Now here's a doll who is REALLY 70's!
Name: Dinah-Mite
Year: 1972 - 1975
Manufacturer: Mego
Accessories: came dressed in basic outfit; other accessories sold separately
Description and information: It amazes me how few people my age remember Dinah-Mite. Her name is often incorrectly spelled Dynamite, like the stuff that blows up, but its not. Her name is a play on the popular 1970's catch phrase.
I had two of these dolls at one time but now only have one. I might have traded the other but I don't recall. They were both the same and were/are considered the fairly common version. It would be nice to add the Black Dinah-Mite to my collection, but she's fairly rare and usually goes for a higher price, so I've just never wanted one bad enough to break my budget for it. I keep hoping to find a naked one because I have the extra purple jumpsuit from my missing Dinah-Mite.
Apparently, the Mego corporation made Dinah-Mite to compete with Barbie. Being a huge Barbie fan, there is no way I would have traded Barbie for Dinah-Mite. Not that I didn't like Dinah, but I didn't LOVE her. Barbie doll quality and clothing quality might have declined in that same era of the early to mid-1970's, but there was still a "cheapness" about Mego toys that Mattel toys didn't seem to have. Luckily for Mattel, they began going back to better quality stuff as the 1970's progressed. Dinah-Mite was off the market by 1975, however.
I did have the Dinah-Mite Beach House at one time and also the three wheeled (wired) remote control bike. I had an assortment of clothes for Dinah-Mite, too. Still, I never played with her as much as I did with Barbie. Eventually, the Beach House playset was no longer in very good shape and it got thrown out or given away. That, too, I don't remember.
What you see here is what is left of my Dinah-Mite stuff from childhood. I don't want to give the impression that I don't like this doll. I do. I wouldn't have kept her all these years if I didn't. I have a warm spot in my heart for her. She brings me right back to the 70's!
If you want to know more about this doll, check out this page on the Mego Museum website. Its about as much info on Dinah-Mite as you will find anywhere: http://megomuseum.com/dinahmite/index.html
Below, we see the standard doll in her original outfit. These jumpsuits varied in shade of purple from being violet, to plum, to being almost blue-violet. Her bone straight blonde hair was the style of the times. From Marcia Brady to Malibu Barbie and Francie to Dawn doll, but Dinah-Mite's hair was much stiffer and unruly. The Black Dinah-Mite comes in this outfit, too. Luckily, this jumper is made of a nylon that didn't shred over the years and held up rather well.
Feel free to join us on the ohmydolls Yahoo group if you'd like to talk about Tuesday Taylor or Tiffany Taylor, or share more info. Our group is 100% spam free and VERY quiet: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oh_my_dolls
Here I dressed my doll in a mixture of pieces of several outfits. I think she looks good!
Below, I show the doll undressed so you can see all the points of articulation. This doll was billed as being able to pose 1,000 ways, unlike Barbie and other dolls of the time (well, maybe Living Barbie and Live Action Barbie and friends come close). The Dinah-Mite body is the same body used for other Mego female dolls like Supergirl (photo below) and Batgirl (not shown). Being so posable didn't help her much. She still fell off her bike!
Below is most of the clothing that I have for my Dinah-Mite doll. Notice how the nurse's dress and blue cape are shredded. That's because they were made of that atrociously cheap nylon stuff that a lot of cheap doll clothes were made of in those days. I'm not aware of any Mattel made Barbie clothes made of it, but I do have a few items from the Shillman Maxi Mod line that shredded like this. Still, I am lucky to have so many outfits and accessories. I still have her tennis racquet, all her hats and a selection of boots and shoes!
As a matter of interest, Mego used the same body for many dolls and just changed the hair style and face. Notice Supergirl looks much more serious than Dinah-Mite. This is my childhood doll, missing her cape (which shredded) and logo. Her belt also has no elasticity left. But, hey! I still have her shoes!
