The Evolution of Barbie and Her Family: A Nostalgic Journey Back to the 1960s

Introduction of the evolution of Barbie and her family:

In the world of dolls, Barbie has undeniably left an indelible mark. Since her creation in 1959, Barbie has captivated the hearts of countless children and collectors alike. However, Barbie’s journey was not a solitary one. Throughout the 1960s, Barbie’s family grew, introducing a diverse cast of characters that added depth to her imaginative world. Let’s take a look back at the evolution of Barbie’s family during this iconic era and have a look at the evolution of Barbie and her family with a nostalgic journey back to the 1960s.

1959: Barbie, the Trailblazing Fashionista

Barbie made her debut in 1959, breaking the mold with her stylish fashion choices and glamorous lifestyle. Created by Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, Barbie was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara. With her chic attire and sophisticated demeanor, Barbie quickly became a role model for young girls everywhere.

Picture with Barbie in Bridal dress, Barbie is from 1960 and has a blonde pony and ponytail
First Barbie from 1959

1961: Ken, Barbie’s Dashing Companion

Two years after Barbie’s introduction, Ken stepped into the spotlight. Named after Handler’s son, Kenneth, Ken became Barbie’s dashing companion. With his charm and impeccable fashion sense, Ken perfectly complemented Barbie’s elegance. Together, they embarked on countless adventures, capturing the imagination of children across the globe. I wrote an article about the early Kens last year which you can read here https://barbie.final-memory.org/ken-ken-or-ken

Photos of Barbie and Ken, Barbie wears a bridal dress, ken a casual t shirt and a pair of trousers
Barbie and Ken in 1961, the first evolution of Barbie and her family

1963: Midge, Barbie’s Best Friend

In 1963, Barbie welcomed her best friend, Midge, into her ever-growing circle. Midge was known for her vibrant personality and her infectious laughter. With her cheerful demeanor, Midge added an element of fun and camaraderie to Barbie’s world. The bond between Barbie and Midge showcased the importance of friendship and support.

The picture shows how the Barbie family grows, in 1963 Barbie gets a new best friend called Midge
Barbie got a best female friend, another evolution of Barbie and her family

1964: Skipper, Barbie’s Adorable Sister and Ken’s best friend Alan

The following year, Barbie’s family expanded further with the arrival of Skipper and Ken’s best friend Alan, who is also regarded as the boyfriend of Midge. As Barbie’s younger sister, Skipper brought a youthful energy to the mix. With her playful spirit and trendy outfits, Skipper became a beloved character among young Barbie enthusiasts. Together, Barbie and Skipper embarked on countless sisterly adventures, fostering the importance of sibling bonds.

You can see all family members until 1964, starting with Barbie, to Ken, Midge, Skipper and Alan

Like Barbie, Skipper and Midge go out to the city, Alan and Ken also spend their free time together going hunting or for a Saturday night dance. Alan has the same size like Ken. They are designed to share their clothes. Alan is also the secret hero of Barbie – the movie, the one with his striped beach shirt that probably nobody outside the Barbie community can identify without problems.  Alan is easy to identify by his red hair. After being introduced in 1963 he disappears in 1967 and re-appears in 1990 to marry Midge after a friendship of almost 30 years. Isn’t that incredible?

1965: Francie, Barbie’s Fashion-Forward Cousin

Barbie’s cousin, Francie, made her debut in 1965. Known for her impeccable fashion taste and avant-garde style, Francie pushed the boundaries of fashion and became an inspiration for young trendsetters. Her presence in Barbie’s world highlighted the importance of individuality and self-expression.

Barbie family and friends in 1965 starting with Barbie & Ken to Midge and Alan to Skipper, Francie

1966: Tutti, Barbie’s Cherished Baby Sister and her twin brother Todd

Barbie’s family was completed in 1966 with the arrival of Tutti and Todd, Barbie’s adorable baby sister and baby brother twins. With their innocent charm and tiny stature, Tutti and Todd captured the hearts of both children and adults alike. Tutti’s and Todd’s inclusion in Barbie’s world emphasized the importance of family and the joy that younger siblings bring.

Barbie family and friends in 1966 starting with Barbie & Ken to Midge and Alan to Skipper, Francie and Tutti

Conclusion:

Barbie’s journey through the 1960s was not just a personal one. It was a journey of growth, friendship, and familial love. As Barbie’s family expanded, so did the opportunities for imaginative play and storytelling. The evolution of Barbie and her family is not always easy to understand because a lot of member come and suddenly disappear again. For a deeper look at all friends I wrote an article many years ago Barbie doll wiki: What to know about Ken, Alan and the other male friends

Through the introduction of Ken, Midge, Skipper, Francie, and Tutti, Barbie’s world became more diverse and inclusive, reflecting the changing times of the 1960s. These iconic characters left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of children, ensuring that Barbie’s legacy would endure for generations to come. In the late 60s the first black friends of Barbie were available. They are maybe worth another blog post since some friends are new in the Barbie world while others disappear again without any trace. Let’s hope that the evolution of Barbie and her family will continue in the future.

