In this article I’d like to tell you a little bit about Talking Barbie repair. I know many collectors search for information about Talking Barbie repair. I’ve done it several times. It’s not the hardest thing to do but you need dexterity, prestidigitation and patience. Of course you should also know what to do in the repair before you do your first one.
Before you do your first repair you need some useful equipment. You need governor belts in the right size, the right replacement for the pullstring, the right ferrules to reattach the flower. Some tools are useful for the repair too like tweezers, cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, disposable gloves, locking forceps and package tied. Some acrylic color in the right skin tone is also useful later after the repair.
You see before you can do anything you have to invest some money. Some collectors told me that they just tried to repair the doll without any knowledge and damaged the mechanism so badly that some of them threw the dolls away. I don’t recommend it. Before you do anything become familiar with the repair. I’ve done some videos while I repaired a Talking Barbie.
The range of my videos goes from the buy or not buy decision to the cleaning of the mechanism to the repair itself and then about how to reseal the body again and reattach the limbs again.
Don’t expect that the cleaning is a fast thing to do. It can last several hours depending on the leftovers of the governor belt itself. I’ve had some easy to clean dolls and some weren’t that easy to clean. Some Talking dolls are cooperative and others don’t.
One of my first Talking Barbie was not cooperative. I tested her for days and got not the right speed for the record. I almost became mad but I found a solution for the problem. The easiest Talking doll I repaired was a Talking PJ. She started almost immediately to talk after I did the test. The mechanism itself is kind of engineering art. It’s done in a very clever way.
If there are no injuries from the outside the mechanism can hardly be destroyed but by a father with a screw. The only weak point is the leg knob. The legs tend to fall of the body but only Talking Barbie I heard it from later produced 1970s Barbie dolls too. They all can be repaired with my method.
I’m not sure why this problem is there so often but maybe it’s because of the production process or maybe the attached legs exerted too much pressure to the knobs so that they just broke. I’m not an expert but I try to find the why.
The repair is not impossible
Due to problem that many collectors try to do the repair just so, I decided to do a video series that they realize where the problem is. It’s all about the right technique and the knowledge how to do it right. There’s no need just to destroy the doll just because you want to see what’s inside the upper body.
I’m not a fan of such actions. That’s one of my reasons to make this video.
My article this week is about useful cleaning material for Barbie dolls one should have. It’s important to have some easy to use things at home when you plan to buy old Barbie dolls. There are some things in every household that are very useful when we come to the topic of cleaning a Barbie doll.
To be honest I clean every Barbie doll I get if she comes without a box. That’s sometimes a lot of work especially when you buy a whole group of dolls. Believe as a longtime collector that will occur from time to time. Not every week, not every month but occasionally. What do you need for such an occasion?
Useful cleaning products
My little survival kit is a box of Q-Tips and rubbing alcohol ( at least 70%). You use the Q-Tips for a quick sip of rubbing alcohol. It is normally used for cleaning electronic devices, especially for cleaning dirty or old contacts. I highly recommend rubbing alc. I’ve never had any problems with it until now and I got the hint in 2011.
What else is useful for use at home? I can recommend you cleaning sponges from Aldi. There are several different products that are sold under the name but it seems that the chemicals attached to the sponges are different.
I heard of collectors that got problems with these sponges but I never had any problems with them. If the Q-Tip/rubbing alc combination is not working use the sponge. It brings sometimes benefits to have one at home.
What other collectors do
I’ve heard from other collectors that they use a mild soap and a sponge to clean their dolls. In almost 23 years of collecting I’ve never done it. Why? You can’t exclude the risk that the knee joints get wet especially when you clean Twist n Turn Barbie dolls from the first generation around 1967 since the have metal knee joints that tend to oxide when you work with water. It means in the worst situation they oxide and leave an ugly brown or greenish area around the knee. It’s the goal of most Barbie collectors to prevent these stains. The only I thing I can do is warn you about problem.
The ultimate clean Barbie doll?
Well, you might ask yourself if there is the ultimate clean Barbie doll. The answer is no. This comes due to the fact that the arms, legs and the head are made from a form of PVC and rubber and it’s hard to keep rubber clean itself. I already told you that there are problems with sticky legs and leaking softener. Here’s a short video how to do it.
