Chatty Cathy

Chatty Cathy

About Chatty Cathy

What is my Chatty worth? I am often asked this question, so here is a basic guideline for the value of your Chatty.

Things that reduce, or devalue your Chatty Cathy:

1. Missing hair plugs. The more, the worse! Most professional collectors will not spend much money on a Chatty with this problem.

2. Melted or Broken neck flange. These dolls are mainly used to part out.

3. No eyelashes. If you have a gorgeous Canadian, but her eyelashes are gone, don't expect to receive more than half of her normal value.

4. Being blonde. Blonde is the least sought after hair color for a Chatty. Auburn is the most desired with Brunette being second.

5. Being a #1 or #2 Chatty. These are the most common Chatty's and they sell for the lowest amounts.

Things that may not affect the price much:

1. Stains: These may be able to be removed.

2. A shabby looking Chatty: Some people prefer her 'au natural.'

3. A broken or missing limb: There are several available in matching colors and tones.

The body types:

Chatty Cathy was created by ŠMattel in 1959. The first body created for her was called the "prototype, " and consisted of a cloth material covering the speaker in her tummy. She had no markings on her back.

Body Number 1 and 2:
In 1960 she was released. She must have been a hit, because 4 bodies of the original Chatty's were created after the prototype.

The 1, also know as the Prototype Chatty was produced in 1959. She has blond or brunette pageboy, or bob hair, and a cloth covered speaker. There are no markings on her back, and her limbs are a tan color and a little thicker than the other dolls. Chatty had a soft face and said 11 different phrases.

The #2 Chatty was produced in 1960. She has blond or brunette hair in the pageboy or bob style, blue or brown decal eyes and a cloth covered speaker.

She has a Mattel Patent pending mark on her back. Chatty had a soft face and said 11 different phrases.

Body Number 3:
# 3 Chatty was produced in 1961. She has blond or brown hair, page, bob, and an occasional pigtail that slipped in there, and had a hex shaped speaker with a cut out circle around it. It looked as if the cloth cover of the other two had been removed leaving the open speaker. Chatty had a hard or soft face and said 11 different phrases.

In 1962 Chatty Cathy changed to allow more options. You could now buy her with the hard, or soft face, but it was smaller than before. She also offered the usual Blonde or Brunette, and now she had NEW Auburn hair. Both hard and soft heads came with Piggy Tails!

Body Number 4:
# 4 Chatty was produced in 1962. She came with blond, brunette or auburn hair, bob, page or pigtail style, and a hex speaker. This is also known as the transitional chatty whose limbs tend to turn white with age. Chatty had a hard or soft face and some said 11 phrases while others said 18. Then speaker box inside Chatty is red.

Body Number 5:
# 5 and final production of the chatty we all love, was produced in 1963. She came with blond, brunette, or auburn hair, in the page, bob or pigtail style. She has a hex speaker with holes underneath. Chatty had a hard or soft face, and said 18 different phrases.

These are the standards.... you will find variations out there. No one knows if the variations are factory or someone mixing heads with bodies. Mattel was 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.

Chatty's eyes:

Three eye types were made for Chatty: Decal, Glassine and Pinwheel. My favorite is the pinwheel, it has the most depth I have ever seen! Some people prefer the decal because it looks more realistic.

Rare Chatty's

SOME Canadian Chatty's, SOME Soft Faced American Piggy's, Brown eyed/Blonde Chatty's, African American Chatty's.

If you have any more info that we could add, please email us: info@chatty-cathy.net

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