Comments on: What Happened to the Olmec Corporation?

By: Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:32:46 +0000

There are 2 Olmec dolls on display in the TOYS! exhibit at Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island – an Imani and a Kim doll.

By: D7ana

D7ana — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:16:10 +0000

You’re welcome! Glad to pass it on.

By: Therese

Therese — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:34:16 +0000

Thanks for the interesting link Dana!

By: D7ana

D7ana — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:01:18 +0000

Found a link with Imani photos by a collector named Michelle. See here …

http://www.amargosavalley.com/Personal/MRD/Africa6.html

She’s also got loads of other Black fashion dolls including Disco Wanda by Shindana and several Black Barbies.

By: Therese

Therese — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:14:47 +0000

It would be so interesting to see how the Olmec Corp. would fare in this world of instant news and opinions (internet).

I do love the face used on Dynamite Girls Eltin (white), Sooki (apparently Asian I am told) and Dayle (black). It’s the button noses *cute*

My small mind is amused because my favourite Integrity characters are Agnes, Giselle and Lukas… and you can’t get any more Teutonic and Nordic (whitest of whites – apparently) than these characters lol and I got them all on sale… my Adele cost me way too much to be a knock around play toy…

By: CJStarz

CJStarz — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:19:10 +0000

I have an Imani doll set that comes with wigs and I believe an extra outfit. She was actually kinda cool for the time. As a kid I had the Sun Man action figure but my mom was unable to find the other figure in that collection. Olmec was kinda like the pre-Integrity Toys of the 1980s..but Integrity managed to stay in business for much longer than Olmec did. I just wish another company would come out that’s REALLY devoted to developing dolls of color. Integrity was at one point…but now more than anything its about high priced collector dolls and dolls of color have taken a major back seat. They more so now subscribe to the “black dolls don’t sell as well” theory and don’t produce them as stand outs..but more like fill ins. Dynamite Girls would probably be the exception as they always have brown dolls in every collection. I miss the days of Janay

By: Therese

Therese — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:12:03 +0000

Thanks Dana!

By: D7ana

D7ana — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:29:00 +0000

I’ve uploaded some Naomi photos to this Webshots folder, http://community.webshots.com/album/575948787OKScoG . if you need higher quality photos, let me know how you would like them sent.

Thanks for looking.

By: D7ana

D7ana — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:16:02 +0000

I've only seen Black or African American dolls by Olmec. Shindana, another small toy company, produced other dolls that I recall seeing OR have. (I'm thinking about my 13" Asian baby doll that my Mom got me for Christmas years ago. They also produced a Caucasian, and an Hispanic baby as well as the Black baby.) In addition to Debbie's book, you might find early information about Olmec in Ebony magazine, Essence magazine, and Playthings. Happy researching ;-D

By: D7ana

D7ana — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:04:44 +0000

Sure

I’ll get back with photos of Naomi and her box either later today or tomorrow.