1982 Sindy Scenesetters

Sindy scenesetters remained very popular and continued to sell well. Apart from some lovely new furniture additions, 1982 is most noticeable by the number of outdoor scenesetters added to the range, and it really was the year of the horse.

  • Sindy’s slot-together Home (Ref 44571 – see 1979 Scenesetters) was still available with the Trade Catalogue describing it as “The ideal starting point for a Sindy collection.” This scenesetter was identified as a UK only product.
  • Sindy’s existing bedroom furniture, first introduced in 1976, was still available. They were the Wardrobe (Ref 44502), her Bed (Ref 44503), and Dressing Table (Ref 44505). The ‘Bedroom Gift Set’ (Ref 44585) consisting of the Wardrobe, Bed and Dressing Table was also still available. This year a new scenesetter was added to this range which combined Sindy’s bedside table and breakfast set with the bedroom chair spotted in the 1981 Trade Catalogue (Ref 44593). This set is shown below. The original Bedside Table (Ref 44506) which was introduced in 1976 was discontinued.
  • Also new for the bedroom this year, was Sindy’s new romantic Four-Poster Bed and Vanity Unity shown below (Ref 44514 and Ref 44515).
  • Sindy’s kitchen used previous items and their accessories. They were the Wall Oven (Ref 44550), Sink Unit (Ref 44548), Washing Machine (Ref 44483), Magic Cooker (Ref 44481) and Hob Unit (Ref 44547). The ‘Kitchen Gift Set’ (Ref 44587) consisting of the Hob Unit, Sink Unit and Wall Oven was also still available. New for 1982 however, was Sindy’s Action Kitchen Unit (Ref 44500) which is described below.
  • Sindy’s big-ticket items from 1981 were still available. Her ‘Wall of Sound’ (Ref 44581) and her three-level ‘Home’ (Ref 44570).
  • For lounging and dining, Sindy still had her ‘Regency’ style cream Armchair (Ref 44517), Settee (Ref 44518), cream Rocker (Ref 44554) and Lounge Set (Ref 44584), Dining Table (Ref 44582) and China Cabinet (Ref 44583). New for 1982 was a new Bureau, subsequently renamed in the 1983 Trade Catalogue as a ‘Writing Bureau’ (Ref 44512).
  • Sindy’s sunshine yellow bathroom still included was her Hairdryer (Ref 44524), the new round-edged bath introduced in 1981 (Ref 44513), the Washbasin (Ref 44541), Toilet (Ref 44551) and Shower (Ref 44573). The updated ‘Bathroom Gift Set’ (Ref 44592) was also available.

This year there were a number of additions to Sindy’s scenesetters for her outdoor activities:

  • A wonderful pram and baby minding set “Walk in the park” (Ref 55150) and Sindy’s new Motorcycle (Ref 44384) were both beautifully modelled and realistic looking items.

For her equestrian pursuits, Sindy got a number of new products. Her 1982 horse related scenesetters benefited from a range of Western themed products which were originally advertised in the 1981 US Wesco catalogue. These items were adapted and incorporated into the 1982 UK and International Trade Catalogues.

One of the most striking new additions was Sindy’s new Gig (called a Buggy in the USA). The design of this carriage was researched by Peter Bing of Pedigree R&D. David Fear, Pedigree’s Product Manager, was keen that Sindy should have a buggy, and so one Easter Monday Peter Bing was sent to London to the London Horse Harness Parade held in Regents Park to photograph the horses and carriages. Although it was a very early start (Peter thinks he had to get up at 4am to travel to London), he spent many happy hours watching the carriages and photographing them all. He took hundreds of photos and once the film was developed, David chose those photos upon which the new buggy would be modelled. The final model looks very much like the famous Stanhope Gig. There were two sets. Gig and Horse (Ref 44520) the gig which came with the new dapple horse, and Sindy’s Gig (Ref 44519) which was the carriage only.

