Ideal Cricket Doll

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The Ideal Cricket Doll was a 16” fashion doll introduced by Ideal Toy Corporation in the year 1971 as "Posin' Cricket". The trademark name "Cricket" was first used for a doll by the American Character Doll Co. in the early 1960's and Ideal had acquired it later and used both trademark names Tressy and Cricket (the original Tressy's sister) on their own products in the 1970's.

The Ideal Cricket Doll was specially produced for and sold only by Sears & Roebuck Co. and is considered by some collectors to be part of the Crissy "family" of dolls. She was advertised next to the Velvet Doll in Sears catalogs and like the Crissy Doll, Ideal Cricket's major appeal was her "growing-hair" feature. Cricket was pictured in Sears catalogs modeling exclusive Sears catalog outfits created for her and the same-sized Velvet Doll. However, Velvet Doll fashion packages do not mention the Ideal Cricket Doll as they do Velvet's companion dolls, the Mia Doll and the Dina Doll.

In 1971 Cricket came dressed in an orange and white checked sleeveless mini dress and panties with shiny orange T-Strap shoes. The 1971 Cricket had copper-colored hair and brown sleep eyes. In 1972 some Ideal Cricket dolls were produced that had a deeper auburn hair color, peachier skin tone and blue sleep eyes. This variation is highly sought after by collectors and is possibly the same issue sold only with the special blue bridesmaid gift set.

The Ideal Cricket Doll featured the Posin’ body style, meaning the doll had a swivel waist that had limited movement in both the horizontal and vertical planes so the doll could strike various poses for the child at play.

In 1972 Sears also offered the "Posin' Cricket" doll in a special gift set. This was a blue bridesmaid dress set which coordinated with the white bridal set also available with the Ideal Tressy Doll.