Is the leaking softener a problem of the age
No, the leaking softener is no problem of the age. All I know about the problem is that it’s no age problem. The probability to find it in all decades from 1959 until today is high. I’m not so familiar with chemistry but read about the phenomenon and it is said that is has to do with the mixtures they use in the production machines. Obviously the recipe was changed a bit over the decades and sometimes you have problems that appear like 1987 the cow spots, that were caused by iron shavings in the mixture.
Other useful things to have a home for Barbie cleaning
I can recommend you guest towels. They are very useful when you want a doll to dry, no matter if you washed her hair or just cleaned her with Q-Tips and rubbing alc. I don’t dress the dolls immediately afterwards. I really give them time to dry ( often over night, often a whole day). Then you can be sure that you wont get any problems with water still somewhere on the doll body. Another advantage is that you can wash the little towels easily. They don’t need as much space in the washing machine as a normal towel needs. Even if there is a stain caused by a doll, it’s no problem because it’s just a guest towel. ( I never had this problem myself )
In my next article I’d like to continue where I stopped last week with the hair topic. Repair is not limited to hair. There are other problems every collector has to deal with like green ears.
The awful green ears
I think there’s almost nobody out there who doesn’t know the problem – green ears – just awfuuuuuuuuuuuuul. It’s not only a problem of Vintage Barbie limited to the years 1959 until 1967. Nope, that’s also a problem of modern collector Barbie dolls with earrings. By the way the problem exists in the human world too. When you buy earrings but not made out of silver or gold, you buy the problem. Costume jewelry earrings tend to have this problem because the metal reacts with our skin. We can’t exclude to sweat or transpire. As long as we do so the problem will occur. In the case of Barbie it’s similar. She can’t sweat but the rubber of the head is/was in permanent contact with the earrings. I don’t know exactly what the early earrings with the pearl ends were made of. I guess it was copper or a similar metal because copper tends to show green discolorations after a while. Think of church roofs. In Germany we have many clock towers roofs or bell towers roofs made out of copper.
Why green ears appear
I think the copper reaction works like this … when the roofs are exposed to nature for a while with sunshine, rain, snow, hail, frost and wind the copper reacts with all the wheather influences. It seems that it’s very a similar thing with the Barbie earrings. The reaction doesn’t come immediately but after a while. Let’s say the child stopped to play with her early Barbie and the Barbie was stored in a garage or on an attic, not really exposed to the elements but let’s say the roof is not well isolated and when there is frost the doll also is exposed to it. Frost has to do with water that changed its physical state then we should have no doubts that the reaction of the earrings comes from the water/humidity on the attic. These early earrings were not tested for any green effects on dolls. As I read again today it was all a matter of costs. It was easy to produce in Japan because the wages were low after WWII there. When we guess they used cheap earrings it’s very clear why the phenomenon appears. They used cheap metal. In the early years Barbie was just produced as a toy, not considered for collectors.
How we can solve the problem and treat the ears
Now that we know the reason why the green ears appear, we can solve the problem. Nevertheless the biggest problem is that Mattel used different chemical mixtures for the heads. It seems that the material changed a bit from doll to doll. Bubble Cut Barbie dolls are easy to cure. When you want to learn how to fix them just buy Clearasil cream and smear it onto the ears and put the doll in the sun. The more sun, the better.
With Ponytail Swirl Barbie dolls it’s another story. Although I’m no chemist I assume that the material is different. Why? I tested it and I got a great Ponytail Swirl with original hair do but she had green ears. I wanted to treat her. Result? The procedure lasted more than two summers. In the first one I hardly put her outside on my balcony because I was afraid of forgetting her. In 2017 my Bubble Cut head was stolen by a bird after forgetting it on the balcony over night. That was not what I wanted for my Ponytail Swirl. So sad if she had been stolen. My plan this year was to put her outside in the sun but only for the time I was at home. My first test last year contained Clearasil cream, Benzaknen ( a cream for acne treatment with 10% peroxid for bleaching available in Germany), Remove Zit. I stared with Clearsil and then came to the idea that Clearsil does not work here. So I changed to Benzaknen, had to stop my test during the winter and wait for spring since the winter here is always very foggy and sunless. This spring I put her in the sun with fresh Benzanknen, changed it every day but I had only little success. I wanted to use Remove Zit as well but the summer was over before I had the time to do so. From my experiences on Superstar Barbie I can say that Zit leaves ugly stains. You need another chemical counterpart to get rid of the stains. That’s why I’m careful with Remove Zit.
