1974 Scenesetters

Sindy’s Scenesetters continued to be very popular and it is interesting to note that this popularity now became part of the marketing campaign for Sindy. This is what the 1974 Sindy style leaflet said:

“Sindy

Much more than just a fashion doll.
Beautiful costumes are only part of the reason for Sindy’s world-wide popularity.
Sindy has so many superbly detailed accessories: a bed with a quilted cover, a wardrobe complete with coat hangers, shoe racks and a mirror, a dressing table with opening drawers, a bedside lamp that lights up,

even plated cutlery to go with the dining room suite.
Sindy is more than a fashion doll; she’s part of an enchanting, make-believe world.”

Most of her previous scenesetters from 1973 were still available:

Sindy’s Bedroom consisted of the white Wardrobe, the Bed, the Dressing table & stool and the Bedside table, lamp & breakfast set.

Sindy’s Lounge still showed the Chest of Drawers, Sindy’s Armchair and her Settee
Sindy’s Dining Room was the Dining Table and Four Chairs and her Sideboard.

Sindy’s Bathroom showed her Bath and her Hairdryer, however both the trade catalogue and style leaflet noted that the Bath was “No longer available”.

The Sindy’s Super Show and the 1973 cardboard Sindy’s House were missing from the trade catalogue and style leaflet but both Sindy’s 1973 Buggy and Horse were still shown. However, the horse now included an extra outfit and the reference had been changed.

The additional outfit for Sindy consisted consisted of the following. A black felted riding hat (which was smaller than the 1963 ‘Pony Club’ version, and it was felted inside and out rather than just on the outside). A long-sleeved buttercup yellow ribbed cotton turtle-neck jumper which fastened at the back of the neck with a sewn-on metal snap fastener. A pair of camel coloured jodhpurs made of a light cotton with smart turn-ups and a fly front opening which fastened with a sewn-on metal snap fastener. For her feet Sindy was given a pair of black plastic calf-length ankle boots (the same as used for 1971 ‘Jodhpurs & Sweater’).

Sindy's Horse (Ref S507)

Sindy handsome bay coloured horse was again called “Peanuts” and was the same as the 1973 model (see 1973 Scenesetters). This horse had painted eyes, a moulded mane and tail and he stood squarely on all four hooves.

He had a brown plastic saddle with silver plastic stirrups and a harness and bridle of brown plastic with a plastic bit. He also had a cotton canvas & corduroy nosebag with a brown plastic headstrap which fastened with a gold buckle, a bucket and a yard broom. He also had a brush, curry comb and rosette.

This scenesetter was called ‘Sindy’s Horse and Jodhpurs’ in the style leaflet. The Sindy doll shown above was not included.

Sindy's House (S536)

In 1974 Pedigree appears to have tried again to create a home for Sindy and all her furniture. This version was made of a brightly coloured hardboard in shocking pink, purple and white. It was a flat pack modular kit which could be slotted together to construct different shapes. Something very similar did exist, and unlike its predecessor it was much more robust so examples of it can still be found today.

The house was only shown in the trade catalogue and so some doubt exists as to whether it was ever released for general sale. We know now of a number of examples where the original owners say they won it in a Sindy competition and perhaps that was indeed the case. It was not shown in Pedigree’s 1975 literature and by then Pedigree had found another way to meet the demand for a home for Sindy, so maybe this was another prototype house that never quite made it into full production, and perhaps those that had been made were given away as competition prizes.

Sindy's Styling Head (S537)

“A new idea for all those Sindy fans. Now they can really give Sindy their own ‘hair-do’.”

Styling heads became very popular in the 1970s and a number of large toy manufacturers made them. Well known in the UK from the mid 1970s was Palitoy’s ‘Girl’s World’, and Mattel’s Barbie had her own styling head from 1971, however what is interesting is that whilst the contemporary Barbie head also came with makeup, Sindy’s new styling head was sold only with hair care equipment. We wonder if the absence of make-up was deliberate, perhaps makeup would have been a step too far for the ‘girl next door’?

The very detailed Sindy styling head stood a compact 7 inches high. She appears to have only been available as a blonde or a brunette. She was shown in the 1974 Pedgree catalogue as a blonde with wearing a pink ribbon and in the 1975 catalogue as a brunette wearing a blue ribbon.

She came with six pink and white clip on curlers, and a pink brush and comb. The beautiful mint example above is not wearing a ribbon, but you can clearly seeing the clear plastic retainer holding her hair in place. The teeth of the comb have become brittle over time and a few teeth have broken off, but they are still in box.

