Today's doll is this cute little girl.
She's Baby First Step.
This Baby First Step was made by Mattel in 1965.
There were other versions over the years, but this is the first one.
Later there was even a talking Baby First Step.
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| Talking Baby First Step at the bottom. Notice that 'Baby Step' has the same face, and shoes and socks as baby First Step. I think the skates are the same too. |
She has one of those typically '1960's Mattel' cute faces,with very rosy cheeks.
There are a lot of very similar looking Mattel dolls from this era. Baby First Step strongly resembles Mattel's Dee Dee, from 1965. If Dee Dee had inset eyes instead of painted eyes, they'd pretty much look identical.
Baby First Step's gimmick was that she walks. You can watch a YouTube video of Baby First Step walking HERE.
She's operated by 2 D batteries.
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| The battery door is in her back. |
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| The doll in the far right of the line up above is misleading. the legs never reach that far apart when she walks. |
This is her original dress,with built in bloomers.
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| Her legs are hard plastic. Her arms are a different type of hard vinyl,more like Chatty Cathy limbs. |
She has her original hair ribbons too.
Her shoes and socks are original because they don't come off.
Her socks are cotton, and look like they would be removable, but they aren't because the shoes are permanent and not removeable.
She also had roller skates that clipped to her shoes. That was how skates really worked in those days. Skates came with a 'key' that was used to widen them so they could be fitted onto the shoes. The key was then used again to tighten the skates so they wouldn't come off. It was also helpful that there were ankle straps on the skates. Of course,I had skates like I have just described,because I'm old. I never learned to skate. I did learn to fall quite well though.
Her head is a softer vinyl. She has sleep eyes and 'real' lashes.
Her hair is a combination of colours,rather than just straight blonde,which makes it more realistic.
I got this girl at an auction here in town. There were two daughters in the family whose things were being auctioned. I know this because there were several dolls being auctioned, and there were two of all of them.Besides Baby First Step there were two Charmin Chatty dolls, and two Susie Sunshine dolls.One sister must have been quite young when they got their dolls, and one old enough to look after her dolls,because every pair contained one beautiful near minty doll, and one really loved and worn one. This Baby First Step belonged to the older sister,but I identified with the younger sister. My sister is six years older than I am, and we had the same thing going. Her dolls always looked nice, and mine were messy and bedraggled. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep my Penny Brite's legs from permanently swaying to one side,my GI Joe from looking mangled, or my Swirl ponytail Barbie's hair from becoming a mess so horrible she eventually needed to have her head shaved and resort to wearing Fashion Queen Barbie's wigs.
Come back tomorrow for another doll.
Hello Tam,
ReplyDeleteWould you happen to have Baby First Steps for sale? She was the first and only doll I owned as a child. My parents didn’t have the money to her for me in 1965 or so, but my grandmother got her for me for Christmas and I thought I died and went to heaven. Two days after xmas, my older brother knocker her off my dresser and broke her leg clean off. I was devastated and cried for weeks, but Loved her anyway. To my shock and horror, my mother decided to throw her away. I’ve never forgotten it. As An older lady now with two grown daughters, I have had a wonderful time buying them dolls over the years and making SURE they were saved for them. I do collect dolls still, the special ones, and also repair and refurbish for needy kids.. But baby First steps, I would love to have just for the little girl in me who misses her still 🥰
Hi. Yes! I have an extra one which, as I recall, is in very nice condition too, although I'm not sure if she still walks. Message me with your email address, which I of course won't publish, and we'll sort it out.
DeleteMy Mom was born in 1959. She had a doll that had roller skates and I thought her name was Susie. Can anyone help me? Could this be the doll? I'd live to get her one.
ReplyDeleteIt very well could be. They came in various original outfits, so ask your mom what hers was wearing. You could also google skating doll and see if anything more likely shows up. There were a lot of dolls that had skating outfits, and skates, but this doll actually moves her feet. Ask your mom if hers 'skated' by herself.
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