Barbie doll wiki: Shelly/Kelly part 2

Hi, everyone. It’s the crazy Barbie collector speaking. I have a new topic for this weeks blog post. Several weeks ago I posted about the first Kelly/Shelly dolls in the mid 1990s. Now I’d like to continue my previous article. The little doll is fascinating to me somehow.

I don’t have all sets

Let’s continue where we stopped the last time. I told you about the “Travelin Sisters”. I saw this set first in a book by Michael Augustyniak. He listed it as a Toys’r’ us exclusive set. I don’t know if it was only sold there because we had no Toys around. Anyway around the late 1990s some

cute special Kelly/Shelly sets were made. First example is the Travelin Sisters set. I know that there is a Japanese version of this set too with Barbie having the Bob Mackie face while the US version has a smiling Superstar face but hey that was normal in the 1990s and I bet that some of my readers have never heard of it.

Another very cute set that I saw and found at Toys is the Birthday Fun Kelly gift set. I got it as a Christmas present in 1996. The Kelly and Chelsie were so cute I had to had them. No question and my aunt bought them for me. Today it’s not so easy to buy a Christmas present for an 11 year old girl. Surprisingly this set was never declared as official one from Toys R us. Never saw it anywhere else. I think the wishes are a bit more up to date.

Target offered a blue Power Wheels Tommy and Kelly gift set in 1998 while the regular version was pink. It must be a very rare set since I’ve never seen it anywhere but in books. It’s even hard to find the pink version nrfb in box today. After many, many years I finally found one in 2018. The set is very heavy but I don’t dare to debox it. Good sources for special sets were Toys, Target, Wal Mart and Grocery. Some stores offered variants of regular sets like KB Tiny Steps Kelly in 2003 or the Love n Care Kelly in 2002. The regular version had more toys for Kelly. I think the idea behind these sets was a better number in sales since less toys costed less money and the doll could be offered for less money. What about you?

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Pink Power Wheels Kelly and Tommy gift set from 1997. #1997barbie #barbie1997 #barbiekellydoll #powerwheelskelly #barbiesuperstar #superstarbarbie #busybfromgermany #barbiedoctor #barbiedoctora

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Special Kelly dolls for every season

Target had some exclusive sets like Halloween Kelly line in 2000. Grocery had Holiday Kelly series for several years. Sears also had a very festive gift set with Barbie, Kelly, Tommy and Stacie called Evening Recital gift set. Instead of telling you what was available and what I don’t have I show you some of my dolls. I found some of my favorite sets over the years. I still have some wishes and not all the dolls I want but will it ever stop that you have wishes? What do you think about that wishes will ever stop? Will they? Won’t they?

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#KellyClub #KellyBarbie #KellyBarbieDoll #ShellyBarbie #ShellyBarbieDoll

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recital 1

I’d really love to show you some of the cute Holiday Kelly and friends but until now I have none. The good new is I have other sets and they are cute. So let’s concentrate of what I have. My sets can give you an overview over the topics covered.

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Tiny Steps Kelly, special version from KB, had less toys than the regular doll. #kellyclub #tinystepskelly #barbieshelly #shellyclub #kellyclub #barbiesuperstar #superstarbarbie #busybfromgermany

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Especially the Kelly Pretty Kitty gift set was hard to find and I had to do a long search before I eventually found one. Sometimes you need years to find certain sets.

Very cute is the Tommy and Kelly soccer set. I suddenly found one last year although I never saw one of these sets in Europe before.

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Tommy and Kelly soccer gift set from 1999. It’s a Target exclusive set. #kelly1999 #barbiekellydoll #barbiesisters #kellyclub #target? #barbie1999 #busybfromgermany #barbiedoctor #barbiedoctora

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In spring 2019 I found this cute set here. It’s the Shelly and Pony set. I’m not sure if this was a Europe exclusive or not.

Very cute is also the Love n Care Kelly set where Kelly comes with chickenpocks in a bed.

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Love n Care Kelly from 2002, special edition with less toys and the dress is lacking. She was sold at KB. #kellydolls #kellydoll #barbiesister #kelly2002 #barbie2002 #barbiesuperstar #superstarbarbie #kb #specialedition #busybfromgermany #barbiedoctor #barbiestagram

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We shouldn’t forget the “Tea for three” Kelly gift set, which was one of my early sets. It came soon after its release into my collection.

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A very cute Toys R us exclusive set was the “Tea for Three Kelly gift set” from 2003. She comes with two plush friends, chairs and a table so that they can have tea immediately. #barbiekelly #kellyteaforthree #kelly2003 #barbie2003 #toysrus #barbiesuperstar #superstarbarbie #busybfromgermany #kellyclub #kellystagram #barbiestagram #barbiedoctor

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Let’s stay at Toys r us and see another set. Again very cute, to fall in love with.

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That’s the Kelly & Liana dress up friends gift set. Very cute and a Toys r us exclusive from 2002. #kellyandfriends #kellyandfriend #kellydoll #barbiedoll #kelly2002 #barbie2002 #superstarbarbie #toysrus #kellystagram #barbiestagram #dollcollector #busybfromgermany #barbiedoctor #barbiedoctora

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And we shouldn’t forget the interesting foreign sets with Kelly and Barbie. I have only one at the moment but it’s quite interesting. Wedding Barbie & Kelly from the Philippines.

