Betsy McCall Dolls & Family 1951+ USA
McCall magazine featured a Betsy McCall one dimensional paper cut out doll with clothing fashions and a story line that began in 1951. Betsy ran in their magazine from 1951 for 44 years until it’s demise.
The Ideal Novelty & Toy company produced the first three dimensional Betsy McCall doll in 1951 she is 14″ tall, uses the Toni marked body. Next came the American Character smaller sized Betsy’s, then Uneeda, Horsman and Robert Tonner is reintroducing Betsy McCall dolls in the 2000’s.
Betsy McCall Vintage Dolls Identified
1951 Ideal Betsy McCall doll 14″ tall, used a hard plastic jointed Toni marked body, with a vinyl head and a brunette saran wig or rooted saran wig glued to her head, brown sleep eyes with real upper eye lashes and painted lower lashes, cute pug type nose and smiling closed mouth. Ideal Betsy McCall doll mark McCall Corp, Ideal Betsy McCall doll back marked Ideal Doll P90. The Ideal Betsy McCall doll of 14″ had seven separate outfits available to purchase.
1957 American Character Betsy McCall doll, 8″ tall
1957 American Character Betsy McCall doll 8″ tall, in her original camisole, socks and shoes, hard plastic jointed body including jointed knees, hard plastic head, light brown hair rooted into a skullcap or wigged, blue sleep eyes with molded eyelashes and a closed mouth. Doll marked on back McCall Corporation. The 8″ tall Betsy doll are the most common size found and also the most prized Betsy doll by collectors.
ca. 1957 Allison Corporation Bonita doll, 8″ tall, a Betsy McCall clone competitor, has a soft vinyl head with rooted hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth, walking doll non-jointed knees, is a Betsy McCall clone competitor, it is unknown if or how Bonita is marked.
1958-1959 American Character, Betsy McCall doll, 14″ tall, all plastic jointed body, vinyl head with rooted hair, sleep eyes with real upper eye lashes, closed mouth.
1959 American Character, Betsy McCall doll, 20″ tall with flirty eyes, all plastic jointed body, vinyl head with rooted hair, sleep eyes with real upper eye lashes, closed mouth, doll mark McCall Corp. © 1958.
1959-1960s Sandy McCall, 36 or 38″ tall with molded hair, Playpal type, he is Betsy McCall’s cousin, made also by American Character, marked McCall Corp. 19©59 on back of his head, there is also a cousin Linda McCall doll who is Sandy’s twin sister.
1961 Betsy McCall, 22, 29-30, and 36″ tall Playpal type, all hard plastic with vinyl head, is fully jointed at the neck, shoulders, waist, hips, thighs and wrists, has sleep eyes and rooted hair, maybe marked on head: McCall 19©61 CORP.
1964 Uneeda Betsy McCall Doll, 11 1/2″ tall
1964 Uneeda Betsy McCall, 11 1/2″ tall (teenage doll), all vinyl jointed body, jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips, vinyl head with page boy rooted light brown hair with bangs, sleep eyes with plastic upper lashes, painted lower eye lashes, closed mouth.
1971 Horsman Betsy McCall Doll, 13″ + tall
1971-1974 Horsman Beauty Parlor mannequin doll head, this head was not sold with the Betsy McCall name at this time. A vinyl head with long rooted hair no bangs, painted facial features with feathered brows, painted eyes with real upper eyelashes, painted lower lashes, open smiling mouth with teeth, This head mold is used for the later 1975 Betsy McCall doll, described below.
1974 Horsman Betsy McCall Beauty Box doll, 13″ tall, came with extra hair pieces and non-toxic makeup.
1975 Horsman Betsy McCall doll, 29-30″ tall, Playpal type doll, uses the head mold from the above 1971 Horsman Beauty Parlor mannequin, thus the same facial features with a plastic jointed teenage body, came wearing a white ruffled eyelet blouse with black attached skirt, black and red beret hat, red open toe sandals, doll marked on head either; B. M. C. Horsman 1971 or Horsman Dolls Inc. 19©74.
2000 Tonner Betsy and Sandy McCall doll 8″ tall
Additional Dolls not shown
Over the years it seems every doll company had a shot at producing a Betsy McCall doll; 1986 the Rothschild Doll Company of Massachusetts made 8″ and 12″ Betsy McCall 35th anniversary dolls, the Tomy Doll Company and Larami Corporation made Betsy dolls, and even today Betsy is being refreshed and re-introduced by the Robert Tonner Doll Company.
