Sindy’s friends: Patch (Sindy’s naughty little sister), 9GPS.

Sindy’s friends: Patch (Sindy’s naughty little sister), 9GPS.

Collage made from the 1966 Sindy Brochure.
Collage made from the 1966 Sindy Brochure.
Collage made from the 1966 Sindy Brochure.

In 1966 Sindy got a new “friend”, Patch, her naughty little sister.

Just like Sindy was the British version of Tammy, from Ideal Toy Corp. , Patch was the British version of Pepper (Tammy’s little sister, that started to sell in 1963 in USA). Below are some photos of TLSM’s Second Patch (left side) and Pepper (right side).

The First Patch, Made in England 1966 (9 inches or 23 cms tall)

TLSM does not have her but this is what the former www.petradolls.co.uk and Hilmar Bonda wrote about her:

“The First Patch doll was Made in Merton UK by Pedigree Dolls in 1966 and 1967 she is 9 inch or 23 cm tall and has Made in England on the back of her neck and J1834 and SISTER on her scalp and no markings on the torso.  

Her torso is prone to yellowing, like Paul’s, and is made of heavy vinyl. Her head is very soft and she has posable limbs.  

She has straight bobbed hair, chin-length, and hand painted features and is available in light blond, coffeecoloured/ chestnut and brunette. The hair is very fragile and usually very dry, like 1967-72 Sindy’s.”

Thanks to Vectis Auctions Ltd you can see how The First Patch could look. Their dungarees had a lighter denim fabric than the later Patch dolls, made in Hong Kong. And on the boxes it said “With bending arms and legs”.

Thank you Vectis Auctions Ltd for sharing your photos!

Do you own this doll and would like to donate, sell or share photos of her, please get in touch!

Below you can see how the markings of the First Patch (MIE) looks! Thank you for sharing your photos Patricia and Helen, this really helps!

Patricia Ruiter has kindly shared this photo of her MIE Patch’s scalp from when she was going to re-root her.
This is Helen Rodgers photo of her MIE Patch. She say’s “She is having a bad hair day though.”
The Made in England markings on Helen Rodgers’s “Bad Hair Day” Patch.

As far as TLSM can say the First Patch or MIE Patch had some kind of wire inside their vinyl limbs, to help to pose. But after all the years that’s passed buy since, her vinyl has hardened and thus making it hard to bend and also pose her arms and legs nowadays.

June Kent is kindly sharing photos of her MIE Patch! She says: “Her dungarees have a bigger bib and patch than the later MIHK ones. She has a yellow body like a MIE Sindy. Her hair tends to go woolly and is coarser than the later Patch. It looks like her arms might have bent as you can see but they don’t any more and I didn’t want to force them!”

Here is June Kent’s MIE Patch. Photo and owner: June Kent.

Below Helen Rodgers kindly shares photos of her MIE Patch. She says: “The arms are still a little flexible but do not hold well, I tried a couple of photos with the right arm. The legs are quite stiff and would not bend and hold.”

Helen Rodgers photos of her MIE Patch. She say’s “She is having a bad hair day though.”

Thank you for sharing your photos Patricia, Helen and June!

From the 1967 Sindy Brochure.
From the 1967 Sindy Brochure.

The Second Patch, Made in Hong Kong 1967 (8,7 inches or 22cms tall)

TLSM is happy to have The Second Patch! She was bought as a played with doll but her hair is in lovely condition. TLSM’s doll have limbs that can bend but there are nothing inside that makes them hold that position.

The Mini Patch, Made in Hong Kong 1967 (8, 27 inch or 21cm tall)

Below you can see TLSM’s Mini Patch that was bought in played with condition. Her ams and legs are very hard and it’s not possible to bend them at all.

The comparison photos between The Mini Patch and The Second Patch:

The Micro Mini Patch, Made in Hong Kong 1967? (7,87 inch or 20cm tall)

TLSM does not have this super cute tiny version of Micro Mini Patch, sadly. Luckily the talented Didier, known as thedudidier on Instagram, kindly shares his lovely mini story, “Nothing but a New Patch” so you can see her compared to a normal sized Patch, He writes:

“I recently received the most precious gift a Patch collector like me can get: a new Patch! Even better: an elusive Mini Micro Patch. Thanks to my dearest friend @sindytude!
Now as you can see in this story, the poor little one wasn’t exactly welcomed with enthusiasm by the Main Patch of the house: Patch Elizabeth Ann Wethernot.
Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be friends soon. Plotting friends, of course!”

