1970 Patch Outfits and Separates
There were no new outfits or separates released for Patch in 1970. Patch could still be purchased in her ‘Dungarees’ and in her ‘Party and Play’ pack. The twenty-three outfits and separates shown in the 1969 catalogue were still available using the updated names.
The 1970 catalogue shows two new boxed doll outfits for Patch.
One is called ‘Patchpocket’ and is shown as a pretty sleeveless dress with an orange yoke, and a bright light blue skirt and turtle-neck decorated with orange and white spots. On the skirt is an orange patch pocket. We have never seen this outfit and we do wonder whether it actually ever went into production. It is not shown on the toyshop ordering lists that we have seen. It was possiby a casuality of the financial problems facing Line Brothers, Pedigree’s parent company, and the need to rationalise products.
Below is an advert from November 1970, showing Patch in the outfit that was actually available – ‘Babydoll’ (see below). What is very interesting is the prices. Many of Patch’s outfits were now advertised at half price or less. For example ‘School Days’ was now priced at 10/-, when it was first released it cost a whopping 24/11d. Same with ‘Birthday Party’, ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Sou’wester’ which were all priced at 5/. Originally they cost 17/6d, 14/6d and 13/6d respectively .
There are also floral versions of Baby Doll trimmed with white rick-rack which we understand are also original to Patch. These Patches shown right are Made in England Canterbury Patches with their curly hair and which were first seen in the 1971 Style Leaflet.
These floral versions are very interesting as it would appear that they came on mailaway dolls from the Sindy Collector’s Club. We wonder if these girls are similar to the first June in that she appeared earlier than shown in the 1972 Style Leaflet? If you have any information on the mailaway Patch dolls and when exactly the mailaway offer was, please get in touch. We would also be keen to know what you needed to collect to get a Patch in one of these pretty babydoll outfits.
Although the purple and pink floral outfit is shown right on a Canterbury Patch, we have the exact same outfit on a blonde Patch with straight hair (shown below). These are very pretty outfits and we do wonder whether there are others?
Babydoll (Ref 9GPS1) (aka Baby Doll) (Boxed doll outfit)
Patch was now available in a new babydoll nightie. In the catalogue the outfit is in pink trimmed with a black and white lace at the neck and hem. We haven’t seen this version, but it was available in blue and in at least two other variations based on the same pattern.
The most common version of ‘Babydoll’ is shown left. It was made of sky blue nylon which fastened with one big white plastic popper at the back of the neck. It was sleeveless and it was trimmed with a darker blue silky-cotton lace around the neck and along the hem. There is another version, similar to the first which has a turquoise trim.
Accounts differ as to Patch’s shoes. The 1970 style catalogue and the Tri-ang Christmas catalogue show her wearing white shoes with ‘Babydoll’. The 1971 style catalogue shows her wearing red shoes. We have also seen boxed doll examples of her wearing both red shoes and also her red slippers with the sponge pom poms. We have therefore chosen her white shoes with the moulded bow for the photo above left for the versions that are more usually found (to match the advert).
Shown between her two bigger sisters is this very sweet mini Patch. She was in mint condition whan purchased from ebay. She was dressed as you see her with the floral babydoll dress and pretty pink shoes.
The seller said she won her in a competition, but that is all that we know about her. We have tried without success to find the competition she came from, and if you know please do get in touch.
‘Babydoll’ is easily confused with the little nylon dress which came with the 1971 Sindy boxed doll ‘Fun Furs’. In the absence of any labels it is very difficult to be completely certain as to which dress is a ‘Fun Furs’ dress and which is ‘Babydoll’. All we can say is that the ‘Fun Furs’ dresses are longer and a little bit too big for Patch, and whilst it is not scientific, that is how we try to tell them apart.
Any more information on ‘Babydoll’, particularly on the mailaway versions would be gratefully received.