I hope you like my little article about the many versions about Shelly/Kelly. Of course I don’t have all sets but if you see one let me know. I’m still searching for some of the sets. Maybe I can write another article when I have enough new sets to write a third part. I hope you enjoyed my article and like the little dolls as much as I do.

Barbie doll wiki: Books you should know

In this week I’d like to blog about books, or better books you should have in your collection. I’m sitting in the middle in a heap of books while writing.  I can tell you from my long term collecting experience that it’s a big advantage to have some books as reference. I have not only one book but almost a shelf of Barbie doll books. The topics are very different.

There are Barbie doll books for identification, books about Barbie history, books about Japanese Barbie and their clothes, Barbie books similar to catalogs, Barbie books about clothes, books about her accessoires and books in Japanese (no joke) about Barbie. Okay, I also have two German editions but do they count? They were some of the first books I found about Barbie doll as a collector. In times before amazon.com was known worldwide it was not so easy to get every book you wanted ( especially if they were written in English). Of course you could try to get them with the help of local book stores but hey, it was not as easy as you might think. I think I got my very first Barbie book in 1998 and it was a coincidence that I found it.

The possibility to talk to other collectors, who had books, was very helpful. That’s how I found out that there were books similar to catalogs. It was certainly helpful knowledge. I can recommend you lots of books but I think it’s useful to put them in categories.

Barbie books for id

In this paragraph I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite Barbie doll books. Books for identification (often similar to catalogs):

  • The Ultimate Barbie doll book by Marcie Melillo
  • The collectors encyclopedia of Barbie dolls and collectibles by Sibyl DeWein and Joan Ashabraner (first published in 1977, I have the 1992 updated version)
  • Skipper: Barbie doll’s little sister by Trina Cottingham and Scott Arend ( for Skipper, her early fashions, Tutti and Todd and their fashions)
  • Barbie doll photo album from 1959 until 2009: identifications and values by Michael Augustyniak
  • Barbie doll around the world 1964 – 2007: identifications and values by Michael Augustyniak ( incomplete but nice)
  • Collector’s Encyclopedia of Barbie doll by Michael Augustyniak ( about collector Barbie dolls)
  • Collector’s Encyclopedia of Barbie dolls exclusives 1972 -2004 by Michael Augustyniak
  • Collectibly yours Barbie doll by Margo Rana
  • Identifying Barbie dolls by Janine Fennick
  • The wonder of Barbie dolls and accessoires 1976 – 1986 by Paris and Susan Manos
  • The world of Barbie dolls – an illustrated value guide by Paris and Susan Manos
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The Ultimate Barbie doll book by Marcie Melillo #barbieid #barbieidentification #barbievintage #barbiemod #barbiesuperstarera #skipperbarbie #barbieskipper #barbiebook #bookbarbie #barbiebookshelf #busybfromgermany

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ollector’s Encyclopedia of Barbie dolls exclusives 1972 -2004 by Michael Augustyniak #barbiecatalog #barbiecatalogue #barbiebook #bookbarbie #barbiedoll #barbiebookshelf #busybfromgermany

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In which books you can find fashions and accessoires

In this second paragraph I’d like to give you some titles about Barbie fashion and accessoires

  • Barbie doll fashion Vol. I, II and III ( from 1959 until 1979) including all fashions
  • Barbie in Japan by Keiko Kimura Shibano (special made fashions for the Japanese market, written in English)
  • Japan Barbie Yasuhiro Sekiguchi Collection (written in Japanese)
  • It’s all about the accessoires by Hillary Shilkitus James
  • The Complete & Unauthorized Guide to Vintage Barbie(r) Dolls – 3 Edition by Hillary Shilkitus James
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Barbie fashions Vol III by Sarah Sink Eames #barbiefashion #barbiebook #bookbarbie #collectorbook #barbiebookshelf #busybfromgermany

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Japanese Barbie books written in Japanese

In the third paragraph I’d like to give you some names of my Japanese Barbie books. I can’t tell you if they are the only ones in Japan but they sounded interesting to me any my thirst to get to know new things.

  • ??????????????????????? (Babi to watashi ? kisegae doresu o tsukuri tsudzuketa hansei-ki) by Fumiko Miyatsuka
  • ??????????? ( Babi kara hajimatta) by Yukiko Kanno
  • Twist Barbie (yomiuri kara-mukkusiri-zu) by Mineo Takami

The Japanese books are not so easy to get. The book by Fumiko Miyatsuka is currently available through amazon.jp. You need a credit card to buy the book but the shipment is very fast. I think my copy arrived within a week or less. The other books were a bit harder to get. You need a Japanese address to buy the other books over the marketplace. There are special forwarders who are specialized in shipping goods abroad. I used tenso.com for my orders and the books arrived at my house within two months. I used the cheapest shipping method because I have to pay taxes for the shipping costs too. I know it makes no sense but it is this way in Germany.