That was the first video I made about the Ponytail Swirl green ear problem but had no idea that it would last that long to cure her. In the meantime I removed the green ears. A hint from another collector helped. She used Poliboy Gold & Silberbad for her head and the green ears vanished within 14 days. I had similar success. One of my books recommend Haggerty Silver bath for the treatment. Two products available in different countries under different names? Other collectors from the USA have reported that they use CLR (Calcium Lime Rust remover) with the old formula and had success too. A video with my results is planned in the next weeks about my success. I still have to do some X-mas present preparations before I can come back and do full time video cutting.
Problems with the availability of products
I heard from some other collectors that not all products I refered to in this article are globally available. We can e.g. buy liquids like CLR only with a ton of difficulties. We have to pay for shipment, go to the donahue and pay VAT. The limit to import goods for free ends at 22 € including shipping. Poliboy is not available in the USA. That’s why I double checked my books and found Haggerty. Maybe the information is useful to some of you. Remove Zit is hard to get in Germany and the dealer want very much money for it. I got mine several years ago and paid around 30€ . The best before date is soon after you buy it. There’s no label with ingredients on the box.
How to get rid of the problem
Remove the earrings from the head. Treat the head like described above. Some collectors use transparent nail polish before they use the earrings again and paint them with nail polish so that the head and the earring have no contact with each other. You can just let them out and put them on the doll stand.
When a modern Collector Barbie has signs of green ears, remove the earrings and put them in a little bag. Try to avoid contact with the clothing of the doll. I put them in little zipper plastic bags in the box of the doll. Don’t treat the dolls, just let them rest in their boxes. The green often vanishes itself without any procedure. I’ve done a video on this topic too.
When you’re a collector of LEO India Barbie dolls, this information is helpful to you too. I recommend to remove the earrings of Indian Barbie dolls as well because the golden earrings are made of some real metal that can cause pale heads. Only a few collectors know about the problem. Whenever you get Barbie dolls from India take the earrings out.
Some Barbie collectors do repairs themselves and some don’t. The ones who repair the dolls maybe consider themselves as very talented. That’s often not the truth. Some of them only have better techniques and know what things to use for Barbie repair. Sometimes you only need the faith to believe in what you’re doing. Some of the things exist in every household.
I don’t want to go too much in depth in this article. I just want you give an overview what is possible to do diy.
Hair repair & restoration
It is not so hard to repair Barbie hair. The only exceptions are melted hair and Color Magic Barbie hair. Color Magic hair is very fragile or it at least has become very fragile over the decades. We shouldn’t forget that it’s fifty years old now. Frizzy Barbie hair can easily be treated with conditioner. You put the conditioner in and work your way through the hair with a comb. The hair should be lovely after treatment again. I made a video about frizzy hair some months ago. Just watch it and you’ll understand how easy it is to do. It’s a great method to remove tangles.
Another thing you can do with Barbie hair is to restore a gone hair style like the flips from the 1960s and 1970s. The curls can appear again when you know the little tricks how to do them. Another example I’d like to show you is my Francie flip video. In this video I show you what to use as little curlers for her hair.
That’s not all you can do yourself. No, I’m no professional hairdresser but I learned in the last decade a lot about Barbie hair. So, what can you do when the hair is cut? Then you have two options. You can make the best out of the cut or you can give her a reroot. A reroot is practically to give her new hair.
For a reroot you can use replacement hair. You can buy hair for Barbie dolls in several shops online. I can give you the name of some of them like restoredoll.com ( have ordered there myself), I bought a lot from mylittlecustoms.com ( but the shop is almost sold out every time I look around). There are several other online shops for Barbie hair but I have not bought from all of them. When I buy hair, I order a lot of hair and then I have a stock at home. I used the loop & lock technique for rerooting (giving Barbie new hair). It’s what the sewing machine in the factories did ( but much faster).
Problems with Superstar Barbie dolls
Of course please don’t forget to plan enough time and use the right needles for your restoration. The ones I use are called “doll needles”. It’s a pack that contains three needles. I use the shortest of all three. The other two are bigger and I don’t want to destroy or enlarge any precut holes in the head. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s a hard task. You often find the problem with the holes when you work with late Superstar Barbie dolls. They have so many holes and so many hair that it’s very difficult to keep everything in perfect condition.
Another problem can dissolving make up be. In some Barbie faces the make up comes off. Certain countries are known to have this problem like Spain. US versions usually don’t have the problem. So don’t say I haven’t warned you. Maybe I can figure out the origin of the problem in the next weeks. Anyway I’d like to give you this information before it’s too late. When the make up of Barbie starts to crumble within a reroot it’s hard to stop.
