The toys, first released in 1966, were initially marketed entirely to girls ages 4-12, and encouraged kids to clean and cook… just like mom! (One of their ads, shown below, even plays up the homemaker line as being the counter-counterculture ideal, contrasting her to a hippie: “She gets more fun about being a cook than a kook.”)
Despite the toys being incredibly popular, all of this eventually led to the term “Suzy Homemaker” often being used disparagingly — meaning a woman who was very domestic, traditional or old-fashioned, and certainly not interested in that whole women’s lib thing.
Suzy Homemaker is a square! (1968)
She doesn’t wear love beads. She wears shoes. She even washes regularly. She gets more fun about being a cook than a kook.
She’d rather broil a hamburger or hot dogs on her Suzy Homemaker Super Grill, or even cook a steak dinner for the family… Yes, your Suzy Homemaker is a square. And aren’t you glad.
With her Suzy Homemaker High-Speed Mixer, she can whip up a chocolate cake batter in minutes. And bake it right in her Suzy Homemaker Safety Oven. Out comes a delicious cake big enough for the entire family to enjoy… especially Dad, who’s square enough to ask for seconds. Then she tops it all off with ice cream malteds made on her 3-Speed Blender.
And she’s right at your side to help when you clean house… and with the Suzy Homemaker Vacuum Cleaner and all its accessories, the Super Sweeper, Washer-Dryer, Iron and Ironing Board, and Dishwasher-Sink, she can be a big help.
The vintage classic toys: Who is Suzy Homemaker? (1966)
She’s every little girl who wants to be just like her mother. That’s why all the Suzy Homemaker appliances look and work just like yours. They’re big and beautiful — and work like real.
The Suzy Homemaker Oven bakes cakes big enough to serve six! Top burners really heat. And it’s completely safe! Oven door automatically locks when in use, and won’t open until oven cools. The exclusive new Topper Safety Plug protects against electrical shock.
The same kind of quality and care that goes into the Suzy Homemaker Oven is in all the Suzy Homemaker appliances. The Washer-Dryer really washes clothes with agitator action, jet spray and even spins dry!
The Vacuum Cleaner actually vacuums up dirt, comes complete with attachments. The Iron (with ironing board) has a jet spray sprinkler and it really heats! Completely safe with a red warning light and safety plug.
Never before could your little girl learn homemaking skills with appliances so big, so safe, so real! Every little girl wants Suzy Homemaker Appliances!
Toys from 1970: Little Girls Choose Suzy Homemaker First
Elk Grove Herald (Elk Grove Village, Illinois) November 30, 1970
When a little girl hears the name “Suzy Homemaker” she knows what to expect! It could be a dishwasher, ice cream maker, a mixer or a vanity table, but it’s not just a toy. It’s a working appliance or a usable piece of furniture.
That’s why Suzy Homemaker things are famous. And the fabulous new-for-1970 additions to the line are no exception to this rule. They include the juicer, travel mirror, sink, and corn popper.
Is there any child in the world who doesn’t love popcorn? With the new Suzy Homemaker Corn Popper, not only does the fresh, delicious corn get popped to perfection, but there’s an automatic dispenser to make serving easy.
You plug it in (with the exclusive Topper safety plug that’s shock-proof, UL-approved), pop the popcorn into a center well, and listen to the lovely sound of popping corn. Once the corn is popped, you lift the well out of the machine and the popcorn empties into an automatic dispenser. A flap opening allows the child to take as little or as much of the popcorn as she wishes.
Then there’s the new Suzy Homemaker Fruit Juicer. All a girl has to do is take an orange (or any squeezable, juicy fruit), slice it, insert it in the juicer, and pull the lever.
The juice pours out of a spout that’s high enough to allow an 8-ounce glass to be put under it. There’s even a strainer in it to catch pits. The juicer, like all Suzy Homemaker designs, is created to be absolutely safe.
Not everything in the Suzy Homemaker line has to do with the kitchen. A girl should not only be a pretty good cook, but she should be pretty, So Topper has come up with the Travel Mirror. This mirror is framed by four light bulbs — the better to see you with, my dear. Its power comes from batteries.
And it comes in a beautiful antique white carrying case that looks like real luggage, and it’s big enough to take pajamas and a toothbrush, too. Even if she doesn’t travel, a young lady deserves to have this lighted mirror on her bedroom bureau.
Betty Crocker and Suzy Homemaker vintage toys
ALSO SEE: ‘Unboxing Betty’ takes you on a fun retro cooking adventure with 1970s Betty Crocker recipes
A busy little mother’s work is never done without modern toys like these that really work
ALSO SEE: Vintage play kitchens: Toys for budding chefs from the 80s & 90s
The Suzy Homemaker doll from 1976
15″ tall Suzy is cunningly dressed in a Colonial style dress, complete with white apron! Soft blonde hair and bluish eyes complete her appeal to children of all ages.
Suzy Homemaker Regency Beauty Vanity vintage toy set
Suzy’s sweet dollhouse from 1976
All-inclusive corrugated unit with 4 basic rooms. Nursery and master bedroom are upstairs; kitchen and living room downstairs. Fully-furnished in Colonial decor pieces. All pieces designed to accommodate the Suzy Homemaker Doll. When assembled, dollhouse measures 52″ high x 45″ wide x 17″ deep.
Suzy Homemaker coloring book
Suzy Homemaker toys: Super Grill, New Mixer, Carpet Sweeper, Medium Oven
Prices for Suzy Homemaker toys: As seen on TV (1967)
Blender, oven, vacuum, dishwasher, vanity — plus Little Miss Fussy
NOW SEE THIS: Easy-Bake Ovens: See the vintage kitchen toys that let kids bake their own mini cakes
3 Responses
I had the vanity and LOVED it. Thanks for the article….great memories!
I had the oven. It baked with a 100w lightbulb, I think. All I remember is it locked and you couldn’t open it even if you forgot an ingredient! lol It was all I asked Santa for one year. He kept saying what else do you want? I kept saying a Suzy Homemaker oven. Thanks for this.
I loved my Suzy homemaker oven, my brother once made oatmeal on the burner, it was lost in a fire