Fun facts about Chatty Cathy Dolls

Chatty Cathy's

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Hi all!
Would you like to know what the body numbers mean for each of the Chatty Cathy dolls?
Find your answers here!
It is fairly easy to tell which dolls are which model and type. The way you identify the different types of Chatty's is by taking a look at the speaker on the front of her body and the marking or lack thereof on her back.

The original Chatty Cathy’s voice is the voice of June Foray. Ruth Handler and her husband Elliot are the original inventors of Chatty Cathy doll.
#1 or Prototype Chatty: Was produced in 1959 and 1960. She has Blonde or Brunette pageboy, or "bob cut" styled hair, and a cloth covered speaker. There are no markings on her back, and her limbs are usually more tan in color and a the vinyl is a little thicker than the later modeled dolls. Once in awhile you will see a Brown eyed first edition Chatty. These are very rare. The early models of Chatty's all had a soft faces (only) and said 11 different phrases.
The prototype year is one of the more sought after of the "Classic" Chatty Cathy dolls as it's the first year of production.
# 2: This Chatty was produced in 1961-1962. She has Blonde or Brunette hair in the pageboy or bob cut style, Blue or Brown decal eyes and a cloth covered speaker. She has a Mattel Patent pending mark, with the little round Mattel insignia on her back. Chatty had a soft face and said 11 different phrases.

# 3: This model of the Chatty Cathy was produced in late 1962 through 1963. She has Blonde or Brown hair, page, bob cut and an occasional pigtail that slipped in there (that shouldn't be). She has a round speaker with a small hexagon inside the circle. It basically looks as if the cloth cover of the first two models had been removed leaving the open speaker with a small hexagon inside the round speaker. Chatty had a hard or soft face and said 11 different phrases.
I see more long-haired curly bob cut hair sytles on this model than any other year. This is the proper head for this doll. This is the year when the hard faced Chattys arrived on the market. This model is marked on the back “other and foreign patents pending”. It does not have the patent mark for Canada on this model. This is the year that the African American and Canadian version arrived on the market as well. Black Chatty's only came with hard faces.
# 4: Chatty was produced in late 1963 through 1964. She came with Blonde, Brunette or Auburn hair, bob, a "long bob" or page. This was the year that the pigtail Chattys arrived on the scene. She has a hexagon speaker. This is also known as the "transitional year" Chatty whose limbs tend to turn white with age. Not all of these Chatty;s limbs turned a ghostly white. You can find them that have the nice peachy or flesh color that the other Chattys such as the #3-5’s had.
This year Chatty a hard or soft face and some said 11 phrases while others said 18.
The speaker inside Chatty is red or white. This model is notorious for having poor volume or record quality. It depends on which model you get.
The Chatty that says 18 phrases, I believe has typically the better voice mechanism inside of the two models made in this year.
If you find one that is more of the peachy color, then it is typically more desired. In one guide, it shows a Chatty body that is completely ghostly White. This #4 Chatty is valued (12 years ago), $600.00 if mint. I've never had one like this in my collection. If you happen to see one that is uniformly white then you may want to grab it up.
The white limbs are said to be "proper" for this year and should not be considered as a flawed doll.
However, it's really a matter of personal preference. Most people prefer the peachy color over the white colored limbs.
The # 5: model was the final original production of the vintage Chatty Cathy's we all love. She was produced in the late 1964-1965.
She came with Blonde, Brunette, or Auburn hair, in the page, "bob cut" or pigtail style. She has a hexagon speaker with four holes underneath. These Chatty's have a hard or soft-face. If you find a soft faced Brunette or Blonde pigtail version then grab it up as these are considered rare.
The Brunette soft faced pigtail is especially rare. The $5 model only says 18 phrases. This makes her the most sought after model or torso. This model has a better made voice box and/or record. She has the Pat'd in Canada marking on her back. The same is true for the #4's and the Chatty Baby series.
There are various eye colors seen in all the different years but Blue decal eye is the most common.
There are no hard faced models that have Brown original eyes. Many “experts” have told me this over the years.
Unfortunately, I didn't know this until after I purchased an altered one. Read more on that story below.