Incredible possibilities to be creative
Doing reroots can give you incredible possibilities to make OOAK Barbie dolls. You can use any color you find for your reroot but I recommend to use Saran or Nylon hair with good quality. Why? The hair looks more natural than cheap wig hair for carnival. You can buy the length you want and need. You can mix different hair colors. Creating unique Barbie dolls is no problem. The only thing you need for this is your fantasy.
New eyelashes
In general it’s no problem to insert new lashes to old Barbie dolls. I recommend to use a normal needle for the replacement. I’ve used black Saran hair for my restorations yet. Insert long hair. It’s easier to work with long hair than short hair. Don’t forget that you can always cut the hair afterwards. My technique here is also the lock and loop technique.
That’s the easiest technique imitating a sewing machine with your hands. It’s clear that not everybody has a special sewing machine for hair at home. These machines need lots of space and are very expensive. The easiest way to solve the problem with your hands with the lock & loop technique.
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.
Today, I’d like to share another article from my Barbie wiki, this time focusing on one of Barbie’s sisters: Kelly. While Kelly is still available on the market in a different version today, her name was changed to Chelsea in 2011. However, this article will focus on Kelly and her early years, before the name change.
Kelly, Barbie’s baby sister, was first introduced in 1994. She was created by Carol Spencer, a longtime Mattel employee who began her career at the company in the 1960s. According to my research, Kelly was a project that Spencer made her own, a fact she also discusses in her recently published book Dressing Barbie.
In this article, I’ll share all the information I’ve gathered about Kelly and her origins. Join me as we dive into the fascinating history of Barbie’s baby sister, Kelly!
Love at first sight with Shelly
The first time I saw Kelly was in a catalog back in 1995, and I was immediately smitten. She was so adorable that I decided I wanted to collect everything I could find related to Kelly. From those early years, I’ve managed to gather almost everything in my collection.
Kelly’s clothing was designed by Carol Spencer, who poured her creativity into every piece. Interestingly, Kelly was known as Shelly in Europe and Canada. Was this name change made to boost sales figures? I’m not sure why Mattel chose a different name for the European market, but Kelly was officially introduced there in 1995 as well.
At the time, Kelly appeared to be around three or four years old. The very first edition of Kelly, “Bedtime Fun Kelly,” included a Kelly doll dressed in pink pajamas and a baby bed. This set also featured a beautiful Sunday dress made of black velvet and plenty of toys. Shortly afterward, Kelly was joined by three friends: Susie, Chelsea, and Melody.
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The Winter Holiday Gift Set: A Special Addition to Kelly’s Legacy
I believe that in 1995, Mattel released a remarkable gift set called the Winter Holiday Gift Set. This set featured Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Kelly enjoying a winter adventure on a big sleigh. What makes this set particularly special is Skipper’s doll. She used the recently introduced Pizza Hut face mold, which was a charming departure from the mold previously used for her. This unique detail made the set stand out among collectors.
Kelly, dressed in her adorable snow suit, always reminded me of a character from a Japanese comic series inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Perhaps that resemblance is part of what drew me to this set, but I can’t say for certain. What I do know is that, until then, I didn’t have a set featuring all four sisters together, which made the Winter Holiday Gift Set even more appealing and memorable to me.
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Early Barbie and Kelly Gift Sets: A Look Back at Strolling Fun and More
In 1996, the first Barbie and Kelly gift set was introduced: Strolling Fun Barbie and Kelly. This delightful set featured Barbie pushing Kelly in a stroller. Shelly (as Kelly was known in Europe) was designed with a movable arm, allowing her to mimic natural movements while seated in the strolle
The following year, in 1997, Mattel released another charming gift set: the Shopping Fun Gift Set. In this set, Kelly sat adorably in a shopping cart and came with a special feature—a magnet in her hand. This allowed her to hold a pair of magnetic boxes included in the set, adding a playful, interactive element.
Also in 1996, Kelly was introduced as Bathing Fun Shelly. I’ve discovered two variations of this set, differing in the trim color of her towel and bathrobe, which were available in either pink or yellow. Interestingly, there are also differences in the dolls themselves. One of my Bathing Fun Shellys has Saran hair, while another features Kanekalon hair, showcasing the subtle diversity in production.