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( Babi kara hajimatta) by Yukiko Kanno #barbiejapan #japanesebook #japanesebarbie #barbiehistory #barbiebook #foreignbarbiebook #bookbarbie #barbiebookshelf #busybfromgermany

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My list of books written from employees, the founder itself and the history of Mattel

In the fourth paragraph I’ll give you some names of books from employees of Mattel, the company history itself and the founder. Let’s start with the founder. Again I’ll give you a list.

  • Dream Doll – The Ruth Handler story written by Ruth Handler and Jaqueline Shannon
  • The story of Barbie by Kitturah B. Westenhouser
  • Barbie her life & times by Billyboy
  • Dressing Barbie by Carol Spencer
  • Forever Barbie by M.G. Lord
  • Barbie (R) Talks by Gwen Florea
  • Barbie – A visual guide to the ultimate fashion doll by Mattel
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Barbie her life & times by Billyboy #barbie80s #80sbarbie #barbiecollecting #billyboy #barbiebook #barbiebook #busybfromgermany

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Books missing in my collection

There are some books I don’t have like

  • Barbie and Her Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod, World of Fashion by Joe Blitman
  • Francie and Her Mod, Mod, Mod World of Fashion by Joe Blitman
  • Barbie Forever ( not available in Germany yet, but I preordered my copy)

Of course I can’t tell you if these books are useful or not since I don’t have them in my collection.

That’s my whole book collection at the moment. I hope that my lists are helpful to some of you. I put photos of all my books in my instagram account.

Why I recommend buying Barbie books

Now I’ve given you the list with all the Barbie books I have in my personal bookshelf. I think it’s important to own books about Barbie dolls. You can make yourself independent from other collectors. I love to read in books and especially in Barbie books. You can learn a lot from them. That’s also one of my focus points. I like to learn things from books. You can use them as encyclopedia. One can help other collectors with knowledge. I know there are lots of collectors who start to collect and then immediately stop again. Forget this group. If you’re really interested in the topic buy books. They are helpful. They are fun. Go, buy and learn.

Barbie doll wiki: Kelly/Shelly, Barbie’s cute baby sister

I’d like to share another article about my Barbie wiki today on another sister of Barbie called Kelly. Kelly is in variation still today available on the market but I’m not so much interested in the new doll called Chelsea. The name was changed to Chelsea in 2011.

 I’m going to give you all information I found and know about Barbie’s baby sister Kelly and her early years. Baby sister Kelly was available in 1994. She was developed by Carol Spencer, a longtime Mattel employee, who started her career in the 1960s at Mattel. As far as I was able to find out Kelly her very own project. She wrote about this time in her recently published book called “Dressing Barbie“.

Love at first sight with Shelly

I really loved the doll the first time I saw her in a catalog. She was so cute and I decided that I wanted to buy everything I could find for and about Kelly. That was in 1995. And from the early years I have almost everything in my collection.

Carol designed all her clothes. Kelly was known as Shelly in Europe and Canada. Maybe a decision for better sales figures? I have no idea why they changed her name for the European market but in 1995 she was also available in Europe too. I would estimate that she was approximately three or four years old in 1995. The first edition of Kelly “Bedtime Fun Kelly” included a Kelly doll with a pink pyjama and a baby bed. She also came with a Sunday dress made out of black velvet and lots of toys . A short while later she got three friends. They were called Susie, Chelsea and Melody.

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. ????? ??? ?? 4? ?? ?? (??? ? ??????) . ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????, ???? ???? ???? ????? . ??????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? . ??? ???? ???? ? ? ???? ??? ???? ????? . #???? #???? #???? #????? #???? #??? #???? #?????? #?? #??????? #???? #???? #babydoll #vintagetoys #vintagedoll #dollstagram #kellydoll #barbiekelly #tommydoll #kellyfashion #dollclothes #gomgomsister

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They reminded me of a comic

I’m not sure but I think in 1995 there was also a very big gift set with Barbie, Skipper, Stacie and Kelly having fun on a big sleigh known as Winter Holiday gift set. This set it very special because Skipper is one of the few dolls with the back then recently newly introduced Pizza Hut face mold which is lovely but different from the mold that was used before. Kelly in her snow suit always reminded me of character of a Japanese comic series inspired by Louisa May Alcotts “Little Women”. Maybe that’s why I wanted the set but I’m not sure. I had no set with all four sisters until then.

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Snow Time ?? #barbie #barbiewinterholiday #barbiewinter #barbieholiday #barbiechristmas #barbiestacie #barbiekelly #barbieshelly #barbieskipper #barbie90s #barbiegirl

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Many sets and dolls became available

Later in 1996 there was the first Barbie Kelly gift sets called Strolling Fun Barbie and Kelly this set came with a stroller. Shelly was able to move her on arm while sitting in the stroller. In 1997 there was another Kelly Barbie gift set called Shopping Fun gift set. In this set Kelly sat in her shopping cart. She had magnet in in her hand. She was able to hold a pair of prepared boxes (also with a magnet). In 1996 she was also produced as Bathing Fun Shelly. I found two variations in pink and yellow for the trim of her towel and bathrobe. I also found variations in the dolls themselves. One of my Bathing Fun Shellys has Saran hair and the other one has Kanekalone hair.