Thank you for sharing your story Didier!

Do you own this doll and would like to donate, sell or share photos of her, please get in touch!

From the 1968 Sindy Brochure.
Second Patch and Poppet comparison photos.

Patch in Patchpocket, 9GPS2, 1970

From the 1970 Sindy Brochure.
Patch in Patchpocket.

Patch in Babydoll, 9GPS1, 1970

From the 1970 Sindy Brochure.
Patch in Babydoll.

Patch 9GPS, 1970

From the 1970 Sindy Brochure.
Patch in her dungarees. .

The Patch’s “Party and Play Pack, 1970

A Patch doll was also sold together with The Birthday Party outfit in Patch’s “Party and Play” Pack.

From the 1970 Sindy Brochure.
From the 1970 Sindy Brochure.

One of TLSM’s Patch dolls, “Patchy”, is much played with, yet so lovely and naughty. She has one side with a normal sized arm and leg and one side with a mini arm and leg. If she was sold like this from the beginning is hard to tell but knowing that Pedigree often wanted to use up all their stocks, my guess is that perhaps there were some kind of mishap not picking the same sized limbs at the factory? :

The Canterbury Patch, Made in England 1971 (9 inches or 23 cms tall)

In 1971 Patch got a new product number: 9GPS1 and is now called “Sindy’s Saucy Sister Patch”.

In the 1971 Sindy Brochure, Pedigree used all the different Patch dolls, as well as the new Canterbury Patch, to show her fashions. You can see in some of the pictures, Patch can have her arms and legs bent and thus most probably is the First Patch.

From the 1971 Sindy Brochure.
From the 1971 Sindy Brochure.

The Patch used for the photo to show “Sindy’s Saucy Sister Patch” also bend her leg sitting on the bed, so it’s really confusing! But according to the information TLSM’s been able to find, Canterbury Patch can’t pose her limbs. And when trying to bend TLSM’s doll, her limbs can bend but there are nothing inside that makes them hold that position. So it seems like there were softer material used for the limbs on the larger Patch dolls, but only the First Patch had the wire(?) inside that made them hold it’s position.

TLSM has one Canterbury Patch doll but her hair has been cut! The photos below could hopefully help you identify a Canterbury Patch based on her face, body and the markings she has even though the hair should be longer! This doll came in different haircolours where the hair style also could be very individual.

Worth to know though is that the Canterbury dolls were hand painted, so no one of these dolls is exactly like the others, in the face.

In the 1972 Sindy Brochure they still showed Patch among the dolls:

From the 1972 Sindy Brochure.
From the 1972 Sindy Brochure.

Apparently Pedigree let the Canterbury version of Patch also be sold as the Debenhams Patch, until around 1973.

Here she is, “Patchy”: TLSM’s naughtiest Patch doll in her (part of) Swan Lake 9PO2 outfit, dancing ballet with Sindys in the glass cabinet.

The commercial for Patch shows that she is indeed Sindy’s naughty little sister:

Patch’s Fashions

When it comes to describing and showing the fashion of Patch, Our Sindy Museum’s website is the place to visit!

Below you can see how the Sindy Catalogues described Patch’s fashions:

1966

Patch outfits from the 1966 leaflet.
Patch outfits from the 1966 leaflet.
Patch outfits from the 1966 leaflet.
Patch outfits from the 1966 leaflet.
From the 1967 Pedigree Brochure.
Patch outfits from the 1968 Pedigree Brochure.
Patch outfits from the 1968 Pedigree Brochure.
Patch outfits from the 1968 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1969 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1969 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1970 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1971 Pedigree Brochure.

Karen Baca’s amazing Patch collection! All photos are taken and owned by Karen Baca who’s kindly sharing them with TLSM.

Thank you for sharing your photos Karen!

Another TLSM friend, that collects Patch, is Edith Humphreys. The three photos below are taken, owned and shared by her:

Photo and owner: Edith Humphreys.
Photo and owner: Edith Humphreys.
Photo and owner: Edith Humphreys.

Thank you for sharing your photos Edith!

Patch’s Super Scenesetters

From the 1968 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1969 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1970 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1971 Pedigree Brochure.
From the 1972 Pedigree Brochure.
Patch’s Pony “Pixie” (in the bottom middle of the photo) as shown at TLSM.