s ‘Dressing Table’ and ‘Bedside Table’ have on their reverse illustrations of other Sindy scenesetters that you could pester your parents for, and they show the earlier scenesetters (see above) which points to them also being available earlier. Looking at the picture of the scooter, it is not called ‘Sindy’s Scooter’ which as we know was renamed in the 1968 Sindy Brochure, it is still called ‘Paul’s Scooter’.
To try to avoid confusing you, we will show the Sindy item wherever possible in the year of the official Pedigree Sindy style leaflet or brochure, but please bear in mind that some of them were probably available earlier than the leaflet or brochure suggests.
Sindy's Wardrobe (Ref 12SA2)
Whilst the shape of the Wardrobe was fundamentally the same, with the internal mirror, shoes rack, top shelf and built-in drawers all retained, the wardrobe was now made completely in white plastic. The wardrobe doors were restyled with a decorative gold edging with two large heart decorations on each door with an “S” in the middle. This design now matched her bed perfectly.
Sindy's Dressing Table (Ref 12SA5)
Almost rococo in style, the dressing table was the first of Sindy’s newest suite of furniture for her bedroom, and very much in keeping with her cherub bed and restyled wardrobe in white with gold moulded decoration. It consisted of a two drawer dressing table with a large mirror and a stool with a fabric cover (of which there are a number of designs including moulded plastic). Sindy’s name was embossed between the drawers. There was a beautiful set of accessories to help make Sindy look glamorous: a hand mirror, brush & comb in white decorated with gold, a gold powder puff box containing a real powder puff with a blue ribbon, two cosmetic bottles, a tissue box and a vase of flowers.
The 1968 Style Leaflet said a set of undies came with the dressing table, but we do not know which ones they were – can you help?
Sindy's Bedside Table (Ref 12SA6)
A matching bedside table with a real working light and a white breakfast tray. The bedside table had a lamp with a frilly white net lampshade edged in pink and trimmed with a pink ribbon. The on/off switch was normally situated on the table. The breakfast table had adjustable legs and it came complete with a small breakfast service of a coffee pot, milk jug and sugar bowl, cup, saucer, plate and cutlery.
There was a cute photo of Paul (who had been discontinued) in a silver frame.
A “Cosy Jumper and Socks” were also included which we believe was the ‘Sloppy Joe’ set.
Some versions of the 1960s bedside table have a variation in the lampshade decoration and the on/off switch is placed in different positions.
Sindy's Camping Set (Ref 12SA7)
A bright orange A-frame one-man tent, with a camp bed and quilted lined sleeping bag with a real zip.
The box illustration for this set was very pretty, showing a new 1968 Sidepart wearing 1967 ‘Carefree Camping’ (Ref 12S22).
The tent was made from a plastic frame of two A-frame end pieces and three plastic poles inserted into the A-frames, to give the profile of the tent. The legs on the A-frames insert into pockets in the tent fabric to pull the material tight to give it a nice defined shape. The tent itself is an orange cotton material, with a reinforced strip of the same material along the top. The opening end has 4 white cotton ties which were used to tie the tent flaps shut. The other end of the tent was sealed. It had a paper label “Made In Hong Kong”.
The camp bed was made from a rectangle of blue cotton material with the long sides folded and stitched to make long open pockets. The side poles of the bed frame could be inserted into these pockets and then the poles were then clipped onto the W-shaped leg frames. It also had a paper Hong Kong label.
The sleeping bag was made from quilted cotton, navy blue on the inside and sky blue on the outside. It was made of three pieces of material sewn. It had a metal zip stamped YKK.
There was also a version which came with a bar of Lux soap rather than the soap box, as shown above in a nice MIB (Mint In Box) example. We think the ones with the soap are rarer because many of them must have been opened and used. The box illustration is again particularly pretty.