1964-65 was also the arrival of the darling Chatty Baby Family that consists of Chatty Baby, Tiny Chatty Baby and Tiny Chatty Baby Brother and the little Twins. These come in hard or soft faces. The baby girls come in Blonde or less common Brunette hair color. The Tiny Chatty Brother has a distinctive side part and only came with Blonde hair. He can have a soft or hard face. There have been a few of the Tiny Chatty Baby's that have a more dirty Blonde or light Brown hair color. These are very rare and I've only seen a few. I happen to have been lucky to acquire a set for my collection.
They made African American Versions of all of these dolls except Charmin Chatty and the Singing Chatty's.
They did not make an African American Chatty until 1963. The African American Chatty Cathy's only have a hard face and came in either a long bob or with pigtails. The pigtail version of this doll is considered quite a rarity. The Chatty Baby and the Tiny Chatty Baby girls came in a Black version as well and only had hard faces.
The Chatty baby series also came in the Canadian version with either pinwheel or glassine eyes.
These are the typical standards.... you will find many variations out there. No one knows for sure on some models if the variations are factory or someone mixing heads with bodies.
Mattel was said to be "notorious for using up old stock" on their new productions which is why you will see white limbs on #3's, 4's and 5's, red speaker boxes inside # 5's, and pigtail's on # 3's.
When Chatty's were returned during their warranty period due to the voice box failing, Mattel changed the entire torso.
Mattel doesn't carry torsos anymore. The only way to repair Chatty's voice is to open the torso and a professional repairperson must go in and change the O-ring, string and such. This is not to say you can't find a talking torso to replace the non-talking one. However they are few and far between and often can cost as much or more, than sending one into be repaired.

Other Chatty Cathy Family Members are:
Singing Chatty Cathy- She was one of the last of the Chatty Family of dolls from the mid 1960's. She sings songs such as London Bridges, Rock a bye Baby, Pop goes the Weasel and more. Singing Chattys have pinwheel eyes, which come in blue on the Blondes and either Blue or Green on the rarer Brunette doll.
The Brunette Singing Chatty that has Green eyes is considered a "rarity".
Then along came Charmin Chatty who is 24 inches tall and came with little records which you inserted into a side slot of her torso. She is still pull string activated though. She comes in either Blonde, Blonde frosted hair or Auburn hair colors. The Auburn haired versions are considered more rare and are usually more sought after. The Charmin Chatty's have either soft or hard faces. Charmin did not come in an African American version. The packet of five records that originally came in her box, gave her the largest vocabulary of all the Chatty Family of dolls. She also wears glasses and her face mold is much different than that of Chatty Cathy. She wears a sailor suit that consists of a one-piece skirt with bib and a Red, White and Blue shirt, and saddle shoes. The tie on the shirt was closed with a very tiny tie tack. If you happen to have a Charmin Chatty doll with the tie tack and glasses then this is a good find. The glasses or tie tack’s can command prices up to $40.00 each. They were often lost since the tie tack was so small and the glasses fell off rather easily. Charmin also came with other records with corresponding outfits such as her "Cinderella" set and very rare "Travels Around the World" set which has foreign langues records and a passport.

After about 5 years, Mattel brought out a Whispering and Singing Chatty Cathy. She looks much different than her earlier sisters. She was shorter than Chatty and more stout. She was issued in 1969 and was not that well received by the market. She whispered, sings and says some of the original Chatty phrases. There was a Black version made as well. The voice recorded on this Chatty's record is that of Maureen McCormick of the Brady Bunch television show.
While not well received she is a cute doll and unique in her own right.
In the 1960's, Mattel gave permission to the "Rosebud Company" to make a version of Chatty Cathy. These are marked with both companies’ names. This Chatty doll was made only in the U.K. These dolls come in various shapes and sizes. Long hair and short curly hair. They have Brunette hair, platinum Blonde and a dirty Blonde color. They speak in a British accent. One of my favorite sayings from this doll is "May I have some tea Mummy"?
In 1980, a porcelain version was made to mark the 20th anniversary of the Chatty Cathy doll. She's a "Dollspart Company" doll and looks very little like the original Chatty Cathy.