  • Sindy’s 1977 chestnut brown ‘Horse’ (Ref 44569) was joined in the stable by two new horses, a new dapple grey ‘Horse’ (Ref 44566) and also a new international product, the Western Horse (International Ref 44984). Also new for 1982 was a new Horsebox (Ref 44580) and two international Horse related Giftsets; the Western Gift Set (International Ref 44852) and the Pony Club Gift Set (International Ref 44853).
  • Sindy’s Camper (Ref 44542 – the buggy and tent) in the blue and white stripe livery and her Camping Scene (Ref 44577 – her large orange frame tent and accessories) were still available. This year a redesigned Caravan which could be pulled by her Camper Buggy was added to the selection.
  • Sindy’s Garden Furniture (Ref 44386) and Swimming Pool (Ref 44388) and Country Garden were joined by a new piece of outdoor furniture, a Garden Swing (Ref 44511).

Sindy’s 1980 Airport Trolley (Ref 44385) was omitted from the catalogue, but her Carrycase (Ref 44563) which opened up into a hotel bedroom was still available.

Sindy’s Scenesetter activity packs from 1980 were still available. They were

  • Horse Care Set (Ref 44394) now shown with yellow brushes
  • Hair Styling Set (Ref 44396) and
  • Spring Cleaning Set (Ref 44397).

New scenesetters for 1982 in reference order are as follows:

This set came with a red one-piece racing suit, crash helmet and yellow trainers (see 1982 Sindy Outfits and Separates).

Motorcycle (Ref 44384)

Based on the 1980s scooters of the time, Sindy’s motorcycle was a cheerful yellow plastic with silver plastic alloy wheels, engine cover, steering column, front fork, retractable cycle stand, number plate and mirror. The seat, rear top box, and removable front shopping basket were made from bright white plastic.

The black handlebar grips were made of soft plastic, with a hand strap which Sindy could slip her hands through to steady herself on the motorcycle. Another nice touch was realistic engine noise made by the turning of the back wheel as Sindy drove along.

The motorcycle came with a set of stickers for the lights, dashboard dials, footrest, and number plate. A nice touch was that this vehicle had the number plate “SINDY 2”.

Action Kitchen Unit (Ref 44500)

Although new to Sindy, this was a reuse of the US Illco Toy Company’s “Battery Operated Kitchen”. We believe it was introduced by Illco in the late 1970s and it was scaled to be used with 11.5 inch dolls. This kitchen unit was a useful addition to Sindy’s Scenesetters because it was already in production, and with just a few tweaks was readily adapted for Sindy. Mostly strongly in its favour was its bright yellow colour scheme which matched Sindy’s existing yellow kitchen Scenesetters.

Unlike Sindy’s separate kitchen units, this kitchen was a combination unit. Battery operated, this kitchen scenesetter had a working tap, a light-up cooker hob and oven, and a operating food mixer.

It was made of white plastic in two parts which were slotted and screwed together.

At the back of the unit was the battery compartment, this accessory used two UM1 1.5 volt batteries. Also, clipped upright into a recess at the back was a clear plastic hose. It was a simple unclip and empty solution, which could be used to drain the sink reservoir which sat behind the middle panel of the base unit.

Starting at the top, there were three eye-level double door cupboards made of brown plastic moulded with a grain to look like wood. Each door had a little moulded doorknob.

Beneath the set of brown cupboards was a brightly decorated, printed stuck-on ‘kitchen wall’ with lemon yellow tiles, hanging pot plants, a kitchen roll holder and a memo board with a hanging pencil. It was different to the Illco version which was decorated with yellow and brown patterned kitchen tiles. This printed wall was stuck to the back and sides of the unit above the kitchen counter (the kitchen wall above has some water damage over the hob from when it was probably stored on its side with water still in the unit).

The kitchen counter was white plastic and separated into three sections. Beneath each section was a brown, faux wood rectangular panel, made of plastic and also moulded with a faux wood grain to match the top cupboards.

On the left there was a plain white countertop upon which Sindy’s working blender sat. Sindy’s working blender had a red and white base unit with a sliding switch on the front. Attached to the base was a white electrical wire with a two-pin plug which could be plugged into the socket at the back of the countertop. The blender had white plastic blades, a transparent blender jug with handle and a white lid shaped to cover the spout. Beneath this countertop was a pull-down cupboard door made of yellow plastic with a moulded long, horizontal handle.

The middle section housed a yellow plastic sink with drainage grooves angled towards the plug hole. It had a chrome plastic kitchen tap and a white plastic plug. On the brown front panel was chrome coloured knob which turned the tap on and off. Beneath the sink and brown panel was a yellow plastic panel which was fixed in place and didn’t actually open. On the bottom of left of the panel was a moulded “Sindy” logo. This replaced the Illco logo which could be found on their kitchen units. Behind the fixed panel was the water reservoir for the sink.

