1950 Ideal Blessed Event doll,  19 or 20" tall, baby doll with crying face, molded hair, oilcloth stuffed body, vinyl lower limbs and head, came wearing cotton pajamas and blanket, doll marked 3 Ideal Doll Patent Pending.

Sears sold this same doll in their Happi-Time doll line and named it Kiss Me Dolls.

1950 Blessed Event or Kiss Me doll 19"

1950-1955 Ideal Boopsie doll, 8" tall, all hard plastic jointed body, with molded painted hair, painted side glancing sleep eyes, came wearing a cotton diaper closed with a safety pin, doll marked Ideal (within a circle) Pat. Pend.

1950-1955 Boopsie doll 8"

1950 Ideal Judy Splinters doll, 18, 20 or 36" tall, vinyl head and cloth body, ventriloquist doll, yarn pigtail hair, painted eyes, wide smiling closed mouth, marked Ideal Doll. From TV show by Shirley Dinsdale.

1950 Judy Splinters doll 18"

1950s Ideal Plassie doll, 17, 19 or 22" tall, hard plastic head, and limbs, stuffed cloth body with crier, molded hair, sleep eyes with lashes either brown or blue with a closed mouth, was a reissue of the 1942 dolls, marked on head P-50 Ideal Made in U.S.A. or Ideal Doll Made In U.S.A. 3 2252077.

Photo courtesy of Anne and is of the 1942 doll.

1950s Plassie doll 21-22"

1950 Ideal Tickletoes doll, 15, 19 or 24" tall, crier baby doll, hard plastic head, stuffed latex arms and legs, cloth body, molded hair under mohair wig, open mouth (some have a tongue) and glassene sleep eyes, doll marked  16 Ideal Doll Made in USA or P2000 Ideal Doll.

1950 Tickletoes doll 19"

1951-1954 Ideal Baby Mine doll, 16 or 22" tall, all composition ball jointed body, glued on wig, sleep eyes, open mouth with teeth, doll marked IDEAL within a diamond USA.

1951-1954 Ideal Baby Mine doll or Bucilla Thrift Kit doll,  11" all hard plastic fully jointed body, blue side glancing sleep eyes, four painted upper lashes, molded painted hair, marked on back Ideal Doll. 

Originally sold wearing a white cloth diaper held on with a safety pin, came packaged in red and white acetate window box.  She was referred to as the Thrift Kit doll because at that time you could purchase a Bucilla Thrift Kit to sew outfits for this doll. Some of the outfits offered were a Cowboy, Little Nurse, Roller Skating Dress, or Sailor Boy.

Photo and Bucilla Thrift Kit text courtesy of Nancie Sergent

1951-1954 Baby Mine doll, 11"

1951-1953 Ideal Bonnie Braids doll, 11 1/2" and 14" tall, vinyl head, hard plastic jointed body, walker, daughter of Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart officially born on May 4, 1951 in the back seat of a taxi cab on the way to the hospital.  Character from the Dick Tracy comic book series, doll marked on head 1951 Chicago Tribune Ideal Doll.

1951 Bonnie Braids doll, 14"

1951-1955 Ideal Lolly doll or Ideal Tiny Girl doll, 9" tall, head turning walker, sleep eyes, molded, rooted or wig hair, marked Ideal Doll 9, little sister to the Saucy Walker doll.

Reliable also made a similar Lolly doll sold in Canada.  See the Reliable page for photo.

1951 Lolly doll 9"

1951-1953 Ideal Sara Ann doll, 15, 21 & 24" tall, all hard plastic, Toni look-a-like but Ideal did not have to pay the Toni royalties, blonde or brunette saran wig, marks same as the Toni dolls (15' - P-90, 21' - P93 or P3, 24' - P94 or P4), so without her box or tags there is almost no way to tell them apart.  The only difference we have been told, is that Sara Ann has a saran wig (which is easier to style) not a nylon wig, as worn by Toni.  Thanks to Ron & Judy of Oregon for sharing this tip.  See the 1940s Ideal page for more on the Toni dolls.

1951 Sara Ann doll 15"

1951-1953 Ideal Sara Lee doll, 17-18" tall, black doll, vinyl and cloth body, molded and painted hair, brown sleep eyes, named after designer Sara Lee Creech, doll marked Ideal Doll.

