Ideal Tammy - The Doll You Love.....To Dress

Maybe you won't love Tammy as much, but you will love to dress her!  Seems like an odd tag line for Tammy.  I love that her family were all made into dolls too and that she looks more like a real teenage girl than Barbie even did.  Her outfits aren't really that exciting though.  Some of them cost as much as $4, that is a lot of money for 196?. 

My Tammy Listings....

eBay Item Widget from Auction Nudge

Bing Bang Boing IDEAL 1972 Game Instructions

Bing Bang Boing was a bit before my time, but I remember games like this(Mouse Trap) that took longer to set up than to play.  This looks kind of complicated and only about 10% of the booklet is dedicated to the actual game rules. 

But, if you have this game, you NEED this insert to set it up! Click on the photos for larger pictures.

 

If you WANT this game, I have it listed on ebay right now!  SOLD

 

 

 

My Awesome Birthday Present - Pac Man Bunting

My mom  is an Etsy Crafter and makes Buntings.  You can check them out here.  She made this awesome one for my office space!  I have a small Pac Man collection and an overall 80's theme in the room. Surprise Surprsie!   Besides the Pac-Man garland, don't you love that ET and Michael Jackson poster!  I got that as a gift from my sister a few years ago.  I'll share more of my office collection soon.

U Color'm FLINTSTONES Wipe Away Coloring Cloth

I had a couple of these coloring cloths with miscellaneous generic characters on them during childhood.  They usually came with generic, super waxy, crayons and were super hard to color on.  I think parents bought these thinking they may never have to buy a coloring book again!  Unfortunately, that was never the case.  You could rub for an hour with the "magic eraser", which was usually a tiny piece of synthetic sponge and the wax would just never come off.

eBay Item Widget from Auction Nudge

Poochie Cartoon Special

I remember being totally obsessed with Poochie as a kid.  I had a fantastic dog growing up, his name was Zack.  He was a German Shepard/Pit Bull cross and he was super smart and always seemed to know what you were talking about.  We got him from an ad in the paper at 2 years old and had him for 17 years. He was just an amazing dog.  He slept in my bedroom at night, right between my sister and my beds.  Right up until he chewed up my only Poochie stamper!  He got kicked outside after that.  I still feel bad about it, but it was Poochie!  It probably smelled good and he thought we must have left him a treat, but I was so angry. 

I went to a birthday party of someone I didn't really like because her mom was going to rent the Poochie Special on VHS.  Everyone was so excited to see it!  About three minutes in someone said, "What is this crap?"  We were not impressed with the cartoon.  We were expecting something Strawberry Shortcake like, instead we got a Japanese Animation cartoon with action and robots. I still loved the stampers though!

 

Ways to make your Ebay, Etsy or Amazon experience positive - From a Seller's Perspective

So many collectors have given up on Ebay, Amazon, Etsy and other online seller sites.  I have heard so many people talking about bad experiences.  Problem is, people forget about all of their good experiences.  Yeah, it's not fun when things go wrong.  I've had bad experiences and felt ripped off on more than one occassion.  I realize that there are hundreds of thousands of sellers on eBay, and one bad grape may leave a bad taste in your mouth, but it doesn't mean the whole bunch is spoiled.

6 Ways to have a good Ebay, Etsy or Amazon (Non - Corporate Seller) buying experience......

• Ask questions before buying!
• Sellers are often not the expert on everything they sell.
• If a doll comes in two sizes, and the seller hasn't listed the size, don't assume.  Ask for the height of the doll. 
• The seller may not be aware that there are two different sizes and may not think to list measurements, but you cannot be angry that it was the wrong size unless you ask questions first.
• Check the seller's feedback rating and percentage before buying. 
• I tend to be cautious of new sellers peddling Super Rare items at low prices.  It's okay to go with newer sellers, but be aware.  Just like in the offline world, if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
• Don't expect more than what is promised
• Read the information on a listing.  Know what you are getting into before buying.
• If a seller says they ship once per week, that means it could take 7 days just to get to the post office and another 7+ to get to you.  If you don't like that time line, don't buy the item. 
• If you need it sooner, email the seller and ask if it can be shipped out sooner and agree to pay extra from Priority mail if needed.
• If a description says an item is played with/used, don't expect it to come in mint condition. 
• Review the site and seller's return policy.
• You should be sure that you want something before buying it from an individual seller.  They aren't like corporations who can absorb returns easily.  Most sellers rely on eBay or ETSY sales as at least a portion of their income.  When you aren't completely sure and want to return something it could mean that they can't pay the electric bill. 
• If there is an issue with an item you should be able to return it for a full refund.
• On eBay you will not get your shipping price back unless the seller volunteers to send it to you.  Unless you get an incorrect item.
• If the seller refuses, you can file a claim through eBay and get the issue resolved.
• Give the seller a break.
• Remember that these are just people who found something cool to sell. 
• A newer seller might be inexperienced about the correct way to ship an item.
• They may not be on their email account 24/7 just waiting to answer your questions.
• Mistakes happen.  Items get lost or damaged.  Packages get lost in the mail.
• If a mistake happens, give them the opportunity to make it right.
• Leave Feedback
• Whether positive or negative, if you leave feedback it is helpful to the seller and helpful to future buyers.
• Make sure you have given the seller a chance to make things right BEFORE leaving negative or neutral feedback. 
• Always be fair and honest in your feedback.