The box itself is in very good condition, it is wedged shaped and the sides are decorated with four hairstyle suggestions. Shown on the left side above are ‘Bunches’ and ‘Pony Tail’ and on the right ‘Boufant’ and ‘Plaits’.

In 1975, the Syling Head was renumbered as 44537.

The owner of this 1974 Sindy Styling Head just had to buy back this treasured toy. This is what she says about owning her, “I sometimes pinch myself and think is she really mine and I am ever so tempted to take her out and style away. I’m very pleased I own her, she brought back a lot of happy memories”.

Carry Case (S538)

“No more worries when Sindy owners go on holidays now.

They just put Sindy in her see through pocket and hang up her clothes so that they don’t get creased.”

A carrying case to safely store and carry Sindy and her outfits was a great idea and became a favourite Sindy scenesetter. This first version was made of hardboard covered in wipe-clean shocking pink vinyl on the outside and white vinyl on the inside.

It was designed like a suitcase, under the carrying handle there was a chrome bag latch and when it was released the front side of the case opened out.

The case was divided into two unequal sections. On the left hand side of the carry case there was a separate compartment for a Sindy which had a clear plastic window so that when the case was shut Sindy could be seen.

On the right hand side there was a chrome metal hanging rail onto which Sindy’s outfits could be hung up on her Sindy hangers. The carry case was sold empty without the Sindy or the clothes.

The shocking pink carry case was decorated with the original Sindy logo and a heart in white and it normally had a black handle. The handle was made of black plastic and we have seen both square and curved examples

We know of two versions of the Carry Case. The first version was covered in a slightly loose-fitting smooth, soft pink vinyl on the outside and slightly loose-fitting smooth, soft white vinyl on the inside. This is the version shown above.

There is also a version shown above which was covered in a hard, grained pink vinyl on the outside and a smooth white vinyl lining on the inside. This version is shown left. As you can see, this one has a white handle.

There are versions of the case have been found without the white heart or with a heart but Sindy’s name is missing.

This very distinctive and extremely useful Sindy accessory was replaced by Sindy’s hotel bedroom carry case in 1977.

Sindy's Pool Set (S539)

“Now Sindy can really enjoy a holiday break of her own…

Now when the sun comes out so can Sindy.”

A great eleven piece playset consisting of a blow-up 2-ring inflatable pool made of soft vinyl which could be filled with water. It had bright orange sides and a co-ordinating base with a red and pink floral pattern on a white coloured background. It came with ten additional accessories: an orange and white inflatable lounger, two orange and white inflatable armchairs, two blue and white reversible inflatable lilo beds, two blue and white reversible inflatable swimming rings, a blue and white inflatable beach ball, and two white towels decorated with a turquoise blue and a red stripe (which was different to the pattern shown in the trade catalogue and style leaflet photo). The inflatables are all marked as “Made in Taiwan”.

This was another bought-in and repackaged product. We have found it in the Canadian 1973 Eaton’s Christmas Catalogue and it was also sold in the US Montgomery Ward catalogue in 1974 and in 1975. Montgomery Ward marketed it as “exclusive”. Both companies marketed the set as “Fun in the Sun” with a Malibu Barbie and her friends.

One interesting note is that although the slim legged ‘Funtime Sindy’ was not shown in the Pedigree literature for 1974, we think that she was used for the photograph of this scenesetter because there is a Funtime in the photo relaxing on the lounger and we are sure she has slim legs.

We often wondered about the blue towels (which are a little smaller than the originals) that we have seen with the Sindy Pool. Were they genuine and if so, where did they fit into the timeline?

Luckily an original owner contacted us and this is what she said about her genuine Sindy pool set which was a Christmas present in 1977.

“Sindy’s swimming pool was like a miniature version of a child’s paddling pool. It was an orange and white inflatable pool with two matching inflatable chairs and sun lounge, two blue and white lilos with two matching inflatable rings, a beach ball and two towels. The towels that came with my set were a petrol blue colour, not brightly coloured as shown on the box, they really were very dull in comparison to the rest of the set. I remember thinking what an odd colour to choose for the towels because they didn’t match the rest of the set.”

The Pool Set was dropped from the 1977 Trade Catalogue and Style Leaflet, so we presume the petrol blue towels were a later substitution as this product reached the end of its product lifecycle.