Sindy owner seeks partner for comeback Fun-loving girl, likes ice-skating, dancing, showjumping and even holidaying in a caravan, would like to meet serious partner for long and happy future together. Some 50 years after she slipped on her first evening gown, Sindy, the fashion doll beloved of generations of girls growing up in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, is seeking a partner to help Britain's answer to Barbie return to the high street. Sindy, who began life in 1963, has not been sold as a doll in British shops since the demise of Woolworths - which sold one in two fashion dolls - more than three years ago. IN Personal & Household Goods Pedigree, the privately owned Exeter-based company that holds the intellectual property rights to Sindy, has appointed Fisher Corporate, a boutique adviser, to help find a partner to develop Sindy as a doll once more. "The last time she appeared on the high street as a mass market doll was with Woolworths," said Jerry Reynolds, chief executive of Pedigree. Sindy, who in the early 1980s sported evening dresses created by the Emanuels - the husband and wife team who designed the wedding dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981 - still has some presence in British shops, through licensing deals in areas such as stationery. Pedigree, which during the last 20 years has moved away from toy manufacturing, is seeking a licensee to develop and invest in the doll business. Depending on the partner, Pedigree may be prepared to share some of the equity in the brand. "What we are looking for is not money," said Mr Reynolds. We are looking for commitment and the wherewithal to develop the core doll range and to take it forward. Pedigree has received two approaches in the past year for Sindy, who during her 50-year life has sold more than 150m dolls. Sindy took her first pirouette when Pedigree - then part of Lines Brothers, the toy empire of the 1950s and 1960s that included Hornby, Dinky and Scalextric - launched a British competitor to Barbie. Positioned as more girl next door than her American rival, Sindy was much in demand in the 1960s and 1970s in the UK, continental Europe and Commonwealth markets. However, in the 1980s, with the trend for glamorous US TV dramas such as Dallas and Dynasty, Barbie was successfully relaunched in the UK. In 2006, however, Sindy returned to the high street through Woolworths, as its exclusive fashion doll and girls lifestyle brand. A year later, a limited-edition Sindy doll and Mini car set was the seventh bestselling toy in Britain. The dolls also enjoy a loyal following among collectors, with some of the rarest selling for up to £1,500.