Tammy was a 12"

fashion doll Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, thou ...

created by the

Ideal Toy Company Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Bet ...

that debuted at the 1962 International Toy Fair. Advertised as "The Doll You Love to Dress", Tammy was portrayed as a young American teenager, more "

girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...

" than the cosmopolitan image of

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...

, or American Character's

Tressy Tressy was an American fashion doll with a feature to adjust the length of its hair. Tressy was first produced by American Character Doll Company in the 1960s and later by Ideal Toy Company in the 1970s. The doll was invented and patented by moder ...

History

The doll was loosely based on the character "Tammy" in the 1957 film ''

Tammy and the Bachelor ''Tammy and the Bachelor'' is a 1957 romantic comedy film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent. It is the first of the four Tammy fil ...

''. Tammy was produced in three versions: the first with straight legs, the second released in 1964 with bendable legs, and the final version released in 1965 was an older-looking doll titled "Grown Up Tammy". This doll was also released in an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

version. In 1965, Tammy's popularity waned and she was discontinued in early 1966.

Friends and family

Dolls released by Ideal that comprised "Tammy's Family" included Mom, Dad, brothers Ted and Pete and sister Pepper. Other "Tammy's Family" companion dolls included Dodi, Salty, Misty, and

Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...

's exclusive Patty and Bud, Tammy's boyfriend, which was produced in small numbers near the time when Ideal ceased production of all Tammy Family dolls.

Legacy

Although production of the Tammy doll was fairly brief, the doll inspired the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's bestselling teenage doll, Sindy. Sindy was released in 1963, one year after Tammy, and Pedigree Toys obtained permission to use Tammy's tag line, "The Doll You Love To Dress". Two conventions have been held in the United States for Tammy collectors. The doll and its accessories are popular on online auction sites; for example, Tammy's boyfriend Bud sold for $500 on

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and her original outfits still in their box have sold for $200. However, Tammy did not command the high prices of

– in 2001 a mint Tammy sold on eBay for $90, compared to an early Barbie in similar condition that sold for over $3,000. In recent years, prices have escalated and Tammy has a big following in Japan. The line of Tammy dolls and outfits, sold exclusively in Japan, now command high prices with American collectors. Tammy in her various formal

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

ensembles reach prices of $300 plus when complete and in mint condition. Brunette dolls, which were produced in smaller quantities, African American dolls and rare outfits such as "Secretary", "On the Avenue" and Tammy's bridal outfit sell for hundreds of dollars. With the onset success of Tammy dolls, the line has most recently expanded into China. The China line includes various outfits, including the formal slim fitting "

Qipao ''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often se ...

" made of blue satin with black floral print. Another highly popular outfit includes the traditional Chinese Shaolin uniform, available only in orange, representative of the Chinese martial arts of Northern China.

References

{{reflist Products introduced in 1962 Fashion dolls 1960s toys Ideal Toy Company