Sindy in America

In 1978 Louis Marx was licensed by Pedigree to distribute Sindy in the USA. This brochure was given to toy retailers by Marx sales people:


The text of the inner pages of the brochure is as follows:

First page: text at bottom: "Welcome to Sindy's World! Sindy and her World is a new idea in dolls. Marx discovered that little girls all over America were ready for a doll that would be their "friend"... a doll they could call their very own. We gave them Sindy, and they loved her. As we said in her commercials, sharing is what Sindy is all about. Children and their mothers bought Sindy and her bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, horse, and costumes. They bought Sindy's World."

Second page, bulleted text at top: "This spring Marx introducted Sindy and her world in eight markets (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, San Fransisco, and Springfield, Mo.). Within four weeks each item sold through beyond our own expectations. This fall, starting September 11th, Sindy will be launched in a massive television campaign in the Top 40 markets. Sindy means big profits on her entire World."

Second page: text at bottom: "And spring was just the start. Beginning in September and running through the week before Christmas, little girls and their mothers will be seeing the commercials and coming into your stores and asking for her. Each part of Sindy's World has become a proven traffic builder at retails. Make sure you have Sindy and her World. She'll mean healthy profits for you."

Almost all of the items sold by Marx were drawn from the British product lines of 1977 and 1978, though they sold only a reduced selection. Three unique items are of particular note:

Left:The Sindy doll distributed by Marx wore an outfit not previously sold in the UK, though it would later be worn by the 1981 Springtime Sindy doll. 1981 was also the year in which Marx stopped distributing Sindy in the US. Perhaps legal agreements prevented Pedigree from selling items designed for the Marx line until the distribution contract had been dissolved.

Right:Unique to Marx's product line was a new African-American friend for Sindy named Gayle. This doll and her outfit were never sold in the UK.

Right: Marx's horse for Sindy was not cut from the Pedigree mold. Rather, Marx used a horse from their Johnny West line of boy's toys, and sold it with the bridle and saddle designed by Pedigree.

Some notable changes were made to Sindy's furniture for sale in the US. The bathroom items, which were yellow in the UK, were redone in pale blue and white. Sindy's toilet was never sold in the US. A two-door fridge was added to the kitchen, and came with a selection of American foods: Big Macs, Pepsi, pizza, chocolate milk etc.

In 1981 Wesco took over distribution of Sindy in the US.

Pages from Wesco's 1981 catalogue.

Funtime Sindy, in a hot pink bathing suit and floral wrap-around skirt, was identical to Sindy en Vacances as sold in France. In the UK this doll was sold without the skirt as Summertime Fun Sindy in 1980 and 1981. Wesco also sold a black version of this doll. The blue and white Jeep & Horse Trailer were not sold outside the US. The Jeep is identical to the red Range Rover sold in the UK and Europe.

Western World Sindy doll and Sindy's Western Horse.

My Fair Sindy (sold in the UK in 1982) and Sindy's Western Horse 'n Buggy (the buggy was sold with a dapple grey horse in the UK in 1983).

This blonde, Basic Body doll was made (presumably by Wesco) for a US McDonalds' convention in 1982. This doll did not come with a box but was instead sealed in a plastic bag. The dolls were intended for convention attendees, but something went amiss and none were delivered in time for the convention. The shipment of dolls sat in a Florida warehouse until 1985, until they were discovered and sold to collectors.

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