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Barbie & kelly strollin fun Th. 1995, rare.. dus rusak tapi isinya bagus, new ya masih segel (kenangan anak 90an) sold . . . #jualbarbievintage #barbie1995 #barbiestrollinfun #barbiekelly #barbie90s

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Q&A ???? ???? ??? ????? #kelly ?? ??????? #shelly ?? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????..? shelly ??. ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????????? ??????!! Shelly ?? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??????~ ???? kelly? ??????? shelly ???? #barbiekelly#barbieshelly

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IMG 1748
My two Bathtime Fun versions ( Kanekalone hair in box, Saran hair below)

In 1997 she got her potty training set. The Potty Training Kelly has a bottle you could really fill with water and then push on the heart button on her belly to make her pee. I think it was a similar mechanism like used for the drink and wet dolls but in a much tinier execution.

More functions

Carol Spencer produced several very sweet clothing sets for her in in the first years. I have made lots of pics of early outfits which you can find here https://barbie.final-memory.org/my-shellykelly-fashion-show/. These sets very not only available for Kelly but in in a combination for Barbie and Kelly. They got matching styles.

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Fashion Avenue Matchin’ Styles (1996) ???? #barbie#fashionavenue#barbiematchinstyles#barbiefashion#barbiestyles#barbiewardrobe#barbieclothes#barbieoutfits#barbiekelly#barbiesisters#kellyclothes#kellyfashion#doll#barbiedoll#barbiecollector#dollcollector#90s

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There was also Pool fun series shown in advertisements. I had a long time problems to find out if this series was produced or or if it was was only a prototype shown in the advertisement (like often in catalogs in the 1990s). In 2007 or 2008 I finally found her and her friends and I know this series was produced and I got mine. https://barbie.final-memory.org/a-first-impression-of-my-shellykelly-collection/

Pool Fun Marisa
Pool Fun Chelsie
PFK5
Pool Fun Kelly

Kelly goes abroad

Eating Fun Shelly/Kelly was introduced in 1997 but I can’t tell you how the mechanism works since mine is still in box. After that came in 1997 there was another set with all four sisters called “Travelin Fun Sistershttps://images.app.goo.gl/Cj4XFoZgRGVNEkh48. Last year I furthermore found the Power wheels Jeep set with Shelly and Tommy (male baby counterpart for Kelly). In box this set is hard to find and it’s often very expensive. So I had to wait a long time until I found one.

I have for example many sets of early Kelly/Shelly sets. I’m going to divide this article in at least two parts. Next part is coming soon.

Barbie doll wiki: What to know about Ken, Alan and the other male friends

This week I continue my series with my little wiki of Barbie, her family and friends. I’m going to write a little bit of the male friends of Barbie over the last decades. Her boyfriend, called Ken, was available first in 1961. There was a big demand for something like a male friend or a boyfriend, as the literature says. I don’t know if it is true or not but some sources report about Ken that there were three prototypes of the doll with different male genitals or intimations but only the the weakest intimation made it into production. It was regarded as very offensive for girls at the age of 10 or older to see a replica of nature. The society was not ready to deal with replicas of nature. So the logical conclusion is that Ken and his friends are eunuchs until their end?

Ken doll, the first one

In 1961 Ken doll became available. He was designed as a male friend or more, depending on the fantasy of the girl who owned him. At first he was marketed a doll for boys. Ruth Handler did not want to limit the fantasy of children during their plays. This can, of course, seen as an attempt to sell a wider variety of dolls to different children (female and male ones). Obviously this did not work out as planned. Girls found the male doll as attractive as Barbie doll. The sales figures were not bad but the target group was refocused. Early TV ads are a good example for this theory. Only the 1961 Ken came with flocked hair. The later versions came with painted hair. There was almost every year a re-issue of Ken until 1966.

IMG 4645
Flocked haired Ken to the left, 1962 Ken, 1963 Ken and Shortie Ken (from 1964)

Ken got a friend called Allan

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People loved wearing hats and coats in the 1960s. Was it a lot colder back then? #kensdaywednesday #barbieallan #barbiemidge #allansherwood #midgehadley #barbiedreamhouse

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In 1964 Allan was released as a male friend for Midge, Barbie’s best friend. So the four could go on a double date like in real life. I think from today’s point of view it’s a bit old-fashioned but I think in the 60s it was wide-spread. Allan disappeared in the late 1960s until he came back to a new generation of little girls when he and Midge celebrated their wedding (after a relationship of 25 years). Then he was suddenly gone for almost 10 years and came back in 2002 to become father (after almost 40 years of relationship). After the Happy Family play set time was over, he disappeared again. If you see him, greet him and say we kind of miss him.

