Official NFL and AFL Souvenir Dolls by Horsman (1967)
Dancing Cheerleader and Scrambling Quarterback dolls were made by Horsman in 1967. They were officially licensed by the two major league football organizations at the time – the American Football League and National Football League. (The two leagues merged in 1970.) The dolls were dressed in team colors with the logos on the Cheerleader’s sweater and on the Quarterback’s helmet.
The dolls are 6 inches tall and made of vinyl with a key wind mechanism in their backs. They have painted brown eyes glancing slightly to the left. The Cheerleader has rooted dark blonde hair and her right hand is molded to hold the team’s pennant. The Quarterback has painted hair and his right hand has a hole in it through which the football is attached on a plastic peg. Their outfits are flocked fabric without edge finishes. They close in the back with a single donut snap. Their shoes are mounted on a plastic disk which helps to keep them stable while they move. I haven’t seen one in action, but I’m guessing it’s more of a vibrating shuffling than a “dance” or a “scramble.”
The Dancing Cheerleader and Scrambling Quarterback were sold in display boxes which are shrink wrapped. The back of the boxes list the teams in the same League, but both dolls were available for both leagues. These dolls are sought after by football fans and collectors as well as doll collectors and collectors of wind-up toys.
The Dancing Cheerleader is pretty much the same doll as Horsman’s Mini Dancer, except that Mini Dancer doesn’t have her right hand molded to hold an object.