She has alabaster skin color and has Blue pinwheel eyes and almost Black curly hair. Her teeth are painted on. I have one up on this site for you to see. When she came out in 1980 her original price was $250.00! It is hard to say what her true current value is. This is a very rare doll. I have only seen a few to date and two of those are in my collection!
Mattel quit making anything close to Chatty Cathy for years. Then, in 1983, they brought out Chatty Patty who is referred by some as the "cousin" to Chatty Cathy. She has a different face mold and her entire body including limbs are made out of a hard plastic instead of soft vinyl. She holds little toys and when you pull her pull ring she will talk about what toy she is holding. She is very sweet.
These came in an African American version as well.
In 1998 Mattel finally made a reproduction of Chatty Cathy who came dressed in reproduction outfits from the days of old. Chatty fans were thrilled to see her again. She sure didn't last on the store shelves. Only J.C. PENNY stores sold them. These Chatty's are the closest in appearance to the original Chatty than any other reproduction Chatty Cathy to date. The boxes these come in are the same design as the original Chatty boxes. They have doubled in price since they came out.
They made a Holiday version of this doll as well, which you can also see on this site. She is highly sought after and has about tripled in price since 1998. The first edition Blonde Chatty wearing the blue and white outfit is the hottest selling reproduction Chatty. This is due to the fact that this one looks the most like the one people remember having when they were a child.

2001-Mattel brought back a 14-inch version of Chatty Cathy wearing her original Blue sundress outfit. She is packaged in a small blue window box which contains a little booklet and hairbrush. She was also available as an ethnic doll. The Black Chatty's are harder to find. They are typically considered rare and are more expensive than the Blonde version. Collectors often refer these to as “Chattyette’s”. They have made great gifts for young girls who want a Chatty Cathy like Mom has.

It is said that there are over sea’s versions as well but they are very difficult to find. I do know that Mattel made a Spanish speaking 1969 Singing and Whispering Chatty. It is said that there is a Brunette, dark Brown eyed classic Chatty Cathy, which speaks Spanish. I've yet to have one in my collection or verify its authenticity. I've had about a thousand dark-eyed, Brown haired Chatty's come through my stock room and to date, I have not found a Spanish speaking Chatty. I also haven't seen any literature on her. I do have a few mint in box Mattel Small Talk dolls that are Spanish speaking. However, those particular little dolls are made in the late 1960's up not in the early 1960's.
It's still a mystery to me as to whether there is indeed a true "original" foreign speaking Chatty of any type out there.
In 2002-2003-Danbury Mint, with permission from Mattel, put out a porcelain version. She is 14 inch in height and has a battery compartment on her tummy which activates the voice with the pull-string.
These Chatty's came in the various favorite outfits of Chatty Cathy’s. In this same year they also made a very cute Singing Chatty with Brunette hair and Green eyes. I happen to think she is the cutest of the bunch.
These reproductions come with the cartoon boxes as well which is packaged inside an outer white box that is marked with the name of that particular type of Chatty(ie: Sunday Visit etc).
Now in 2004-2006 there are five new vinyl Chatty Cathy’s out that are pull string replicas (also battery activated). These are Ashton Drake dolls. The first of this series is a Blonde long haired bob cut Chatty that is wearing the Blue Gingham outfit. She is no longer available except on the secondary market. She sold out fast since she was the first edition. She seems to be the most popular of this series. Most likely this is due to her having Blonde hair which reminds people of their old childhood Chatty Cathy doll. The second in this series is the African American with Black hair in a long curly bob style. This doll is marked "Dark Complextion" on the box. Then came along the last of these Chattys. Another popular one in this series is wearing the most sought after dress called Sunday Visit dress. She has almost Black hair and is wearing her hair in pigtails . Then there is another Pigtail version with Red hair that is wearing the Sunny Day outfit (capri pants and half top). Then there is another one with Brunette hair in a long curly bob cut style that is wearing the Play Time outfit. This outfit consists of shorts and a Red and White striped shirt over a White t-shirt and little sandals. She is also a very cute doll. The last of this series are selling out quickly and will soon be available only on the secondary market (all sold out but the Play Time Chatty as of 10-06).
