ABOUT LITTLE BETSY WETSY
I fell in love with Little Betsy Wetsy when I met her on ebay in 1998. I thought she was way cuter than Ginnette. I loved her fat cheeks and her mischievous sassy face. That full head of short flaming red hair got me by the sneakers.
I played with her so much over the years that she now has to wear a hat because much of her hair has worn away. Thankfully, her sisters all have their hair, so they can model for me.
HISTORY
Little Betsy Wetsy is an all-vinyl 7.5″ short chubby baby doll, born in 1957 or so, and designed and manufactured by the Ideal Toy Company of New York City, New York, USA.
There may have been a baldie version of Little Betsy Wetsy in 1955 or 1956. There is a much more rare version of her with no hair. I asked some doll friends why there was a little baldie out there. They mentioned that companies frequently made a bald version of a baby doll to test the marketability of the doll.
Ginnette of Vogue had a nice long adoption history; Little Betsy Wetsy’s history was relatively short.
PATTERNS
CLOTHES
Little Betsy Wetsy’s adoption pamphlet exhibited twelve outfits. I have found a total of eighteen outfits. The dresses were always made exactly the same way, so they are easy to identify.
I’m still looking for the t-shirt and corduroy pants; plus the case and nightgown that came with the case.
She was usually purchased in a thin cardboard box decorated with her signature blue and red flowers; wearing a diaper and little rayon socks; with a glass (earliest packages) or plastic bottle attached to her tiny wrist.
Unmarked vinyl side-snap shoes came with her party and play outfits. In comparison to Ginnette shoes, they had no heel and were a little wider and shorter. She can, however, easily fit into Ginnette shoes and clothing if you’re having difficulty finding clothes for her.
FURNITURE
Alas, the little cutie pie had no furniture. Her wealthier cousin, Ginnette had plenty of furniture. I’m guessing her mini parents put her into Ginnette’s furniture quite frequently. They may have also purchased Strombecker furniture designed for Ginnette’s sister, Ginny, and discovered that her chubby little tushy could not fit into it.
PAMPHLET
To be continued after lunch.