1960 was a pivotal year in the manufacture of dolls, so we’re kicking off this occasional series of dolls featured in the Sears Wish Book, with that year. We’ve included some contemporary TV commercials for dolls, as well as a rather surprising appearance of Little Miss Revlon in a horror movie. Check out the full video below.
The Sears Catalogs, or Wish Books, were published for 97 years until the company ceased their publication in 1993. The book was eagerly anticipated by generations of children, who were hoping their dreams would come true on Christmas morning. The catalog was considered as a holiday treat in itself, up to 7 million copies were printed each year.
These catalogs offer insights into almost a century of the aspirations and tastes of American consumers. The Bold Doll focuses in, and takes a look at the dolls offered by Sears. We will see how these toys reflect contemporary fashion and culture. By the late 1950s, television became the leading national advertising medium. Catchy ad slogans, and advertisements, became a part of everyday conversations. Marketing and commercials displayed American capitalism to the world. You’ll see examples of how some of these dolls were advertised on TV, independently of the catalogs, on this exciting new modern medium.
2 Comments
Tammy · August 31, 2022 at 5:04 pm
I love this post. I grew up waiting for the three catalogs to come. I worked for Sears from 1996 to 2003. They still had Sears Exclusive Barbies then. Sears was where we visited Santa when I was little.
thebolddoll · August 31, 2022 at 5:47 pm
Thanks Tammy, It’s great to hear from you. I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I thought the catalogs would make good source material. You were at Sears during the golden age of doll collecting – lucky you!