On the right of the unit was a built-in hob with four black plastic pan supports. Beneath each pan support was a clear, moulded plastic disk simulating a burner. Beneath the hob was a built-in oven with a clear honeycomb patterned oven door with a yellow surround. Inside the oven was a black oven rack with raised guard at the front. The brown front panel also had a chrome knob, this one turned the hob and oven lights on and off.

The “Action” aspects of this kitchen were as follows:

  • When the blender was plugged in, the blender blades rotated
  • When the switch on the middle unit was turned on, the tap really worked recycling water that poured from the tap and drained down the plug hole into a reservoir where it was pumped back up to the tap. The water could be drained from the reservoir using a hose at the back of the unit.
  • When the right switch was turned on, the burners on the hob and the oven lit up with a red light.

We are not sure what pots and pans came with set. The Trade Catalogue showed the orange set which came with the Magic Cooker (see 1980 Scenesetters) but we think they might have actually been the blue and white pots and pans which came with Sindy’s Hob Unit (see 1976 Scenesetters). We would be grateful if someone could confirm the correct set.

The bedding which came with the pram consisted of a padded blue vinyl mattress, a white brushed nylon pillow decorated with lace on three side and a pale pink cotton quilt with a white nylon quilt backing. There are variations to the pram quilt, with the earlier version using a thicker, pale pink cotton.

Walk in the Park (Ref 44510)

Although Sindy’s proposed 1980 ‘Baby Sitter’ set never made it into production (see 1979 Scenesetters), in 1982 finally Sindy got a lovely baby minding set, so she could take her friend’s baby for a stroll. Called ‘A Walk in the Park’ in the 1982 catalogue, the box and subsequent catalogues called this set ‘Walk in the Park’.

Central to this set was a “luxury coach-built pram”. The view among many collectors is that this Sindy pram was based on a pram made by the well-known British coach pram makers Silver Cross. Founded in 1877, their catchphrase was “The world’s most exclusive baby coach”. Indeed, Sindy’s pram looks very similar to the 1970s Silver Cross Cameo with its distinctive side panels with the heart-shaped plaques.

Made from blue plastic Sindy’s pram had double wheels with the back set slightly larger than the front. Made from clear plastic with moulded spokes and black plastic tyres they looked very realistic. Sitting on the grey plastic chassis was the blue pram body. The drop-down hood was cleverly made from three interlocking pieces of shaped blue plastic which could be pushed up and down just like a real pram hood. For poor weather there was a blue vinyl apron which could be attached to the top of the pram to keep baby cosy. Lastly there was a white plastic mould pram handle and matching pram tray.

The first baby was a bald baby with moulded painted brown hair and brown eyes. This baby was shown in the 1982 and 1983 trade catalogues. These babies are often found today with ghostly white limbs, where the pigment of the arms and legs has faded (shown right).

The later hairy baby was shown in the trade catalogues from 1984 to 1986. They have rooted brown hair and black painted eyes. These babies are more tanned in colour. As shown left, some of these hairy babies have huge amounts of hair.

Both babies came in a long sleeved, white brushed nylon nightdress with a stitched rollneck and a sewn-on metal popper at the back of the neck.

Accompanying this set was a finely moulded brown dog with black highlights. It was identified as a red setter. The dog had a gold chain lead which could be hung on Sindy’s wrist with a thin brown nylon ribbon loop handle.

Sindy’s red setter is very popular with collectors today.

Garden Swing (Ref 44511)

Described as a “child assembly swing”, the garden swing was made of push-together yellow plastic rods with a freely swinging high-back seat. The swing came with a red, white and blue cotton covered cushion and a matching printed cardboard canopy.

The swing can comfortably seat three Sindys.

The top of the bureau pulled down to create a writing flap with three useful pigeonholes. The doors beneath swung open revealing two useful door storage pockets. There was a pull-out drawer. Tucked beneath the first drawer was a second ‘secret’ drawer which was unlatched by pressing a tab at the back of the bureau.

