Chatty Cathy Dolls

In 1959, Mattel started manufacturing the first talking doll. Chatty Cathy hit the shelves in stores and appeared on television commercials in 1960. The original Chatty Cathy doll had blonde hair and blue eyes. There were two outfits available for the Chatty Cathy doll, and the doll with some accessories was priced at about $20. The original Mattel Chatty Cathy was on the market for six years and was the second most popular doll on the market, beat only by Barbie, a doll also made by Mattel.

Chatty Cathy originally said 11 phrases. A low-fidelity phonograph record was in the stomach of Chatty Cathy, and when the ring on the back of her neck was pulled, phrases such as `I love you` and `Please brush my hair` could be heard. In 1963, seven more phrases were added to the Chatty Cathy repertoire and now Chatty Cathy can ask her owner to `Tell her a story`. In 1962, the French-Canadian Chatty Cathy told the world that` Je m`appelle Caroline` My name is Caroline.

Today, many Chatty Cathy dolls have fallen mute. The reason for this is the way the doll was manufactured. The low-fidelity record that is in Chatty Cathy`s abdomen needed a tiny turntable and needle to work. The turntable was powered by a drive-belt which in all reality is another word for rubber band. Over time due to use and age, those belts have snapped, rendering these dolls silent.

Like many good things, Chatty Cathy has had a rebirth. In 2002, a reproduction Chatty Cathy was made. Some lucky collectors got Chatty Cathy as a Christmas gift that year. She came in a reproduction of the original box; the original voice was used and she is wearing a pink dress with an eyelet apron. These new Chatty Cathy dolls though are 2 inches shorted, coming in at 18 inches and they use 2 AA batteries rather than a pull string on the back of her neck.