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ALLAN (or how to steal your best friend’s husband headmold for your boyfriend). Jokes aside… In 1990 a handsome groom made his reappearence to marry Barbie’s bestie Midge with a facemold exclusively made for this ocassion. The flamant groom was Allan and his face became so successful that Mattel set aside the plans to launch him and Midge with their own family line as a replacement of the Heart Family (years before the Happy Family) to give Ken this new face because people prefered the Alan facemold (with a single L) than the 1988 Ken one. The 90s saw Ken with several faces, many created from Alan’s mold as a base with modifications, most of them in the way the hair was sculpted, although we can see some models with rooted hair too. Alan reapeared with Midge in 2001 with another face mold in the controverted line Happy Family and since this line we didn’t see him again. The boys: Sparkle Surprise Ken 1992 (Alan Facemold) Ken Secret Heart 1991 (Secret Heart Ken Facemold) Ken Hollywood Hair 1992 (Short Hair Alan) Ken Magic Jewel 2002 (Alan Rooted) #alanfacemold #barbiealan #kenalan #barbiemattel #kenmattel #alanmattel #kenhollywoodhair #kensparklesurprise #kensecrethearts #kenmagicjewel #fashiondoll

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The first afro-american friends

After Allan was gone, Brad came. Brad was the male friend or boyfriend of Christie. Brad, Christie and the black Francie were the first black Barbie dolls available. Today they are highly sought after. Then after Brad came Curtis, a male friend of Cara. His availability was also very limited to two years in the early 1970s.

Ken got real hair

Ken got eventually real hair (like Barbie doll) in the 1970s, one edition was the “Now Look Ken” in 1975 and the other one was “Sport and Shave Ken” in 1979. Groovy. The next Ken with real hair was the “Totally Hair/Ultra Hair Ken” in 1991 and “Shaving Fun Ken” in 1995 or 1996, then the Ken of “Butterfly Princess Barbie” also had real hair and a late 90s version of the Shaving Ken too. All the other editions had painted hair. Ken was constantly available and a reliable companion until 2004. Suddenly Ken and Barbie were separated and Barbie got a new boyfriend called Blaine but their relationship did not last that long. At the begin of this decade there was a reunion of Barbie and Ken.

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Mod hair Ken prototype

In 1981 the Sunsational Malibu Ken (black version) was the first official black Ken. I read about it that it became possible due to changed laws in 1980. A hispanic version of Ken was available in 1983, the Sun Gold Malibu Ken (hispanic version).

More friends

In 1982 Ken got a friend called Todd ( not sure if Todd from Tutti and Todd grew up or if this is another character). In 1986 he got a new friend called Derek (Rocker Derek).

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Dereck the rock star 1986 ????#barbie #instabarbie #rock #rockstar #star #neon #80smusic #80sbarbie #barbiecollection #barbiecollector #dereck #barbiederek ?

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Barbie lovin M ?? (@barbie_lovin_m) am

In 1987 a new friend called Steven ( also afro-american) was introduced. He was available until 1994 and then was discontinued again. https://www.pinterest.de/pin/622341242240814201/?lp=true

Skipper got male friends too

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Scott Barbie Doll, Skipper’s boyfriend. $45 free SH, OBO. #vintage #vintagebarbie #barbiescott #mattel #vintagedoll

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Allison Barrett (@ruthiesantiqueattic) am

Skipper also got a male friend or boyfriend in 1979 called Scott but he disappeared again in 1980. Later in the early 1990s she got a new companion called Kevin from around 1990 until 1995. Unfortunately I was not able to find more information about Kevin.

Barbie doll wiki: Stacey and Stacie

My post from last week inspired me to write more about Barbie dolls friends and family. In my article I’m talking about Stacey and Stacie.

Stacey had her first appearance in 1967 as Barbie’s Talking friend/Barbie’s friend from England. The Talking Stacey doll was spoken by Gwen Florea, who wrote a very nice book about her time at Mattel in the 60s and 70s. I was unfortunately too late to talk to her. It was only a short while before she died. Bad luck …

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Two TNT Staceys. #barbiestacey #modbarbie #stripesarehappening #barbie

Ein von @ cvaleatl geteilter Beitrag am

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Stacey @my.dreams.are.pink @papillondolls ? #barbie #barbietwistnturn #barbietnt #barbietwist #barbien #barbieturn #barbiestacey #barbie60s #barbiegirl

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Lena (@barbiepaupererika) am

Stacey was designed as a friend of Barbie from England. She had the same size like Barbie doll and of course they were able to share clothes. Stacey brought lots of MOD(ern) clothes from the Carnaby Street in London, England to her friend Barbie. Maybe that’s how to crazy and colorful MOD clothes came into Barbie dolls wardrobe?

Stacey was available as blonde version and a red haired version ( I love this version but I don’t have one at the moment … hope that’s going to change one day..) . She was available until 1971. In 1972 she was sent to retirement… so sad … I wish they had produced her for a longer time. I can’t imagine that the sales figures were that bad.

Suddenly Barbie got a sister called Stacie

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#barbiestacie #staciedoll #barbie90s #fashiondoll #dollsofinstagram #dollphoto #barbiedoll

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Anyway in the early 1990s Barbie suddenly got a sister called Stacie. I would say she was approx. 10 years old in the good old time. She was a twin and had a twin brother called Todd ( who somehow reminded me of the Todd from the 1960s, Tutti’s twin brother). One of my thoughts was that she should maybe present a kind of a modern Tutti. Stacie could first be seen at the time Midge became a bride. She was sold at Toys r us together with Todd as flower girl and ring bearer. There was also a big gift set for the Midge Wedding with Stacie, Todd, Midge, Alan, Barbie and Ken. I think she reappeared one or two years later a steady character of the Barbie family and got an own clothing line, friends Janet and Whitney and disappeared around 2000. So one could think she was sent into retirement before she became a teenager?