1951-1953 Sara Lee doll 17"

1951 Saucy Walker doll 22"

1951-1955 Ideal Snookie doll, 10" tall, hard plastic or latex head with molded hair, magic skin body, has painted side glancing eyes, came dressed in a diaper and robe (photo is not in original clothing) marked Ideal Doll.   Their are also Pete doll and Repete doll - Snookie twins that cooed when squeezed with one piece magic skin bodies about 12" tall, doll marked Ideal Doll.

Ideal's hard plastic patent number is 2252077, various dolls have this number in the marking.

1951 Snookie doll, 10"

1951 Ideal Snoozie doll, 17" tall, vinyl head and partial latex rubber limbs, molded hair, painted blue eyes, open yawning mouth, cloth body, doll mark B. Lipfert.

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1951 Snoozie doll, 17"

1951 Ideal Trilby doll, 19" tall, multi-face doll with three faces, squeaker, vinyl face and limbs, stuffed cloth body, when you turned a knob on top of head the face changed to sleeping, smiling or crying, was dressed  in a blue dress and bonnet with dark blond curly hair attached to the bonnet, doll is unmarked.

1951 Trilby doll 19"

1952-1954 Ideal Betsy McCall doll, 14" tall, vinyl head, rooted hair, sleep eyes closed mouth, jointed Toni body, the 1954 was a Betsy walker doll.  Also see the Betsy McCall doll page.

1952-1954 Betsy McCall doll 14"

1952 Mary Hartline doll 16"

1952 Ideal Hugee Girl doll, 15" tall, one piece soft rubber body, vinyl head with molded short curly hair, blue sleep eyes, open mouth, doll marked on head IDEAL DOLL BC 16.

1952 Hugee Girl doll 15"

1953 Ideal Harriet Hubbard Ayer doll, 7 1/2, 14, 16, 19 and 21" tall, soft vinyl head, hard plastic Toni marked jointed body, glued wig or rooted hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth, doll head marked MK 16 IDEAL DOLL.  Photo is missing the white sheer apron.

1953 Harriet H. Ayer doll 16" 

1953 Ideal Miss Curity doll, 14" tall, hard plastic jointed Toni P-90 body, wigged, sleep eyes with heavy black eyeliner, closed mouth, wore a nurses outfit with a first aid kit,  Kendall advertising doll, used the Toni doll body and head mold, doll marked P-90 on head. 

1953 Miss Curity Doll, 14"

1953-1956 Ideal Princess Mary doll, 14, 16, 19 or 21" tall, uses the Toni walker hard plastic jointed body and markings.  This doll uses the vinyl Ruth head mold as seen in the next doll, some had pierced ears, rooted hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth.  

1953 Princess Mary doll 16"

1953 Ideal Ruth doll, 16, 19 or 21" tall, uses the Toni walker body with V marking, according to size, see the Toni info. - V91, V92, V93 markings on head. Some bodies are marked P-19.

1953 Ruth doll 19"

1953 Ideal Little Wingy doll, 13" tall, vinyl stuffed head, hard plastic walker body, long saran wig, blue sleep eyes, closed mouth, dimples.  Face is coated with phosphorescent paint so it "glows" in the dark.  Character from the Dick Tracy comic strip series, doll marked on head  CPR 1953 Chicago Tribune Ideal Doll, and on back Ideal 14.

1953 Little Wingy doll 13"

1953 Ideal Joan Palooka doll, 14" tall, magic skin body, fully jointed, yellow molded hair, blue painted eyes, wore a pink dress with blue ribbons, comic strip character doll, daughter of Joe Palooka and Ann Howe from the comic strip by Hammond "Ham" Fisher, doll marked on head  © 1952 Ham Fisher Ideal Doll.  

1954 Little Max doll, 16" tall, a mute eight year old orphan kid who was Joe Palooka's sidekick, comic strip character doll, red molded painted hair, also made by the Personality Doll Corporation 1953. See the Hard Plastics Dolls 1950s page for the Little Max doll.

Not shown; 1955 Buddy Palooka doll, 15" tall, The New Champ, Pride of the Palooka Family, the doll with the knockout personality, comic strip character doll, son of Joe Palooka and Ann Howe, all vinyl doll with jointed body, yellow molded hair, blue eyes, made by Personality Doll Corporation 1954.

