Doll-A-Day 2023 #126: Tammy by Ideal

  Happy Mother's Day! Tammy World is having to be away from her mom this year, so she wanted to post this old picture of them together.

  And of course I don't have my mom any more. Here is a picture of my mom with our cat Tom, and me, when I was about 4 or 5. 

We had been picking apples in the orchard, and I am nibbling one.

  This is the last Christmas picture of my sister, and me, with Mom, taken our last Christmas with her, in 1985.

  Today's doll is Tammy.

Tammy was made by Ideal, between 1962 and 1967.

  This doll is sort of a relative of one you've seen before. You may have seen my post on my platinum Tammy, where I told the story of how I found her. 

In case you haven't, here's an abbreviated version:

  Years ago Emma and I went to a local yard sale run by a couple who frequented auctions. Shopping their garage we spotted loads of dolls. There was a big wire rack filled with dolls, doll clothes, cases. We could see a Tammy, and Barbie feet. Tammy's original gym suit and Ken's Sleeper Set pajamas were on little hangers hanging on a wire shelf. We asked about the doll stuff. We couldn't actually reach them because there was a lot of stuff in between us and the wire racks. We were told it wasn't for sale, because they hadn't gone through it yet. Made sense, but don't SHOW me the stuff!
  The next year. Emma, Ken, Ivy, and I went to a doll auction. Emma and I stood, watching the Betsy McCalls go for hundreds of dollars. "Oh, she is so cute! I want a Betsy McCall!" Emma says. "Yes, me too, but look at those prices. We'll never get one of those." I say. Emma tells me that she drove past the place that had the not-for-sale dolls last year on her way home from work last night and it looked like they were getting ready to have a sale. We make a note to get up early and check it out in the morning.
  In the morning, for some forgotten reason, we don't get out quite as early as we should. When we do we head straight for the place. Their sale is indeed on. We walk into the driveway and there sit the metal racks. They look untouched. Even the Tammy gym suit and the Ken pajamas are still hanging on their little hangers on the shelf. We start taking things off the racks and making piles. A Fashion Queen Barbie for me. The wigs for Emma. A Bubble cut Barbie for me, a case of stuff for Emma. Blonde crew cut Kens for both of us. Platinum Tammy's for both of us. A titian straight leg Skipper for me. A Toni doll for Emma. A Miss Revlon wanna-be for me, along with loads of gorgeous handmade clothes. Barbie accessories, including Barbie's dominoes, a few pieces of clothing, including the hat from Studio Tour, and the ever elusive Cap n' Crunch bosun whistle----for each of us. I took a paper bag off the shelf and looked in. Sleeping in the bag (On account of she was on her back so her eyes were closed.) was a sweet little brunette Betsy McCall. (You can see here in all her glory HERE.)She's missing the lower half of one leg, but when we go through the stuff I find we have both her barrettes, her bridal dress, veil, and white shoes, along with the vest from Pony Pals. (We realize Emma bought the rest of Pony Pals in the box at one of their previous sales.) Emma and I made pretty much a clean sweep of the shelves between us. Our final combined cost? $65.

  So, this Tammy of Emma's is the one she got at that sale. I'm looking at the pictures, and I think hers may be prettier than mine.

They're both high colour, with bright red lips, but Emma's has blacker eyelashes and darker red lips.

Mine has fluffier hair, but then, Emma's has been packed away for years. I'm sure she can be repluffed.

  You may be thinking that she doesn't look very platinum, but it's the lighting. She is definitely platinum.

I'm thinking the people we bought them from must have bought them at an auction where the people had had two little girls that they bought identical things for. They got these Tammy's and the blonde crewcut Ken dolls.

  Like all but Posin' Tammy, she has minimal articulation, just the neck, shoulders, and hips.

.

  The thing about Tammy and old Barbies, is they have those scissor legs, and have a very unladylike sitting stance.

As my dad would have said, "Spread out like a pair of operatin' scissors."

  And for a teenager, she sure has baby hands.

She needs to clean her nails too.

  I actually cleaned this Tammy for Emma recently, but I was still not doing too well after the fire, and honestly, I could have done a better job.

  Emma is preparing to get rid of this Tammy, so if you like her, get in touch with me.

  That's today's doll. Have a great Mother's Day!