“Collect these PRINCESS OF POWER™ dolls and accessories! Each sold separately.” © Mattel, Inc. 1984. Wow, does that work. Something as simple as petite illustrations on the back of a toy box can stick with a child for decades.
I would stare at the hand-painted characters displayed on the backing board of my new doll, dreaming about how pretty the sparkly fabric and beautifully detailed accessories must be in real life. My imagination filled in any magical elements that may have been missing in the drawing and expanded upon them. “Ghost of the Doll” has an example of the vintage She-Ra packaging posted here: https://ghostofthedoll.co.uk/shera.php
When I set out to design the collector cards for my new enamel pin collection Haunted Dolly Pumpkins I was inspired by the vintage toy boxes of the 1980s. I included each ghostly pumpkin character’s illustration in the silhouette of a haunted dollhouse. Currently, Brynn, Briar, and Button are in production. I plan to produce Baby Bo and Babette in the future (so they are included in the card design). Got Print has accepted the order, so I should have the finished cards soon.
I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Hopefully, these pumpkin pins and cards will bring a little magic to others this upcoming spooky season!