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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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My two Bathtime Fun versions ( Kanekalone hair in box, Saran hair below)
Potty Training Kelly: A Clever and Tiny Innovation
In 1997, Mattel introduced the Potty Training Kelly set, showcasing an impressive and playful innovation. This set included a tiny bottle that could be filled with water. By pressing the heart-shaped button on Kelly’s belly, she would “pee,” simulating potty training.
The mechanism seems similar to that used in larger drink-and-wet dolls, but it was executed on a much smaller scale, making it all the more fascinating. This clever feature added an extra layer of realism and interactive fun to the doll, delighting young fans and collectors alike.
Early Kelly Fashion by Carol Spencer: Matching Styles for Barbie and Kelly
During Kelly’s early years, Carol Spencer designed several adorable clothing sets for her. These outfits showcased Spencer’s signature charm and creativity, making them highly sought after by collectors. Many of these sets weren’t just exclusive to Kelly—they also came in matching styles for Barbie and Kelly, allowing fans to dress the sisters in coordinated looks.
I’ve documented numerous early outfits from my collection and created a fashion showcase. You can explore the pictures and details here: My Shelly/Kelly Fashion Show.
These early designs reflect the timeless appeal of Kelly and Barbie’s shared fashion moments, adding a special touch to any collection.
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The Mystery of the Pool Fun Series: From Advertisements to Reality
The Pool Fun series featuring Kelly and her friends was prominently showcased in advertisements during the 1990s. For years, I struggled to determine whether this series was ever actually produced or if it remained a prototype, as was often the case with catalog promotions during that era.
In 2007 or 2008, I finally solved the mystery when I found Kelly and her friends from the Pool Fun series. To my delight, the series had indeed been produced, and I was able to add it to my collection.
Eating Fun Kelly and More: A Look at Rare and Memorable Sets
In 1997, Mattel introduced Eating Fun Shelly/Kelly. While I haven’t had the chance to explore how the mechanism works since mine is still in its original box, this set remains a charming addition to Kelly’s lineup from the era.
Also in 1997, Mattel released another iconic set featuring all four sisters: Travelin’ Fun Sisters. This set captured Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Kelly in a fun travel theme. You can view an image of this set here.
Last year, I was thrilled to finally add the Power Wheels Jeep set to my collection. This unique set features Shelly and Tommy (Kelly’s male baby counterpart) riding in a Power Wheels Jeep. Finding this set in its original box was no easy feat—it’s both rare and often very expensive. After years of searching, I was lucky to secure one, and it’s now a cherished part of my collection.
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.
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. For more information about the different Vintage Ken types of the 1960s and their clothing please have a look at https://somethingabouttheboy.com/
Several years ago I did a video about my Kens too and you can watch it here
My full Ken ID videoFlocked 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
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.
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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.
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 ?
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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.
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
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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.
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.
In 1964, Barbie welcomed her first sister, Skipper, marking the beginning of a growing family for the iconic doll. Skipper was the first addition to Barbie’s expanding family, which continued to grow until 1999 with the arrival of Krissy.
Just for fun, imagine the age of Barbie’s mother when Barbie was born, and then consider she was 40 years older when Krissy arrived—a true marvel of fertility!
When Skipper debuted in 1964, she was offered in both blonde and brunette hair colors. Unfortunately, a red-haired version wasn’t part of the initial release, which left a gap for those of us who love a bit more variety in hair color.
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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
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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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The Evolution of Skipper: From Super Teen to Pizza Hut
In the late 1970s, Skipper underwent a significant transformation and was reintroduced as “Super Teen Skipper” to align with the era’s fascination with everything “super.” During this period, Skipper received a new face and body design, reflecting the trend of the time. The variations were so pronounced that it’s rare to find two Skipper dolls with identical sizes in my collection. The frequency of changes in Skipper’s face and body increased as the doll remained on the market, with each iteration bringing something new.
The 1980s saw the debut of Hot Stuff Skipper, featuring yet another face and body redesign. In 1988, Skipper received a notable update with her “Kulleraugen” face—a term used in Germany to describe her large, expressive eyes. This new face design resembled the Japanese comic (manga) style, even before many of us were familiar with manga. Although early Japanese TV series took time to reach us, Skipper’s comic-like eyes perfectly mirrored the popular style we saw on television.
