12/16/2020
Who was Triki Miki? Doll companies loved using the name Miki. Miki is a Japanese name and I don’t know why so many older clone dolls were giving that name. I have seen later Barbie sized clones from Uneeda named Miki. Takara made small dime store sized dolls called Miki and Maki who are twin baby sisters of Licca Chan.
Uneeda also created A line of four inch dolls with growing hair was created and the names they used were Miki, Dana and Kim.
Triki Miki was a Mego doll and her box says “As Seen On TV”.
Triki Miki had a large number of outfits that were sold separately, and also shoes and jewelry. Shillman made these outfits. There must have been an agreement between the two companies. Triki had a carrying case with room for a doll and some outfits. The case came in orange or in green. Triki came as a blond, with black hair or as redhead and an AA version.
According to The Bold Doll website Triki Miki and Little Miss Dollikin were the same doll, but Triki had longer hair. Triki Miki was a Woolworth and Woolco Exclusive Doll. She was sold in the UK as “Bendable Babs”. Little Miss Dollikin was sold in plain jumpsuit, but was the same doll with shorter hair. Little Miss Dollikin was a Dawn sized version of the larger Action Dollikin and her hair was wavy and pulled off to one side. There is some confusion over the names of these dolls. Little Miss Dollikin is the half size version and the larger version does not use the moniker “little”.
A later 70’s doll was Dinah-mite by Mego. Dinah-mite marked 1972 on her neck may have been a Triki Clone. She also came in a purple jumpsuit, and she only came in the purple one, unlike Triki Miki who came in different colored jumpsuits. He eyes were also blue, but larger and more cartoon like. Dawn Dolls were not very flexible, and therefore became fashion models. Triki and Dinah-mite were actions dolls that could move, but had trouble holding a still pose. Her blonde hair did not bother me at the time, nor did her blue eyes ring any bells of alarm. I knew beauty queens had blond hair and blue eyes. But Dinah-mite was not a Beauty Queen, she did not come as a brunette. Dinah-mite was an action doll and she could be played with in many ways. She did not model clothes, but rather she played like a child plays. Dinah-mite also came in an AA version seen on eBay. There were a number playsets that could be purchased for Dinah-mite such a beach house, a health spa, a ski chalet, a bicycle with training wheels, a motorcycle. I would not have been surprised if she also had a horse similar to Kenner’s Dusty Action Dolls. Once out of her box Dinah-mite’s purple jumpsuit fits her like a baggy sweater. I don’t know if this is because in 1972 they could not get the right sort of stretchy fabric.
I had a Dinah-mite doll in the 70s and I do have memories of her and of the TV Commercials. I had even had the scuba diving outfit with the fins. I was not aware that Dinah-mite had a boyfriend named Don. I found the box for Don on eBay.
I likely missed having Triki Miki by a few years. My mother and I shopped at Woolworth’s often. There was one located in Sonestown right near where I lived in Park Merced.
But the Big Woolworth Store Downtown was amazing. There were two floors and an escalator like a department store. They had a real lunch counter and it was always busy. The sold wigs, beauty products, fish, hamster and toys.