Obviously she came back in the last decade but her character was changed. She became older and appeared in the Barbie movies. In the meantime she was sold as a doll again.

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Wendy. #dollcustom #dollphotography #dollsofinstagram #dolls #dollfashion #dollclothes #dollphoto #doll #dollbeautyshot #barbiestacie #barbieclothes #barbie #barbiestaciedoll #barbiesister #barbiefashionpack #barbiekids #barbiefashion #barbiedoll #stacie #staciedoll

Ein Beitrag geteilt von charmie’s dolls (@charmsdoll) am

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Toni (@oneof88) am

Barbie doll wiki: Skipper, her first and oldest sister

In 1964 Barbie got a sister called Skipper. She was the first member of Barbie doll’s big family. (Just for the case if you don’t know it the family grew until 1999 when Krissy was born). I wonder how old Barbie’s mother was when Barbie was born and she was 40 years older when Krissy was born, a wonder of fertility !!!

No, just kidding a little bit. When Skipper came out in 1964 she was available in blond and brunette. Sadly not as a red haired version …

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My “mint” (haha) Skipper also suffers from green tarnish from her original headband. I’m sorting my #skipperdoll collection tonight deciding which dolls most need a spa visit with @angiepangiepaints ?????? #vintageSkippers #barbiecollector #vintagebarbie #barbieskipper #skipperbarbie #vintageskipper #instabarbie #barbiegram #barbie #barbieaddict #barbiesisters #barbiegrammers

Ein Beitrag geteilt von dollyhaul (@dollyhaul) am

More changes in the 1970s

Until 1971 her look was not changed very much. The first change of her face I think came when she was available as Living Skipper. Her hair style also changed a bit. In her history her body was also changed several times. One of the most controverse Skipper dolls was the Growing Up Skipper (available, I did a little bit of research https://youtu.be/9LuI0W8SmzY) in 1975. She has a mechanism inside her body and when you twist her arm in the right direction her body grows and she gets breasts. From a technical point of view very interesting since this mechanism works in my Growing Up Skipper until today, so it must be a very simple but effective mechanism with a spring I think (just from the sounds I hear when I move her arms). Her body also changes a bit. She becomes taller.

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Growing Up Skipper 1975 #growingupskipper #barbieslittlesister #70s #1975 #fromagirltoayounglady #oldtoys #vintage_barbies #barbiefan #dollcollector #vintagebarbies #dollsofinstagram #paintinghobby #skipper #mattel #paintingbynumbers #mykonos

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In the late 1970s Skipper changed again. She became known as “Super Teen Skipper” in comparison to Superstar Barbie. In the late 70s everything became “super”. She got a new face and a new body. I think there are hardly two Skipper dolls that have the same size in my collection. I don’t know the exact number of how often face and body were changed but the longer the dolls were available the more often face and body changed. The 80s finally brought us Hot Stuff Skipper with another face and body and in 1988 she got a new face again. She got her “Kulleraugen“-face as we call it in Germany. She got a face that reminded me of Japanese comics even before I knew how there were called. Nobody told us that when we watched Japanese comic TV series. These early series from the late 70s or early to mid 80s series came to us with a great delay but Skipper looked in a perfect way to what we all watched in TV back then. I really loved the comic like eyes of Skipper but in the mid 1990s her look changed again. The “Pizza Hut”Skipper got a new head mold and another body. This version was only used for a short time. I got her back then as “Phone fun” Skipper.

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baton twirling Skipper 1992 ???????#batontwirlingskipper #cheerleadingskipper #cheerleadingbarbie #barbieskipper #skipperbarbie #90sskipper #barbie #vintagebarbie #vintagebarbies #80sbarbie #90sbarbie #80skid #90skid #barbiefan #barbielover #barbiecollector #barbie80s #barbie90s #vintagetoys #mattel #matteldoll #barbiepassion #barbielove #barbieworld #barbiefantasy #barbiecollecrion #ilovebarbie #barbie1992

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My childhood dream came true today. I had a tiny picture of the two phone fun girl when I was 11. I kept that tiny bit of paper for many years as a wishlist later as a good luck charm. But after many years the paper just gave up but I never forgot them. Today I received Skipper who was a great deal and she is in amazing condition. Getting Courtney will be a bigger challenge but I am hopeful. Now skipper is going to a glass cabinet in Kamilla’s future room ?? #phonefunskipper #dollymail #childhooddream

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When Skipper became Teen Skipper

Shortly after we got to see “Phone fun” Skipper she suddenly grew up to the same size like Barbie doll. Her new name was Teen Skipper, again new head mold and new body. She somehow lost her outward appearance of a 13 year old girl and became at least 16 years. A very nice version of this Skipper can be seen of her in the Slumber Party Skipper. After the arrival of the year 2000 she suddenly disappeared from the screen for nearly a decade.

