| Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!!!! |
We have here a color photocopy of the very first Sasha dolls catalog issued by the Frido company. The date
is January 1967. Fortunately, unlike the other early catalogs, this very first one is in full color! I had the
catalog in my possession several years ago. It was worth so much that I sold it - I couldn't justify having such
an expensive leaflet around the house! Before it left, I had a color copy made. The quality is pretty good. In
being able to see this in computer images, you are seeing it larger than it really is so the detail is probably
actually better! I would recommend viewing this in Internet Explorer since some browsers don't have the clarity.
The catalog itself is about the same size as a standard Sasha catalog. It opens to a centerpage and then
there is a back page. EACH PHOTO IS A THUMBNAIL SO THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON IT AND IT WILL
ENLARGE! OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE MUCH!
is January 1967. Fortunately, unlike the other early catalogs, this very first one is in full color! I had the
catalog in my possession several years ago. It was worth so much that I sold it - I couldn't justify having such
an expensive leaflet around the house! Before it left, I had a color copy made. The quality is pretty good. In
being able to see this in computer images, you are seeing it larger than it really is so the detail is probably
actually better! I would recommend viewing this in Internet Explorer since some browsers don't have the clarity.
The catalog itself is about the same size as a standard Sasha catalog. It opens to a centerpage and then
there is a back page. EACH PHOTO IS A THUMBNAIL SO THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON IT AND IT WILL
ENLARGE! OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE MUCH!
The first photo is the cover of the catalog. On the front is a gorgeous
no philtrum Sasha in brown cord. She is a brown eyed blonde with her
hair swept into a messy, casual side ponytail. Brown eyed blondes
were not a part of the standard Sasha line this early in the production
and she was a prototype. The front is self explanatory. Simply "Sasha
doll in bold, simple print. Not Sasha dolls, just "Sasha doll" as if to
announce our messy haired friend in closeup.
no philtrum Sasha in brown cord. She is a brown eyed blonde with her
hair swept into a messy, casual side ponytail. Brown eyed blondes
were not a part of the standard Sasha line this early in the production
and she was a prototype. The front is self explanatory. Simply "Sasha
doll in bold, simple print. Not Sasha dolls, just "Sasha doll" as if to
announce our messy haired friend in closeup.
The catalog opens to this centerfold.
There are closeups below of this same
picture, but I wanted to get the entire
panorama in one shot. On the left is a
girl in blue cord with her hair partially
pulled back with what looks like a
barette. Next to her is a dungarees
with tightly braided red hair. Next is
another brown eyed blonde with a side
ponytail. This one is in brown cord.
There are closeups below of this same
picture, but I wanted to get the entire
panorama in one shot. On the left is a
girl in blue cord with her hair partially
pulled back with what looks like a
barette. Next to her is a dungarees
with tightly braided red hair. Next is
another brown eyed blonde with a side
ponytail. This one is in brown cord.
Next to the girl in the brown cord is another blonde with a ponytail, this
one in the blue farmpants outfit. The brunette gingham standing next
to her is my favorite. She has a long, baggy blue gingham dress -the
very first appearance of this classic Sasha dress in the production
dolls. She has her hair partially pulled back with a long almost
"dreadlock" hanging over her shoulder. Next to her is a brunette with
a ponytail in the ballet outfit. No cape is shown. This doll was
produced as redhaired doll in the production.
one in the blue farmpants outfit. The brunette gingham standing next
to her is my favorite. She has a long, baggy blue gingham dress -the
very first appearance of this classic Sasha dress in the production
dolls. She has her hair partially pulled back with a long almost
"dreadlock" hanging over her shoulder. Next to her is a brunette with
a ponytail in the ballet outfit. No cape is shown. This doll was
produced as redhaired doll in the production.
Here are some closer photos of
each. There was a flash glare, so
some the second photo is
duplicated. It appears from the
photo that none of the dolls have
blue eyes, but they could be a very
dark blue or the slate gray that is
commonly found on the very first
production dolls without eyelashes.
each. There was a flash glare, so
some the second photo is
duplicated. It appears from the
photo that none of the dolls have
blue eyes, but they could be a very
dark blue or the slate gray that is
commonly found on the very first
production dolls without eyelashes.
Imagine the standard doll catalogs of the time. Mattel dolls were popular,
as were Barbies, Madame Alexander and Effanbee dolls. As shown in
catalogs, these dolls were shown very neat and uniform looking. What
strikes us immediately upon opening the catalog, is the casual, messy look
of the dolls. They look just like regular children at play! The tight, straight
almost-Pippi-Longstocking type braids of the dungarees, the casual swept
up, tangled ponytails and curls....these dolls were absolutely revolutionary
in 1967! Of course, all of the dolls are no philtrum headmolds and all
were prototypes of course, possibly painted by Sasha herself. By 1967,
the production dolls were more uniform looking, and had eyelashes, so
certainly these photos were taken much earlier than the publication date of
the catalog, January, 1967.
as were Barbies, Madame Alexander and Effanbee dolls. As shown in
catalogs, these dolls were shown very neat and uniform looking. What
strikes us immediately upon opening the catalog, is the casual, messy look
of the dolls. They look just like regular children at play! The tight, straight
almost-Pippi-Longstocking type braids of the dungarees, the casual swept
up, tangled ponytails and curls....these dolls were absolutely revolutionary
in 1967! Of course, all of the dolls are no philtrum headmolds and all
were prototypes of course, possibly painted by Sasha herself. By 1967,
the production dolls were more uniform looking, and had eyelashes, so
certainly these photos were taken much earlier than the publication date of
the catalog, January, 1967.
This next group of photos show
our same six little friends in
different poses with
descriptions. The brunette in
the ballet outfit is somewhat
perplexing, as her description
reads "redhead ballet dress".
In the photo she does not wear
the traditional black and green
cape that came on the early
ballerinas. Was there not
another prototype available for
the photograph, and thus the
brunette was substituted? Or
was the decision to issue the
redhaired girl in the ballet
made too late to redo the
catalog photos? In any case,
the brunette makes a lovely
ballerina too!
This catalog is labeled "Leaflet
no 5 Issue 1". It could be that
there were other early
catalogs, but when I bought
this, it was sold to me as the
"first" color Sasha catalog.
our same six little friends in
different poses with
descriptions. The brunette in
the ballet outfit is somewhat
perplexing, as her description
reads "redhead ballet dress".
In the photo she does not wear
the traditional black and green
cape that came on the early
ballerinas. Was there not
another prototype available for
the photograph, and thus the
brunette was substituted? Or
was the decision to issue the
redhaired girl in the ballet
made too late to redo the
catalog photos? In any case,
the brunette makes a lovely
ballerina too!
This catalog is labeled "Leaflet
no 5 Issue 1". It could be that
there were other early
catalogs, but when I bought
this, it was sold to me as the
"first" color Sasha catalog.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip through time. I'm sure we'd all
give up a few years worth of Christmas presents just to have
one of these dolls! Hopefully each of them is somewhere in a
private collection and is well loved!
give up a few years worth of Christmas presents just to have
one of these dolls! Hopefully each of them is somewhere in a
private collection and is well loved!
| VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! |