Sindy could sit on a green ‘upholstered’ ottoman seat whilst writing. The ottoman was made of three parts. The green seat lifted off to reveal a storage section divided into three parts. This middle section could be lifted off to reveal an additional storage section. The ottoman seat could be neatly stored away in the bottom of the bureau and it really is a thoughtful design.

Bureau (aka Writing Bureau) (Ref 44512)

Although the 1982 Trade Catalogue named this furniture as a bureau, the later catalogues called it writing bureau. It was a period styled Georgian escritoire or secretary desk, which was a small writing desk with a pull-down writing surface with drawers, cupboards and compartments.

Sindy’s bureau was made of a pale cream plastic designed to match her Regency furniture. It was moulded with ‘carved’ edges and the front was moulded with panels and a decorative relief including floral embellishments.

Sindy’s bureau came with a sweet set of miniature stationery. The stationery set was purchased as a package from the Kirin Pencil Co. Ltd from Tokyo, Japan. Kirin marketed a number of children’s stationery sets in the 1980s, and for girls these sets often featured a drawing of a ‘Hollie Hobbie’ type character. Kirin stationery products are now collectable in their own right.

Included was

  • Sindy’s secret diary
  • Six coloured pencils in a plastic wallet
  • Notebook and pencil in a little decorated case
  • Ruler (found with both black and red markings), rubber, red pencil sharpener and clipboard
  • A bundle of buff-coloured postcards, four envelopes and a notebook.

The ruler has been found with both black and red markings.

Four-Poster Bed (Ref 44514)

Moulded in a cream plastic the bed was a flat pack item which could be easily slotted together. It had a platform base with moulded slats. At each corner was an upright bed post moulded to look as though it had been turned. Slotting on top of the bed posts was a rectangular box canopy which hid the metal curtain rails. The top of each post was decorated with a moulded finial. The headboard was a horizontal rail design with upright moulded turned rails. It had an oval centrepiece decorated with a moulded wreath border embellished with a ribbon and a Sindy ‘S’ in the centre.

In a departure from Sindy’s blue and turquoise bed linen, the four-poster bed had new cotton linen styled with a pretty flowery pattern with little tangerine flowers and grey-green stems and leaves on a peach background. There was a covered foam mattress with a valance frill attached to the long sides of the mattress. A long, padded double pillow with a nylon lace trim on the sides and top, and a plain padded duvet completed the set.

The bed curtains were made from spotty netting which was embroidered with a silky thread in a small oval pattern and was a reuse of material used for the 1981 Bride (Ref 33472) veils. There were eight curtains, two for each side. They could be gathered up and tied to the bed posts with matching peach taffeta ribbon.

Vanity Unity (Ref 44515)

To accompany Sindy’s new four-poster bed, Pedigree introduced a new “period” bedroom furniture set.

There was a full-length free-standing, oval cheval mirror in a moulded cream plastic frame. The faux mirror was decorated with a wreath pattern to compliment the four-poster bed headboard centrepiece, and it could be swung and tilted just like a real mirror.

Sindy’s new matching washstand had delicate turned legs, a shaped and decorated backboard and a broad tabletop with plenty of room for all of Sindy’s brushes and toiletries. The washstand also had a large drawer with an ornate drawer knob. To complete the set the washstand came with a basin and pitcher, both decorated with moulded flower. The same flower motif was also used on the washstand backboard tying the set together.

Sindy’s Gig (Ref 44519)

There were two Gigs released in 1982. The first was the Gig only.

Sindy’s gig was beautifully designed, with many elements that could be found in a real life. Its design is consistent with a Stanhope Gig. The first Stanhope Gig was built in about 1816, so it dates back to the Georgian era. The real carriage was built by J. Tilbury of Mount Street, London, a carriage builder to a design by the Captain Hon. Henry FitzRoy Stanhope, a well-known sportsman of the time. Stanhope’s design was very elegant and popular, especially in the UK.

Sindy could sit safely on a bench in her new blue carriage with its curved back board and side rails. It was inset with a tan coloured rectangle to simulate an upholstered seat. At the front there was a sloping footboard with grab handles. There was one on each side with a corresponding bell-step to mount the carriage. The spoked wheels were moulded in yellow plastic and affixed to the carriage with a metal hubcap.

