Issue Date: July 28, 1997
City: Anaheim, CA
Quantity: 7,000,000
Printed By: Sterling Sommer for Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: 10.9 x 11.1
Color: Multicolored

 

Betsy McCall® debuted on the cover of McCall’s Magazine in May of 1951. She was born as a paper doll with cut-out clothes. Initially Betsy advertised patterns for McCall’s and modeled children’s clothing designs from independent companies. Her popularity exceeded her original purpose and Betsy McCall became a household name.

 

From her introduction as a paper doll, through present day, Betsy McCall has graced the pages of McCall’s Magazine. Mothers and daughters shared the fun of reading the adventures of Betsy and her family – cousins Barbara, Linda, Sandy and her dog Nosey – and cutting out their paper clothes. Betsy McCall’s life paralleled the lives of the children she appealed to – attending school for the first time, experiencing the excitement of Christmas, hosting a tea party.

 

In September of 1952, Betsy jumped from the pages of the magazine into the hands of her loyal fans as a 14" doll manufactured by Ideal Toy Company. For the next 35 years, various doll manufacturers produced many versions of the Betsy McCall doll. In 1996, Robert Tonner, an award-winning doll artist, reintroduced Betsy into the market as a high-quality vinyl doll made especially for collectors.