Again the pigtail Chattys here are considered more rare and are more sought after than the bob cuts by most collectors.
The Sunday Visit Chatty's that I have in stock, sell out fast after the Blonde wearing the Blue gingham dress. All of these have pinwheel type eyes. The eyes are not the same as the type you see in original Canadians. They have a a smaller circular line and do not have the three dimensional depth to the eyes like the Canadian pinwheel eyes.
I have them all in stock if you'd like to see any of them. The first two editions are on my home page.
These Ashton Drake Chatty's are boxed in a brown box with a little flowers print on the box.

The Canadian Chatty Cathy’s are probably the most misunderstood and controversial Chatty's out there. The first reason is that the American Chatty Cathy's are often mistaken for Canadians. This is due to the American models haveing the "Pat'd in Canada" marking. Since they say Pat'd in Canada on the lower back, people think the Americans are Canadians. This is typically not the case. All American Chattys , including the Chatty Baby family of dolls (after 1963), have the Pat’d in Canada mark on their backs. You can identify the Canadians by the features that are unique only to them. These features are always the following:
They have only soft faces. They have a distinct figure 8 pattern of freckles, which are larger freckles than the pinhead size that are on the Americans. They usually have pinwheel or glassine eyes instead of the decal eyes that are on the American dolls.
The pinwheel eyes have a multi-faceted color and three-dimensional depth to the eyes. This type of eye is very pretty. They also come with glassine eyes that are often thought of as more "realistic" looking than the other types of eyes. There are rare Canadians with decal eyes as well. They are not seen as often. You can take a look at all versions on the Canadians page on this site.
Another feature unique only to the Canadian pigtail version, is that her hair rooted ONLY down the center. Additionally, they have one seam on each side of the head, leaving two crescent shaped bald areas on each side of the head. The hair was never rooted on the sides of the Canadian pigtail Chatty's head. The two bald areas are hidden under the hair.
This is the very distinct difference between the American and Canadian pigtailed Chatty Cathy's.
If you have a pigtail Chatty Cathy with the Pat'd in Canada marking on the back, the way to determine whether she is in fact a Canadian is by this rooting patter in her hair.
Another distinction that is an identifying trait of the Canadian Chatty is that they have a higher sheen to the facial coloring (lips) and more peachy sheen to the limbs than the Americans.
The Canadian decal eyed Chatty are somewhat harder to distinguish from the American decal eyed Chatty but there are traits to look for, to discern which one is which. The decal eyed Canadian Chatty has more distinct facial coloring and a soft face. The eyeliner and freckles are also more distinct and thicker than the American decal eyed Chattys.
The Canadians also have more of an arched eyebrow. The bob cut has a longer tuft of hair at the crown of the head.
The Canadian dolls are very expensive and harder to find.
Due to their unique features, and rarity they are in higher demand and command higher prices. The entire family of Chatty Cathys after 1963 came in a Canadian version. I do see the number two body with a Canadian head. The way to tell if this body is original is if it has the higher peachy sheen color to the limbs. If it does not, then someone put a Canadian head on an American body. Most collectors consider the Canadians for the for the most part to be prettier than the American Chattys. I too consider them to be prettier in most cases.
