Silken Flame

Vintage Barbie illustrations, built environment, clones and more

Clone Carrying Cases

Three cases. At left, on a light blue background, Ideal's character Tammy wears a cocktail-length, pink-and-yellow flowered dress with white stole, the Eiffel tower in the background. Cursive text reads "Evening in Paris." Center, on a teal case, four figures stand before a background resembling arched doorways drawn with simple dashed lines in different colors. One wears a long, gold strapless gown with large purple bow; one wears a flowered top and pink slacks; one a purple suit with skirt and gold lining and hat; and one, a solid top with pink striped skirt. Right, on pink vinyl, a woman in a full green evening gown, white stole, and long white gloves is helped from a car by a man in a black tuxedo; a city skyline is rendered in white and green behind them.
Credit: witalis120, jennile3, levysmercantile

We previously discussed some of the gorgeous fashion illustrations that graced the lids of Barbie’s early carrying cases and other various totables; concurrently with these, an assortment of off-brand and competitor cases boasted similar stylish graphics. Like Barbie’s official carrying cases, they also offered alternate color palettes in otherwise identical cases, as you may find by comparing the image at top with some scattered through the post. Now, let’s browse a sampling of these cases (all images via eBay unless otherwise specified).

Ideal Cases for Tammy and Misty

Tammy and Misty were competitor dolls launched by Ideal in the early 1960s; some of their carrying cases exemplified a level of chic that the dolls themselves never managed to attain.

Four cases. Left, a cartoonish Tammy in a shirtdress holds a phone to her ear; three simply-rendered chilrden are also scattered about with phones; next, Tammy in a full-silhouetted red coat carries a round yellow case with "Model Miss" written on the side and walks a tiny dog; the leaning tower of Pisa, a gondola, and a bridge are sketched in the empty space; next, a red case with white oval in which Tammy is sketched wearing a red top, a black-and-white checked skirt, and a tan coat with fur trim and hat, plus high boots. At right, on a light blue background, Tammy wears a cocktail-length, pink flowered dress with white stole, the Eiffel tower in the background. Cursive text reads "Evening in Paris."
Credit: mwdolls, thelittleblackcloset, dollsamore, pied_pipers_vintage

To be fair, Tammy was marketed as the girl-next-door answer to Barbie’s worldliness: more likely to spend leisure time at home, on the phone, as on the above left case, than to enjoy an “Evening in Paris,” at right. Glamour Misty, as the name implies, was Tammy’s style-conscious counterpart.

Three cases. L: on a white background, Misty is drawn in evening dress and fur stole, holding a clutch, emerging from a limousine with a city skyline behind her. Next, Misty walks a poodle through Paris on a black background, rendered in white, yellow and black. Right. the case says "Misty and Tammy" and shows two figures, one in outerwear including a bright yellow checked jacket and high black boots, and the other in a red nightgown standing before a vanity. The last case is round while all others in the post, unless specified, are rectangular.
Credit: nikisworldofstuff, kscloset2, hazelbuzz11

Wendy Ward and Tressy

Wendy Ward, the Mongomery Ward exclusive doll by Uneeda, and Tressy, by American Character, were close to Barbie in size and could also be toted.

L: pink case with rounded corners, trunk-style. Drawing of Wendy is done in white with black line and blue accents for shadow and for a flower she holds. She wears a sleeveless summer dress and bob-length hair. The name Wendy Ward is "signed" in blue at top left. R: Light blue Tressy case. Tressy, with peahc skin and golden hair, models two French-looking fashions: one sheath with a similar look to Barbie's Silk Sheath, in rose with elbow-length gloves, and one white in a similar silhouette but with a square-cornered overskirt. With this she also has white flowers in her hair. Tressy is "signed" in white at top left.
Sources: unknown seller via Pinterest; toyroombill on eBay.

Miner Industries

Miner were heavy-hitters in 60s generic fashion doll cases; if you’re beguiled by the glamour of a vintage doll case associated with no particular doll, odds are good it bears the Miner trademark.

Three cases. Left, on a white backdrop, a woman in a beret and checked suit sits with colorful luggage; an airplane is sketched moving through clouds in the background; next, a woman in polka-dotted swing coat and cloche-style had walks in front of a shop window displaying hats and accessories, on a pink background; right, on a black background, a woman in a long pink evening gown is escorted by a man in a tuxedo.
Credit: pattys1606, jennile3, nailgirl2

Unbranded Sixties Cases

Some cases with a distinctive Barbie-like style bore no brand. The one at right below is actually not unbranded but labeled “Weldseal Co Inc, NY”; it’s included here because its graphic approach is highly similar to the other, unbranded items we show in the category.

