There is very little information available about Remco. The company, founded by Sol Robbins, was prolific during the 60s and early 70s, but the company invested a lot of money developing dolls that didn't sell well, and closed in the mid '70s. Most Remco dolls are well marked, aiding in identification. Click on a photo to view a larger version.
 |
 |
Among collectors, Remco is especially well-known for the Littlechap Family, a family of four fashion dolls with very well-made outfits. They are a little larger than Mattel's Barbie, so they can't wear her clothes. The scan at far left is from the 1963 Sears catalog. |
 | 5" Heidi and Jan came packaged in plastic pocketbook cases, and had many outfits and accessories. Besides the more common version that waves "Hi" when you push a button in her belly, there were also Winking and Growing versions of Heidi. Other dolls in the Pocketbook series include Heidi's siblings Hildy, Herby and Billy; and friends Pip and Spunky. |
 |
 |
 |
TV Jones (above) and Pussy Meow (left) are unusual animal fashion dolls packaged in plastic cases that were meant to look like portable television sets. They had a few extra outfits available. Their playmates Hana Hippo, Ellie Elephant and Patsy Panda are even harder to find. Remco also made Mr. & Mrs. Mouse and their twins Elly and Andy. |
 |
 |
Finger Dings are 5.5" finger puppets. They have a vinyl head, arms and torso without legs. They wear a sort of a leotard with an open back, and you put your fingers inside the leotard legs to make the dolls walk, dance, skate, etc. Besides the regular line of Finger Dings, there were also Finger Ding Animals, Finger Dings and Flower Kids. The same construction was used for other dolls as well including Adventure Boy and the Monkees.
Photos courtesy of Lisa Hanson. Check out Lisa's eBay listings. |
 |
 |
For collectors today, the most sought after Remco dolls are probably the pop group sets of the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five. These appeal to celebrity and music collectors as well as doll collectors. Another celebrity doll the company made was Laurie Partridge of the Partridge Family, portrayed by actress Susan Dey.
Other Remco dolls include Tippy Tumbles, a somersaulting doll that was a big hit; Li'l Winking Herby Hippy, a 16" doll with a winking mechanism; Sweet April, a crying baby doll; 6.5" Jeannie from the TV show "I Dream of Jeannie", and Mimi, a 20" singing doll.
Sources for this page include:
Copyright 2006-2010 by Zendelle Bouchard.