I'm going to talk for awhile about the Canadian craze and the buying and selling of these dolls. This is to bring awareness of some of the hot topics and research t or “alterations” involved in the sales of these dolls. There are eye kits being sold on eBay and on-line that give you the tools and the instructions on how to frontally insert a more rare type eye into a Chatty Cathy. The Canadian Chatty's have soft sable lashes in contrast to the American Chatty’s, that have vinyl/plastic eye lashes. The soft sable lashes fell out easily over the years. It used to be quite often seen when one is shopping for a rare Canadian Chatty, that I would see many Canadians with missing eyelashes. Now, I've seen the "case of the missing eye lashes" decrease to the point I rarely see them with this flaw anymore. Instead, what I've been seeing is the new arrival of various eye colors, many of which were never seen on Canadian Chattys before. Pinwheel eyes can also be purchased from doll suppliers and on eBay and on the web for the purpose of doll making (not altering). Since the arrival of the eye kits and pinwheel eyes being sold in rapidly increasing numbers on eBay, I rarely see Canadians with the missing eyelashes. I typically only see in tact rare eyes now a days. But, often these eyes aren't quite set correctly, have a bit of stretching or marks around the outer eye socket vinyl rim. Also they have plastic lashes instead of the soft sable as the original Canadians had. The plastic eyelashes on the Canadians are due to people replacing eyes. They now know how to frontally insert eyes and are taught in the eye kits how to seal the back of the eye sockets. It used to be fairly easy to tell if a Chatty's eyes had been replaced or not. All you had to do is take the head off and look inside to see if the back of the eye sockets were cut. Well now they have closed that door by using what I'm told is called liquid vinyl. This has been verified by two sources that use it. Two "restorers" have told me that they do indeed do this to Chatty Cathy and other dolls. One such "restorer" informed me that she marks the inner sockets so people will know. My question to her is how many people know to look for this? Do you? I didn't used to.
So, folks, when looking for an expensive Canadian Chatty Cathy, it would be a very good idea to have the eyes authenticated prior to purchase. It's sometimes very difficult to tell if they've been replaced. This is an ever-increasing problem since the arrival of the eye kits. Another change on the market is an ever-increasing amount of eye colors that are strangely rare. Buyer beware!
If you have a doll that you are thinking of buying that is very rare and expensive please feel free to use my $2.50 pay button. E-mail me a photo of a close up of the face of the doll.
If you don't want to pay the $2.50 then just e-mail me for my opinion anyway.
If you need a more comprehensive analysis of a doll then please use my $15.00 appraisal fee button. I'll go over the doll from head to toe with you and will provide you with a comprehensive opinion and analysis of the doll.

Also on the topic of the rare Canadian Chattys, is the sudden emergence on the market of supposed "original French" speaking Chatty's. None were seen or discussed years ago. I can't find them as of yet in any books, or old magazines. I even called Mattel and the person I talked to didn't know of any off hand. However, the person I was talking to hadn't been there since the 1960's. I did leave a message prior to her calling me back as to what I was researching. I imagine she probably checked for an answer prior to returning my phone call.
I did have a customer and fellow collector, that has a friend that works at Mattel check in to this. The report back is that they strongly didn't believe these dolls were ever made. This employee had been at Mattel since the 1960's.
I'm still working on this research.
Then in recent years as the voice repair kits were being sold in masses so have been repair videos and kits. More and more people began to repair the voice mechanisms in the dolls themselves. Low and behold the sudden arrival of French speaking Canadian Chatty's have arrived on the market.
I've been doing research on Chatty Cathy rarities for about 6 years and have spent countless hours on this. During my research it was brought to my attention that there is an Italian doll company that sells Chatty type dolls that speak French, German and other languages and one such doll is called Caroline. This doll says very similar phrases to the Chatty Cathy doll. The phrases are almost exact as Mattel's Chatty Cathy dolls. These dolls have a little record that will fit into a Chatty Cathy and low and behold she'll speak French for you and say "Hi, my name is Caroline". Caroline isn't French for Cathy. These supposed "original French" speaking Chattys command prices of $2500.00 and up. The "original German" speaking Chatty's, command prices of over $3,000. Where did all these dolls suddenly come from? It is the opinion of many old time doll collectors that they are coming from dolls that have been repaired with the Italian doll company's foreign speaking record, which is then inserted into the Chattys. The Italian doll company's dolls sell for about $10.00-$40.00.
Many of us collectors saw a few fellow collectors and repairpersons purchase the Caroline Italian dolls for about $30.00 on eBay. In few instances, weeks later, low and behold the French speaking Chatty arrived on eBay selling at $2500 by the purchaser of the Italian doll! A coincidence?
Most of us think not.
To help in my research, I purchased one of the Italian dolls Mint in Box for about $40.00. I went on to buy a few more to check the record sizes to see if it would indeed fit into a Chatty Cathy. While, I haven't actually put this record into a Chatty yet, I can see it will fit. I've been trained to repair Chatty Cathy's and know that the record will fit by comparing the size of the records.