Three cases in bold color palettes of red, yellow, blue, white, and black. L-R the vinyl is blue, black, white, with text reading "Teen Doll Wardrobe," "Fashion Doll Case," "Teen Fashion Doll Case." At right, three simply-rendered characters stand before skewed rectangles much as Barbie did in her early cases. One wears an outfit similar to Winter Holiday, one wears a coat, and one a dress with full skirt and wide-brimmed hat. At left, three similar figures stand inside differently-colored ovals. Center, four figures stand before a background resembling arched doorways drawn with simple dashed lines in different colors. One wears a long, strapless gown with large bow; one wears a flowered top and slacks; one a suit with skirt; and one, a solid-colored top with full, striped skirt.
Credit: candiesandcuriosities (left and center); home_grown_deals

Around the World

We’ve focused on US-based makers so far. Some of the most memorable off-brand cases were international, like the two Canadian cases, below left and center, and one German one (by Theia Spielwahren) below right.

Left and middle cases say "Doll Case; Mallette de Poupee" in white text. Both have sparkle trails like Barbie's early-Sixties cases. At left is a black case with a bubble-cut character in full-skirted red evening gown with white stole, long gloves, and white flower accent at waist. Center, on an orange case, the character is sportily clad in black leggings, white boots, green sweather and hat, with ski poles nearby. In one corner is a stylized Eiffel twoer, and at top left is a floating head in a black-and-white checked riding cap. R: Dark brown or maroon case opens at center. On right panel is young woman or teenager in green minidress with hip pockets, white belt, and white lace-up front, with long flip hair; at right is a child character in frilly pink dress with dog, and in small inset at op left is a blonde girl's floating head in pigtails.
Credits: bob_drake16, luckyant0417, lilironlady1000.

Miscellaneous Totables

In the entry on Barbie carrying cases we covered other portable items, including record totes and even a clone lunchbox. Barbie-style graphics also graced other, similar non-Barbie products: Theriault’s auctioned off a Barbie-esque 1962 Vanity Fair record player and a Ponytail brand “Tune Tote” in one of their Barbie auctions (Ponytail also produced the early Barbie cases):

Composition of images from Theriault's catalog. Label reads "131. Vanity Fair Record Player with Black Vinyl Case, 1962." The record player's black case is decorated with young people dancing or sitting next to a record player from which music notes fly, with skewed solid-colored boxes behind them as on some Barbie art; the graphics are in teal, orange and yellow on the black background. The included Tune Tote is pink vinyl and also features images of children listening to records and dancing. At right, the record player is open and we see similar images, rendered in black and white, on the inside lid of the record player.

Case Rooms

In the 1970s, when Barbie was jet-setting among her various case rooms, such accommodations existed for generic dolls, too.

The exterior of this case shows two women in Farrah Fawcett style wearing negligees, one holding a mirror, in front of a room including two twin beds, a potted plant, a table lamp, and some framed art; text reads "Fashion Doll Bedroom Case; for dolls up to 12 1/2" tall; with fold out twin beds." At right, the case interior reveals the twin beds with floral bedspreads, a wardrobe area and drawer in the facing side of the case, and various lithographed details such as area rugs, bedside lamps, shelves, and hung artwork. Above the beds in both views is a window with ruffly curtains looking out on a flowering bush, and the wallpaper is yellow with vertical stripes.
Credit: 1969340dart

This 70s dressing room case for Crissy, another Ideal doll, “and friend,” is strikingly similar to Barbie’s 1968 dressing room case (though Crissy was a larger doll whose case wouldn’t have suited Barbie):

A hexagonal case in psychedelic colors and patterns, the exterior has drawings of characters in swinging fashions, a woman's head with very long red hair in spiraling locks, and the text "CRISSY and FRIEND Dashion Tote." The inside is printed to look like a dressing room: on one side, a mirror, vanity, and shelf holding a hatbox and hat on hatstand, and on the other, low shelves with shoes, hats, and other items.
Credit: jennile3

The Seventies and Beyond

Naturally, generic and competitor cases persisted into the following decades. Cases by the Tara Toy Corp were ascendant in the Seventies; we won’t explore that epoch but will leave you with a glimpse, courtesy of Tara, of the dystopian future (1984).

A pink lunchbox features a drawing of the face and hair of a woman with Farrah Fawcett smile and hair, wearing a white sweatband, with red-white-and-blue striped collar. Behind her is a rainbow. Text reads "American Beauty."
Credit: timefortoys2014

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