Sindy's Washday Set (Ref 12SA8)
With all those clothes, it was only a matter of time before Sindy would need to do some washing and so here was her wonderfully detailed laundry set. There was an robust pink plastic ironing board with a white cotton cover, and attached to it by a black lead was a solid metal iron with a black plastic handle and temperature dial. There was also a blue plastic clothes horse, a yellow clothes basket, a yellow plastic coated washing line & six coloured pegs, and a box of Lux with real soap flakes.
Sindy's Bath (Ref 12SA12)
Sindy’s original pink and blue bath with a real tap and plug on a chain. The bath had a blue back etched to look like tiles. It concealed a water tank which when filled would in turn fill the bath when the tap was turned on and the plug in the plughole. To drain, you removed the plug. For extra value the original inner packaging included an illustrated cardboard bathroom surround, with a cut-out towel rail and fold down shelf which could be used to create a bathroom.
The style brochure for 1968 notes that there was a lovely selection of accessories to go with the bath. They listed a bath towel (shown in the illustration in yellow with a Sindy “S” printed in red), a facecloth, a wash-bag (illustrated in pastel blue, the same as in ‘Sleepy Time’), brush, mirror, comb, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, sponge and dressing gown (looks to be ‘Cosy Nights’ reused from the illustration).
Other references vary on what accessories were actually included, and indeed there are two versions of the contents on the illustrated box.
The version (shown here) lists:
- Towel (with initial)
- Toilet bag, Bath sponge
- Shampoo sachet
- Face flannel, Soap
- Toothpaste
- Brush and Comb
- Hand mirror
Another box lists:
- Towel (with initial)
- Toilet bag, Bath sponge
- Shampoo sachet
- Face flannel
- Extra Clothes
- Brush and Comb
- Hand mirror
And this another set of mint accessories with different brushes
None of these sets have a toothbrush. The mint set above does not have the extra clothes found with some boxes.
In some examples the yellow bath towel had been substituted for a white one (both with and without a Sindy “S”).
Some do have all the items listed, but they differ in colour, for example Paul’s red wash-bag substituted for Sindy’s pastel blue version, and there are both white and pink versions of the face flannel.
Probably to ship product Pedigree put in the box what it had to hand or what it could use instead.
We would be interested to know what other variations have been found.
Sindy's Wardrobe Trunk (Ref 12SA14)
To keep Sindy’s clothes smart when away on trips and holidays, she had a large blue plastic steamer trunk embellished with gold painted moulded locks. The trunk could be covered with bright travel stickers (which came separately in a bag for you to stick on yourself) Inside the trunk was hanging rail mounted in the lid door, two shelves, a drawer and red hangers. There was an extra outfit for Sindy which was a variation of her ‘Summery Days’ dress and a pair of her white sneakers. There was also a Holiday Brochure for 1969 to help her choose her next holiday.
There was also a Cooks Silver Wings Holiday Brochure for 1969 to help her choose her next holiday. It contained real pages with adverts to popular package hoiliday destinations of the time. They were Majorca, Palma, Ibiza, Minorca, Teneriffe and Las Palmas.
We know of eight stickers which came with the trunk. In alphabetical order:
- BEA
- Cooks
- Ibiza
- Las Palmas
- Majorca
- Paris
- Rome
- Venice
We would be interested to know of any others?
The trunk usually came with red hangers, but it has also been found with orange ones.
Sindy's Chest of Drawers (Ref 12SA15)
The matching chest of drawers for “Sindy’s jumpers, blouses and skirts”, it had two large drawers and came with a vase of flowers. In 1968, there was no reference to any extra clothes.
Patch's Pony “Pixie” (Ref 9PA1)
Patch got her first scene setter. A caramel coloured mare called Pixie. She was made of moulded plastic with a blonde mane and tail which “Patch combs and sometimes plaits”. She had painted eyes and hooves and a white blaze on her head. Her left front leg is bent.
Because she was smaller that Sindy’s horse she had her own saddle, stirrups and bridle.
This box refers to extra clothes although other boxes do not. Unfortunately we don’t know what the extra clothes were. Please let us know if you do?