An authentic, single full-collar harness made from tan coloured plastic came with the gig and this tack could be used with an existing Sindy horse which could then be hitched to the upwardly curving swan-neck shafts of the gig. The rein terrets (rein rings) of this set are blue to match the gig.

In the 1984 and 1985 Trade Catalogues, a black plastic moulded top hat was shown in the catalogue photo and was listed in the text as being included. Dressage top hats are shorter than standard top hats, and this was faithfully reproduced. The top hat was also included with ‘Gig and Horse’ below.

Gig and Horse (Ref 44520)

Sindy’s new dapple-grey horse (Ref 44566) (see description below) and her new Gig (Ref 44519) were also sold in a new combined horse and gig set. 

The only difference between the Gigs was this one was made from maroon plastic rather than the blue of the single Gig. For a full description of the Gig please see above. This set also came with the authentic, single full-collar harness made from tan coloured plastic, but the rein terrets (rein rings) of this set were maroon to match the gig.

Like ‘Sindy’s Gig’ above, a black plastic moulded top hat was shown in the 1984 and 1985 Trade Catalogue photos, and was listed in the text as being included.

Dapple Grey Horse (Ref 44566)

Sindy got a new addition to her stable, a fine dapple-grey horse. The horse was moulded using the same model as her 1977 (Ref 44569) chestnut brown horse. The jet black “groomable” mane and tail were a lovely contrast to the new dappled-grey colour scheme. Depending on how these horses were spray painted, there are some nice variations amongst the dapple-grey horses.

This horse also came with the light tan tack (saddlery) and a black felted riding hard hat.

Caravan (Ref 44579)

Although shown in the 1981 Trade Catalogue, this scenesetter was still shown with the old reference. In 1982, the photograph was updated showing the actual colour scheme of the new caravan, and it was shown with a new reference number, which follows the 1982 referencing.

This single-axle Caravan was a hybrid of the injection moulding which was also used on Sindy’s new Horsebox (Ref 44580) and Vinyl-Stay-Vinyl used for the original 1980 vinyl Caravan (Ref 44574).

The base was made of orange moulded plastic, with a matching orange-toned plastic roof. Three sides of the caravan were made of one continuous piece of printed vinyl with a cut-out door which could be slotted into the base and roof. The vinyl was also shaped with two flaps which could be folded and slotted into grooves in the moulded plastic base. These fitted flaps formed a dinette table and a two-hob stove and work surface. A separate printed vinyl panel made the fourth side of the caravan, which could be slid into grooves on the fourth side of the base. 

Internally at each corner, a white moulded plastic strut slotted into the base and into the roof. These struts held the roof and provided stability. Two white plastic moulded benches, slotted into the base providing the dinette benches.

Externally, the vinyl was decorated with a yellow, red and blue stripe along each side; together with Sindy logo hearts, front and rear lights, her number plate “SINDY 1”, a max speed limit badge, GB plate and reflectors.

The inside vinyl walls were also redecorated to resemble a cheerful caravan interior.

The base was moulded with a tow hitch at the front, with two moulded holes. One was for hitching to Sindy’s camper and the second for the black plastic jockey wheel. Beneath the base at the rear was a moulded supporting leg to hold up the rear of the caravan.

This version had a slide-out panel giving full access for play.

Horsebox (Ref 44580)

Sindy’s 1980 Vinyl-Stay-Vinyl Horsebox was replaced this year by a new injection-moulded design. What is noticeable is that the text in the Trade Catalogue describes the new horsebox as “tough”, which given that the vinyl horsebox in its very short lifetime underwent an internal redesign for stability issues is not unsurprising.

The new horsebox was given a blue and yellow livery to match Sindy’s 1979 Camper Buggy (Ref 44542) and it was designed to be towed behind the Sindy vehicle. It was really well designed and was sold as a flatpack to be constructed at home.

This horsebox was a double-axel, two-horse trailer. It had a dropping tail ramp with a swinging white picket fence for each side of the ramp, dropping front ramp with lifting roof partition and a jockey door. For that added bit of realism, attached to the side was spare tyre.

As well as the cheerful colour scheme, it had some nice additional decorative embellishments including three silver coloured plastic medallions: two of Pegasus for the sides of the horsebox and a Sindy logo in an upturned horseshoe for the front.