1953 Joan Palooka doll 14"

1954-1959 Ideal Baby Big Eyes doll, 20 or 23" tall, soft vinyl head, blue sleep eyes with lashes, curly rooted saran wig, came in christening gown or pajamas, doll marked on head IDEAL DOLL P6 or VS-18 or VS-20

1954 Baby Big Eyes doll 20"

1954-1956, 1959-1962 Ideal Betsy Wetsy doll, 11", 13 1/2" or 15" tall, soft rubber body, drink and wet doll, rooted hair, blue sleep eyes, open drinker mouth, typically marked; 14 or 16 Ideal Doll Made in USA or Made in USA Pat. No. 225207, Ideal Doll VW-2 or WC-1-1 or VS22 or OBW-20 or © 1965 Ideal Toy Corp. TD14-W Pat. Pend.  

All Betsy Wetsy dolls have the Ideal marking.

1954 Betsy Wetsy doll

1954-1957 Ideal Magic Lips doll, 24" tall, vinyl head with rooted hair, sleep eyes open mouth with tongue & teeth, oilcloth torso & upper limbs, vinyl lower limbs, crier in the tummy that when pressed the doll moves her mouth & cries, doll marked T-25. 

Photo courtesy of Connectibles.

1954 Magic Lips doll 24" 

1954-1956 Ideal Posie doll, 17 or 23" tall, hard plastic doll, very similar to the Saucy walkers but this one has bendable knees, dolls ad reads "Pretty Posie of a hundred life like poses". Earliest doll had a hard plastic head with flirty blue sleep eyes, later ones had a vinyl head non-flirty eyes and rooted auburn hair.  Dolls have the walking mechanism, blue sleep eyes, closed mouth and crier, doll marked on head Ideal VP-17 or VP-23.

1954 Posie doll 17"

1955-1956 Ideal Bride doll, 14 or 19" tall, walker, vinyl head, hard plastic body, rooted saran hair, dressed in bride gown, veil holding a bouquet of flowers and plastic curlers, doll marked 14" - Ideal Doll W90 or 19" - Ideal Doll V92.

1955 Bride doll 19"

1956-1957 Ideal Honeybunch doll, 14-15" tall, vinyl head with saran rooted hair, sleep eyes, rooted lashes, one piece vinyl stuffed body, doll marked on neck VS 15-2, and on back marked VS-14.

Not shown in original clothing.

1956 Honeybunch doll 15"

1956-1959 Ideal Miss Revlon doll, 15, 18, 20" tall, vinyl head and arms (some have jointed elbows), hard plastic body, sleep eyes, rooted hair in several colors & styles, pierced ears, high heeled feet, doll marked Ideal 15N, VT-18, VT-20 according the the size of the doll. 

In 1957 Ideal made a Revlon Walking doll, 18 or 20" tall, with hip pins and head turning mechanism.    

1956 Miss Revlon Doll 18"

1957 Ideal Pink Fairy doll, 18" tall, uses the same head mold as Miss Revlon shown above, (vinyl head, sleep eyes, flat feet) and has pink rooted hair with bangs, wears a pink satin & tulle tutu, has wings on back attached to the tutu, and pink ballet slippers, doll marked VT-18.  We don't think any of the other Revlon sized dolls had pink hair.

She does surface in online auctions occasionally, but would be considered quite rare and commands a rather high price compared to other Revlon sized dolls with other hair colors or outfits.

1957 Pink Fairy doll 18"

1957 Ideal Crown Princess doll, 10 3/4" tall, vinyl head, flanged body construction, sleep eyes, rooted hair, no pierced ears, high heel feet, came wearing lace bra and panties and a small plastic crown, doll is unmarked, very similar to the later produced Little Miss Revlon doll but the head mold is different (larger) and this doll is slightly taller.

1957 Crown Princess doll

10 3/4"

1957 Ideal Patty Prays doll, 20" tall, #7741, vinyl head and hands, cloth loosely stuffed body, rooted hair, side glancing blue painted eyes, painted facial features, wears cotton pajamas with matching cap with white pom-pom and has a white ribbon with dolls name on it in blue, recites a bedtime prayer when wound. 

1957 Patty Prays doll 20"

1958 Ideal Baby Coos doll, 19, 21, or 23" tall, vinyl head with short rooted hair, sleep eyes with real upper lashes, closed mouth, jointed plastic body, doll marked on back Ideal Doll B-19, B-21 or B-23 (according to the dolls size).

1958 Baby Coos doll 19"

rooted hair, closed mouth.

