The brunette on the left is Princess Grace and the blonde is an actual Maddie Mod. |
Maddie Mod was sold in many different styles of swimsuits. |
The earliest Maddies have the following written on their backs:
© 1968/PRINCESS GRACE DOLL/HONG KONG. She's also got HONG KONG written on the nape of her neck. I'm assuming the dolls were introduced to the public in 1969.
I don't know if Princess Grace was a subsidiary of Mego, or a separate company that Mego bought out about 1970. I HAVE read that the doll was named after Madeline Abrams, the wife of David Abrams, the founder of Mego.
I don't know when the doll's marking changed, but at some point her back began saying:
© MEGOCORP. MCMLXX/HONG KONG, and there is nothing on her neck.
My sisters and I received Maddies for Christmas 1970 (and we always liked the clothes for her more than the dolls).
The book Collectible Doll Fashions: 1970s, by Carmen Varrichio, copyright 2003 Schiffer Publishing, shows Maddie outfits sold from 1970 to 1977. The 1976 and 1977 clothing packaging, although still saying "Maddie Mod" on the front, has a company called Summit Industries Limited as its manufacturer/distributor. Another piece of trivia: in 1971 Maddie had a boyfriend named Richie with his own line of clothing, although I've never seen either the doll or outfits.
There are some NRFB outfits that I can now find by googling that are dated 1967, I assume for the 1968 market. Were her outfits sold before she was?
Maddie had her own competitors. Some of them were: Marcie Mod by A&H Doll Manufacturing Corp., Maxi Mod by Shillman, Mini Mod by Totsy, and Missy Mod by Edico Productions.
I am making an update to this article on Feb. 23, 2021. Lauren was kind enough to send me to photos of Maddie's boyfriend Richie, and I am adding them here. Richie's trademark reads © MEGO ®/MCMLXX/MADE IN HONG KONG
Another update, this one from Gina Ford, who sent me two photos of a playset of Maddie, her case and two outfits. (Aug. 15, 2021)
The silver mini dress is called Shimmering Silver. |
Note that the case has "Princess Grace" written on it. |
Princess Grace, on the right, has an arch to her feet and she is definitely high-heeled. Maddie Mod, on the left, has flat feet that are slanted just a little. |
MCMLXX translates to 1970. |
Maddie Mods are a dime a dozen, but Richie is very hard to find. |