We have been told that there was a horsebox/trailer builder called Pegasus who built a very similar trailer in the 1980s, but despite our enquiries we havent been able to find anything more. If you know of a company or a horsebox from the early 1980s which might have been the model for this scenesetter, please do get in touch.

There was also a nice set of realistic stickers for the tailgate.

The black Sindy heart stickers were not shown in the 1982 Trade Catalogue, nor on the 1982 box or in the instruction leaflet. The stickers for these have therfore been affixed to match the 1983 Trade Catalogue.

Included was a set of horse grooming accessories: a broom, bucket, comb and curry comb.

The horsebox was a very sophisticated model. It incorporated many of the features found in real horseboxes.

Front ramp and lifting roof partition.

The jockey door.

Front of horsebox (above) featuring the jack and winder, and the airvent detail at the top. The rear tailgate (right) displaying the stickers.

Attached to the inside of the front panel of the horsebox was a white hook panel which was convenient for storing the grooming set, and anything else Sindy needed to take with her. Shown right the large rear ramp with folding gates which could be extended to provide guard rails.

Bedside Table and Chair (Ref 44593)

This new set was an upgraded version of the 1976 Bedside Table set (Ref 44506). The bedside table and breakfast table remained the same, but the upgrade included a new bedroom chair, and there were slight changes to the breakfast set.

To recap the reused items. The working bedside table was made of white plastic with a sculpted table top edging, on the front of the table was a gold heart decoration with the “S” gold decoration, and gold paint embellished each leg moulding. It had a frilly white net lampshade edged in pink and trimmed with a pink ribbon. The on/off switch was situated at the back of the table. The accompanying breakfast table had fixed legs and a sculpted tray top and handles. The edges of the tray top and the handles were also detailed with gold paint.

The breakfast service was still a coffee pot, milk jug and sugar bowl, cup, saucer, plate and a knife & teaspoon. The crockery was sunshine yellow plastic, with the rest of the set painted silver. However, this set had a new table knife and spoon. These were slightly more ornate than the previous version, but not as ornate as the cutlery that came with the dining table. The most noticeable difference was the cup, this cup had a solid handle. This handle cannot be clearly seen in the 1982 Trade Catalogue, but it is clearly shown in the 1983 Catalogue.

New for 1982 (although previously shown but not referenced in the 1981 Trade Catalogue) was a new high-back ‘wicker’ chair with curved arms made of white plastic. For additional comfort, the chair had a padded, circular chair cushion made from Sindy’s existing aqua bedroom linen in the attractive curved and straight-line pattern in blue and turquoise green. It could be tied to one of the back uprights of the chair with a length of Sindy’s usual white silky nylon ribbon.

Western Gift Set (International Ref 44852)

This gift set used elements of the Western Sindy merchandise first seen in the 1981 US Wesco catalogue.

The set included Sindy in her Western outfit (International Ref 44748), her buckskin rodeo horse (International Ref 44854) and 3 reddish brown moulded plastic competition barrels. For a full description of Sindy’s outfit see 1982 Sindy Outfits and Separates ). Sindy’s Western horse is described below.

In the 1983 Pedigree International Catalogue this set was shown with the reference for Sindy’s Western Horse in error.

Pony Club Gift Set (International Ref 44853)

This was described as a “competition equestrian” set. It comprised a Funtime Sindy wearing the 1982 ‘Pony’ Club outfit (Ref 44121) together with Sindy’s chestnut brown ‘Horse’ (Ref 44569) and two competition jumps. These were a five-bar vertical jump and a brush and rails jump. The set also included numbered course markers, a winner’s cup and rosette. Included was a hard hat and the whip.

Shown here is a beautiful Mint in Box (MIB) set.

Western Horse (International Ref 44984)

Sindy’s western horse was a magnificent bay horse with four black lower legs and a very dark brown mane and tail. This type of bay horse with a very dark brown or black mane and tail is called a “buckskin”.

This horse came with beautiful and intricate, dark brown western tack. It had a different type of bridle with two loose reins and the saddle was moulded with many elements of a real western saddle including a separate skirt and saddle bags.

Just as the Sindy Horses came with a riding hard hat, so the Western Horse came with a felted brown western hat.

In the 1983 Pedigree International Catalogue this set was shown with the reference for Sindy’s Western Gift Set in error.