1958-1960 Ideal Little Miss Revlon doll, 10 1/2" tall, vinyl head, strung body, jointed, sleep eyes, rooted hair in several styles, pierced ears and high heel feet, doll marked on head VT 10 1/2.

1958 Little Miss Revlon doll 10 1/2"

1958-1963 Ideal Shirley Temple dolls, 12, 15, 17, 19" tall, the 12" doll is the most commonly found doll, doll marked on head Ideal Doll ST12, the ST = Shirley Temple + the dolls size.  

1959-1963 Shirley Temple, 26" tall, all vinyl, rooted hair, same as the smaller sizes, this doll is believed to have been used as a store display for the real Shirley's public appearances to promote the doll.  Is very rare.

1962 the 12" Shirley was no longer available.  1963 Shirley was only available in 15".

1958-1963 Shirley Temple doll 12"

1958-1961 Ideal Shirley Temple doll, 19" tall, also came as a walker doll marked Ideal Toy Corp ST-19-R and the non-walker doll marked Ideal Doll ST-19-1 on head).  The 17 & 19" tall sized dolls are a little harder to find, and have flirty eyes.  Separate wardrobes were sold for all sizes except the 26" doll. There was a 19" light brown or black Shirley too, but this one may never have been produced.  Also a 36" life size - you'll find that on the 1960s Ideal page.

1958-1961 Shirley Temple doll 19"

1959-1962 Ideal Cream Puff Baby doll, 19, 21, 23 or 24" tall, all vinyl, rooted hair, blue eyes, dimpled cheeks.

1959 Cream Puff Baby doll

1959 Ideal Playtex Dryper Baby doll, 21 or 23" tall, all vinyl, molded hair or rooted hair, drink wet coos doll, came with layette, clothes, disposable diapers, soap, bottle, rooted doll head marked IDEAL DOLL OB23-3.

1959 Playtex Dryper Baby doll 21"

1959-1961 Ideal Patti Playpal doll, 35" tall, she is the same size as a three year old child, made of lightweight blow molded vinyl, joined at neck, shoulders, jointed wrists (1st year only) and hips, toddler body, vinyl head with rooted hair either short and curly or long and straight in various colors, sleep eyes, closed mouth, came dressed in various dresses, doll head marked Ideal Doll Toy Corp. G-35 or B-19-1.

1960-1961 Ideal Patti Playpal doll 35" was redesigned as a walker, straight wrists, orange "carrot top" hair color was added, otherwise about the same as the previous doll, doll mark Ideal Doll G 35.

The Playpal family of dolls were designed by Neil Estern, all were first issued in 1959 (except Peter) and consisted of Patti 35", Penny 32", Suzy (Suzie) 28", twins Johnny 24", Bonnie 24" and big brother Peter Playpal 38" issued in 1960.  All dolls were made life sized at various ages.

Many other companies jumped on making large sized Playpal type companion dolls with their own versions as they were so popular, some are unmarked or with markings different than Ideal.  Use our search button with the term "playpal" to find other companies who made similar dolls.

In 1981 to 1982 Ideal re-issued Patti Playpal from the original 1959 mold without sleep eyes as a black or white doll.

1959 Patti Playpal doll 35"

1959 Ideal Bonnie Playpal doll, 24" tall, Patti's three month old baby sister, all vinyl, sleep blue eyes, rooted blonde hair, doll head marked  Ideal Doll O.E.B. -24-3 or OEB 24-23.  Bonnie is not shown in original clothing.

1959 Bonnie Playpal doll, 24"

1959 Ideal Johnny Playpal doll, 24" tall, Patti's three month old baby brother, all vinyl, blue sleep eyes, molded hair, closed mouth, doll head marked Ideal Doll BB-24-3. 

1959 Johnny Playpal doll 24"

1959 Ideal Penny Playpal doll, 32" tall, Patti's two year old sister, hard plastic jointed body, vinyl head with rooted hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth, doll marked on head Ideal Doll 32-E-L.  

1959 Penny Playpal doll 32"

1959-1960 Ideal Suzy Playpal doll, 28" tall, in 1960 her name was spelled Suzie Playpal, Patti's one year old sister, vinyl head, hard plastic jointed body, short straight or curly saran rooted hair, usually found wearing a dotted swiss dress, doll marked on head Ideal Doll O.E.B.-28-5 or -24-3 on her back marked Ideal in an oval.

1959 Suzy Playpal doll 28"