I can't do the repairs myself anymore due to a joint disease in my hands. However, my former repairman is going to insert it for me very soon. We will record the voice and have it translated and I'm sure we'll find it is the same exact sayings that people are translating in writing onto their auctions and saying it’s an “original French” speaking Chatty.
I hope this Italian dolls phrases will either disprove or confirm our suspicions once and for all.
I'll say it once again Chatty fans, buyer beware!
These eye kits, Italian dolls, repair kits are being bought by people who are considered "reputable sellers". At this time, I have a list of 28 sellers who have purchases of the eyes (odd colored or close to original colored pinwheel eyes), and the kits, and the repair materials. Also, these "reputable sellers" have also purchased the Italian dolls that speak French and are named "Caroline". They often purchase or sell these on private auctions so you can't see whose buying, what is being bought, or where they will end up. But think about it folks....in ten, twenty, forty or even just months from the time of the purchase of these altered dolls, we won't know where they will end up. Think about all the people who buy Chatty's at doll shows, estate sales, expensive auctions, garage sales, flea markets and such. Most collectors don't know or think of to get a doll authenticated or to have the head taken off to see if there is a smooth rounded bullet shape eye socket in tact or a flat eye socket in tact. Most folks I run across don't know how to remove the head of a Chatty. Also the people who are buying the "original French" speaking Chatty's are often too invested into the doll both financially and emotionally. They go through what is called "cognitive dissonance". In short, this is something all humans go through at sometime. It is where the brain doesn't want to see or believe what is in front of them after a big mistake has been possibly made. It happens in doll collecting usually because a person has too much invested in say a doll, and their brain doesn't want to or can not accept that they just spent $2500.00 on a doll that is only worth say $100-300.00. There are other instances of cognitive dissonance in say relationships etc. but usually it occurs when we've done something we shouldn't have or have over-looked something that has cost us something. In the world of Chatty Cathy collecting, I have run into it many times. I've flat out told people the doll isn't original, the record has been replaced, the eyes have been replaced etc. I've had the doll checked by at least two sources before I tell them. They still don't want to believe that a “friend” or “reputable seller” sold this Chatty to them and that this person has just taken them for a couple thousand dollars.
Case in point, I told a former Chatty pal of mine about the record scam. A couple weeks later she went and put it up on another auction site for $2500.00, which is what she paid for it. She had wanted it to be real. She just couldn't let herself believe me that it wasn't a true original. I believe her brain wouldn't let her. She believed this so much so that I lost a long and meaningful friendship over letting her know about this. She didn't want to believe the person who sold it to her could possibly be that dishonest.
However, not long after I had told her, she did put it up on another auction site.
Fraud has also happened to me. It occurred with the eyes being changed from the original Blue to a more rare Brown.
I paid $800.00 for a doll only worth maybe if lucky $150.00. I didn't want to believe this lady did this to me. People had sent me all the auctions of where she bought the eyes (brown) and other parts, and the repair manuals etc, and I still didn't want to believe it. I received the doll and after a day of agonizing over it I removed the head. I sat on my floor just sobbing due to what I found. The backs of the eye sockets were slit open and the eyes inserted. It's a long story of deception. The woman went to great lengths to hide what she did and to deny it. I eventually after gathering 25 pages of evidence, was able to get my money back. But boy it cost me more than just time and money. This woman went on to blackball my name all over the place. I ended up being the "bad guy" out of the situation. Even though there was clear and convincing evidence that the dolls were not as described and altered or severely flawed. This has happened a couple times when I was a new collector. Once a doll has been altered this way, it looses most of its value. Once a doll is altered and it's known, people don't want it most of the time. It can not be sold usually. Another case in point, I've tried to sell one doll with replaced eyes on eBay for as low as $100.00-$139.00. She wouldn't sell. She was perfect in every other way. But the eyes had been replaced. Because I said I'd mark the doll so no one could re-sell her as an original, no one was interested. Funny how that works isn't it? An older woman who thought she was buying a very rare doll had purchased this doll. Who knows where it came from or how many hands it had passed through or how much she paid for it. Her family when selling it in an estate sale, was sure the doll was original.