However, Skipper’s appearance continued to evolve. By the mid-1990s, the “Pizza Hut” Skipper introduced a new head mold and body, marking yet another shift in her look. I remember acquiring her back then under the name “Phone Fun” Skipper. This version of Skipper was short-lived but remains a unique and memorable part of her evolutionary journey.
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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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The Transition to Teen Skipper: A New Chapter
Following the release of “Phone Fun” Skipper, a significant change occurred. Skipper grew up to match Barbie’s size and was reintroduced as “Teen Skipper.” This new iteration featured an entirely redesigned head mold and body, marking a notable shift in her appearance. With this transformation, Skipper moved away from her previous look as a 13-year-old, adopting the appearance of a 16-year-old.
One of the standout examples of this new Teen Skipper is the “Slumber Party Skipper,” which showcases her updated design beautifully. The transition to Teen Skipper represented a significant evolution in her character, aligning her more closely with the style and maturity of Barbie.
However, as the new millennium approached, Teen Skipper’s presence diminished, and she virtually disappeared from the market for nearly a decade. Despite this hiatus, her legacy remains an important part of Barbie’s history.
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old photo of my #teenskipper #skipperdoll #dollstagram
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A Comeback for Teen Skipper: Resurgence and New Looks
After a nearly decade-long hiatus following the turn of the millennium, Teen Skipper made a notable comeback. In 2010, she reappeared in a Target-exclusive gift set, where she was featured as a bridesmaid. This marked the beginning of her renewed presence in the market.
The resurgence continued in 2012 with a vibrant new look—Teen Skipper sported colorful hair, reflecting the evolving trends and styles of the time. This reintroduction was well-received, showcasing a fresh take on the beloved character.
As of 2019, Teen Skipper appears to be available on a more permanent basis, making her a familiar face once again in the world of Barbie. If you search for her online, you’ll find that she’s presented with an age range of 15 to 17 years, blending elements of her classic design with contemporary updates.
More About Skipper: Barbie’s Beloved Sister
Skipper Millicent Roberts, introduced in 1964, was designed as a 12 or 13-year-old teenage girl. Her creation was driven by requests from Barbie owners who desired an additional doll to complement Barbie, Midge, and Ken. Skipper provided a new dimension to the Barbie universe, serving as a bridge to younger girls who might not yet be teenagers.
In the early 1960s, it was quite common for teenagers to own Barbie dolls, which may seem unusual by today’s standards. Nowadays, Barbie often becomes less appealing as children transition from kindergarten to school, but Skipper’s introduction catered to a younger audience, making her a popular choice.
Over the decades, Skipper made many friends, each adding to her story. In the 1960s, she was accompanied by Skooter and Ricky. Later on, friends like Courtney, Kevin, and Nikki joined her, expanding her circle and keeping her character vibrant and relatable.
Barbie, the iconic doll, continues to captivate children and collectors worldwide. She is available in over 150 countries, as reported by various sources, including News18. Below is a list of countries where Barbie has a significant presence:
North America
USA
Canada
Mexico (Produced under license by CIPSA in the 1970s and Aurimat in the 1980s)
South America
Brazil (Under license by Estrela)
Peru (Under license by Basa)
Venezuela (Under license by Rotoplast)
Colombia (Under license by Dibon, which went bankrupt shortly after production began)
Japan (Initially produced by Mattel in the 1960s, later by companies like Takara, Ma-Ba, Bandai, and Mattel again after 1995)
China (Attempted market entry in 2009)
Indonesia
Taiwan
Philippines
Malaysia
Korea
India
Oceania
Australia
Middle East
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Similar Dolls in Other Regions in addition to countries where Barbie is available
In addition to Barbie, there are similar dolls in other parts of the world that cater to local cultural norms and preferences. One notable example is Fulla, a doll available in the Middle East. Fulla is similar to Barbie but is designed to reflect the cultural values of the region, often featuring a headscarf. This doll has gained popularity among collectors and can be easily found online.
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Recent Developments not depending on countries where Barbie is available
Mattel has also made efforts to diversify Barbie’s appearance. In 2017, they released a Barbie doll wearing a hijab, reflecting a more inclusive and modern approach to representation (Insideretail).
Additionally, before Mattel introduced curvy Barbie bodies, there were attempts to create dolls with more realistic body shapes, such as Lammily dolls, which aimed to provide a more diverse and relatable option for children.
Additional Notes
the list is based on the latest available information and will be updated as new data becomes available.
Some countries, like Russia and Egypt, have had fluctuating market presence.
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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
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