 

BARBIE - World of Fashion - Catalog Insert - 1981

I loved playing Barbies.  That mostly consisted of combing their hair, changing their clothes, and setting up their house.  Most of my Barbie clothes were hand made by my mom, although my sisters and I did make our fair share of clothes out of old socks and fabric scraps.  And our Barbie house was a collection of cardboard boxes with cut out windows and drawn on art, with some handmade furniture.  We did have some of that blow up furniture, but mostly the air went out after a few minutes.  Our cousins had a Malibu Barbie Dream House that we drooled over whenever we were at their house.  My sister plans to win the Lottery and build a real Malibu Barbie Dream House

 I came across a bunch of fun Barbie items recently.............

eBay Items Integration by Auction Nudge

REMCO 1970 Doll - Polly Puff or ?

 

   

 

 

I found this lovely little doll a couple of weeks ago at a vintage show and sale.  I thought she was so cute.  I have been looking high and low to find out who she is, and I can't find anything about her.  REMCO had a similar doll called Lil' Polly Puff, she looks just the same, but has blonde hair and her body is made of a different fabric.  I can't find anything about her being made with Brown hair or having a friend.

 

 

UPDATE

 

She sold for $30, but the buyer didn't know who she was either.  She collects Remco and was happy to get her, but she is still unknown.  Any ideas?

Ebay Sale!!!

I'm having a big sale in my Toy-Addict ebay store.  Everything is on sale and I am still willing to take offers!  Let's clear it out people!! I've got a lot of fun stuff listed there that I'm sure you need!

Sorry, the sale has ended but I still have lots of fun stuff at my store with great prices.

Remco - Sweet April Doll Booklet - Part 2 - Strolling Sweet April 1973

Sweet April was a little before my time, but I had lots of used toys and dolls.  I had her and some of her accessories, but never knew her name.  You can Click on the images to make them larger.



Remco 1972 Sweet April Doll Booklet

Sweet April is a cute little baby doll about 4" tall.  She drinks water from her bottle, and if you give her too much water she cries.  Poor, poor April!  It looks like she has some pretty cute outfits and accessories.  Not sure why the logo has a read head.  I'm pretty sure she only came in blonde hair, blue eyes.

Strawberry Shortcake Greeting Cards Information UPDATE

Some of my pages have gotten neglected lately, and I am trying to fix that.  I have fixed and updated LOTS of fun Greeting Cards to the Strawberry Shortcake Greeting Card Information Page.  There are literally hundreds of cards listed there.  They are one of my favorite parts of Strawberry Shortcake collecting!  There are lots of cards listed here that I don't have.  Those images came mostly from ebay listings that I didn't win.  If you have any of these cards for sale, PLEASE let me know.



  

Big Eyes!!!

The new movie Big Eyes came out over Christmas.  It's directed by Tim Burton, who I love to pieces, and stars Amy Adams(Love her too!).  The movie was fantastic, dramatic and dark at times. It definitely had some subtle Tim Burton touches, but no burning windmills.

The movie follows the story of an artist, Margaret Keane.  Her husband steals the credit for her paintings and she lets it happen for over a decade until they divorce.  Many people still don't realize that she did the paintings, not her husband Walter.  They started a movement that became wildly popular and spawned lots of knock-offs.  Posters, cards, puzzles, and even a doll, Blythe!

My sister collects Big Eyed girls, "but not Keane (Margaret Keane the original painter) because they are too dark and creepy."  She prefers the sweeter girls in harlequin outfits and playing guitars or dressed as sad ballerinas.

I've got this little beauty in my Etsy shop, Vintage Toy Addict right now.  Also not her style, but so randomly odd I had to list it.  It's a big eyed Bonnie, ftrom Bonnie and Clyde fame.  She is holing a violin case, presumably filled with machine guns, and standing in from of a 30's style car she will soon die in.  It's so random and weird!