“She’s Tricky… She’s Flippy!”
In 1968, Remco released Tippy Tumbles, an acrobatic doll operated by a hidden remote control.
Standing 17-inches tall, Tippy was marketed to children ages three and up. She had rooted hair in a “pixie style,” wide-set painted eyes, a vinyl head, and a styrene plastic body. Powered by three D-batteries, Tippy was geared for motion. She could execute forward and backward flips and handstands thanks to motorized arms.
Rather than placing batteries inside a compartment in the doll itself, children inserted them into a remote-control unit in Tippy’s stylish blue-plastic pocketbook. This “secret” remote was connected to the doll via a wire that plugged into her ankle. The concealed setup allowed Tippy to perform her tumbling tricks without needing to be touched by a child.
Remco also released Timmy Tumbles, Tippy’s dextrous brother. Production of the doll eventually moved to Ideal, which produced its own version of Tippy Tumbles in the mid-1970s.
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