So, I'm trying to get the word out to people to be careful.
Do NOT buy a rare $2500-$3,000 doll without having it authenticated! If you do you're not only risking becoming a victim but also you may be a participant in the practice of sending altered, common, less expensive, yet pretty Canadian Chatty Cathy’s back into the market. It will then be sold, to some unsuspecting and unaware collector for hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Why do I tell this long story about the Canadian Chatty? It is this doll that is so expensive and sought after and that brings in such high prices for the sellers thus the temptation appears to be too much for some. Again, one reason the eyes are replaced so often , is because the soft sable lashes fall out. If they are missing on these rare dolls, there is no way to replace them to look like the originals. Then the value drops by a tidy sum. So people replace the entire eye and while they are at it, they choose a unique and rare eye color to sell it for more. It's an ever-increasing problem. I'm trying to get the word out there to hopefully spare new collectors the big heartache(s) that I went through as a new collector.
This is not to say that all Canadian dolls are altered of course.
Many are just fine. But if you're going to buy one on the auctions such as eBay, be very careful.
They are such expensive dolls!
The fraud issue has increased in alarming numbers.
I'd say on average over half the Canadians I see sold on auctions are altered dolls.
This is certainly not all the Chatty Cathy information that is out there but does comprise most of the Chatty Cathy Family of Dolls and information on buying and identifying them.
You may see variations. Remember if it seems too rare to be true it very well may be.
If it's expensive you may use an escrow company while waiting for an expert to authenticate your doll.
Some of these tips for buying and about the changing of parts applies to most of the doll collecting world. I know from Barbie collectors that heads are changed and other parts and things are done to make them appear rare in order for the seller to sell the doll for far more than what it is worth.
Chatty Cathy and doll collecting should be fun and certainly has been for me.
However, I did learn the hard way on too many occasions.
Next to Barbie, Chatty Cathy was the number one selling doll of it's time!
There are many toys and accessories that go with Chatty Cathy and many are considered very rare. You can take a look in the Chatty Toy box section on this site and see some of them.
I have more in stock if you would like to see something else.
There are puzzles, and furniture and bedding and more.
Regarding repairing your Chatty:
I do NOT recommend anyone repairing their own Chatty Cathy without hours of practice on parts dolls and a lot of reading and buying various books and the video out there. However, I purchased the video and if one procedure is followed, the dolls neck flange will break.
I know of a great place for you to send any talking toy.
It is the only place I will send mine. If you care about your Chatty toy then do send it to a professional repairman.
I also highly recommend that you e-mail me prior to sending her anywhere!
The former "preferred" or popular repair place is no longer preferred and complaints are pouring in almost daily.
He has been turned into the Attorney General in his state.
Due to the many complaints I went on a nation wide search to find an excellent and responsible repairman. I searched high and low, interviewed, checked references, procedures and time frame and found the best repairman that I know of.
He is a professional and charges a decent price. He can repair the most complicated of the talking toys including newer models and battery operated dolls.
I'll happily share his information with you so you can get your Chatty doll repaired and have her back safe and sound in about 20 days or so.
He does factory perfect seams which is no small feat.
He offers the longest warranty of anyone on the voice box. I know of no other service that offers a one-year warranty.
Just e-mail me and I'll quickly refer you to him and get you his e-mail and phone number.
I'd appreciate it if you would please let him know Kathy from Kathys Chatty Cathy's has referred you.
If you have further questions use my $2.50 pay button or just e-mail me for help in answering your questions or finding that long lost childhood toy or doll.
I also deal in other dolls as well.
Chatty Cathys and Mattel talking toys are my main areas of expertise but I have plenty of other items in stock and can answer most doll and toy questions. If I do not know of the doll or toy I will find the answer for you.
Enjoy your doll collecting. Have fun and buy safe!
I hope this article has helped you identify your doll or assists you in purchasing your first or next doll.
If you do not see what you are looking for on my site please feel free to ask!
I have hundreds of Mattel talking toys and Chatty Cathy's in stock.

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