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old photo of my #teenskipper #skipperdoll #dollstagram

Ein Beitrag geteilt von kaitie’s dolls (@kaitieedolls) am

Here’s a link to Slumber Party Skipper https://www.flickr.com/photos/151597660@N03/33570714055

After the year 2000

Then she was suddenly available again . In 2010 we saw her again in a gift set from Target, being a bridesmaid and in 2012 with colorful hair. It seems that she is available on a permanent basis again in 2019. When you google her, you’ll find her but it seems that she’s between 15 and 17 years now.

More about Skipper

She was born as Skipper Millicent Roberts. She was originally designed as a 12 or 13 year old teenage girl. She was requested by Barbie owners who wanted another doll to play with beside Midge and Ken. By the way Skipper was the door to younger girls who were maybe no teenagers at the time (Yeah, in the early 1960s lots of teenagers had Barbie dolls. I know this may sound strange to you. Nowadays Barbie becomes uninteresting when children leave the kindergarten and go to school.) Skipper had many friends during the different decades starting with Skooter and Ricky in the 60s , Courtney, Kevin, Nikki became later friends with her.

Barbie wikipedia: In which countries is she available?

Hey, if this website https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/at-60-barbie-still-ruling-the-roost-in-150-countries-2059339.html says Barbie is available in more than 150 contries, why don’t they have a list? Probably due to a lack of knowledge.

I’m not sure if I can give you the name of all countries where Barbie is available but I’ll try to let you what I know and I think it’s more than the linked article says.

I’ll give you a list. That’s probably easier to read than a text.

  • USA
  • Japan ( she was released there in the early 1960s and was produced by Mattel only until 1980 but then there were several companies like Takara (by the way I have a Takara Barbie) , Ma-Ba (Mattel-Bandai cooperation), Bandai and after 1995 Mattel produced there for the Japanese market again)
  • Germany ( since the early 1960s, hard to find a Nr. 1 from 1959)
  • The Netherlands
  • France
  • Denmark
  • Sweden ( she was sold under the name of Brio ( little wooden model train) first in the early 60s)
  • Norway
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • Belgium
  • Spain ( under license produced by Congost in Spain since the late 70s until the early 90s, later distributed by Mattel itself)
  • Portugal ( since the 1980s)
  • Mexico ( under license produced by CIPSA (1970s) and Aurimat (1980s)
  • Canada
  • Brazil ( under license by Estrela)
  • Peru ( under license by Basa)
  • Venezuela ( under license by Rotoplast)
  • Colombia ( under license by Dibon but the company went bancrupt shortly after the begin of the production)
  • Argentina ( under license by Top Toys and Antex)
  • Indonesia
  • Taiwan
  • The Philippines
  • Malaysia
  • Korea
  • India
  • Austria
  • England
  • Australia
  • China ( at least they tried to enter the toy market in 2009)
  • Greece
  • Russia? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/russia.nickpatonwalsh
  • Egypt?
  • Saudi Arabia?
  • (List is not complete yet, to be continued as soon as new information is available)

In other countries

We also find similar dolls like Barbie in countries like the middle east. I’m not sure who the producer is but they wear a headscarf. I’ve only seen her once or twice among collectors and she’s called Fulla. It’s not hard to find any picture of her online.

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I think last year Mattel released the Barbie with a hijab https://insideretail.asia/2017/11/15/coming-up-barbie-doll-wearing-a-hijab/ . Furthermore there were attempts to create a curvy doll before released the curvy Barbie bodies in the last years under the name of Lammily.

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??????????? ??? ???????? ??? ? ??????? ?? ?????? ???????: ?????, ??????? ?? ??????????, ?????????? ? ???????? ??? ?????? ?????. ? ??? ?? ????????? ?????? #?????????????? #??????? #????? #??????? #mylammi #lammily

Ein Beitrag geteilt von mylammily.ru (@kukla_lammily) am

I also remember that there was a doll called Emme https://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/emme-doll.jpg

She was one of the first tries to release a curvy doll with normal body proportions. I think it was in the late 1990s or so. I’m not a clone doll collector. I simply don’t have the space to collect them beside Barbie doll.

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This is one of my latest #takarabarbie. As soon as I know she’s a #jenny. She’s from 1986 but I found her not in any of my books. She reminds me of a school girl. Some collectors say she was re-named Jenny after a broken business deal with Mattel and Takara (so not Barbie anymore) #jennyjapan #takarajennydoll #takaradoll #barbiedoctor #barbiedoctora #busybfromgermany #barbievintage #vintagebarbie #barbiemod #modbarbie #barbiesuperstar #superstarbarbie

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Busy B from Germany (@busybfromgermany) am

Two new books about Barbie doll and they are from Japan and written in Japanese

Several months ago I bought a book from Amazon Japan and while looking around I found two other interesting books but they were sold out at Amazon directly. So I had to found a solution that I could buy from the Amazon Japan Marketplace and have the books shipped to Germany. I gonna tell you more in video that I plan how I did it exactly. Today I got the books from the donahue. I took a look inside but my Japanese is too bad to read the books at the moment but I will try to learn it.

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Twist Barbie from Japan
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Twist Barbie back cover in Japanese
It begann with Barbie
B?b? kara hajimatta (It began with Barbie)

I bought these books a birthday presents although they needed two months to arrive here. That’s okay and also the fact that they are used. I have nothing against used books.