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Totally/Ultra Hair Barbie turns 25

Recently we learned that this year there will be a Repro Totally Hair available because the Totally Hair Barbie celebrates her 25 anniversary. Unbelievable but true. I take this opportunity to post some personal thoughts since I like the Totally hair Barbie, the one that was named Ultra Hair in Europe and Canada. After watching the commercial in TV back then and reading about her in the Barbie Journal, a booklet that was similar to a catalogue, and available at an Barbie shop I wanted her, wanted her, wanted her. From a point of view as a grown up not really understandable but the commercial was made for children.  She was made for children with a colorful taste and she was not the only Barbie we had. By the way, here’s the link to the commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPoMmtvXW0&list=PLHgw1rWxs_lmc0VACw0cGu8Rremm-KWix 

Anyway, she was in my childhood the doll that came with a delay. After her release in Europe a dealer in my hometown made a special offer. I think it was back then 30DM/15€ (German marks, long gone now) and I wanted her as soon as I saw her in the ad. Later the day we tried to buy her but she was sold out. The demand was so high we had to wait two weeks until I got her. An incredible long time for a child in 1992.

Many years later I sold almost all my playline Barbie dolls when I became a Teenager and I sold her because her hair was not so beautiful anymore although I never really played with her but in my early 20s I bought another Nrfb version of the doll to be sure that the hair stays in perfect condition. So that’s my personal story about my Totally Hair Barbie doll.

Here’s a pic.

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Birthdays

Today Barbie celebrates her 58th Anniversary. She was presented first on the New York Toy Show in March 1959. Since then she had a lot of friends, a lot of cars, a lot of houses and lots of pets as well as horses. She gave us courage as kids to try out new things like being a female astronaut. She always was the fashion icon of the time. To me Barbie always had the significance of being something very positive. She had something mysterious that was also interesting. I got my first Barbie doll from one of my grandmothers. I got a Crystal Barbie (1983) and I still have her in my collection. I think this was one of the first milestones in my interest in Barbie. My wish to the birthday girl is that she may be produced for further 58 years. I think she’ll have the right dress for the party in her closet.

I would like to mention that Ken also celebrates his birthday this week. He’s only two years younger than Barbie and was introduced in 1961 as Ken (Kenneth). Ken was created as the boyfriend of Barbie and also introduced on the New York Toy Show in 1961.

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How to store old Barbie dolls

In the last weeks some researchers did some research in behalf of the Toy Museum in Nuremberg how to store old Barbie dolls the best way. The researchers found out that it is the best to store the old dolls in a  cool, dry and dark environment. Here’s the link to the German article http://www.deutschlandradiokultur.de/spielzeugmuseum-in-nuernberg-barbie-forever-young.1008.de.html?dram:article_id=379793 .

I don’t know if this was published in English speaking countries too. If it’s not you can use google translator for reading it.

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More information in the next weeks!

I haven’t posted much articles in the last weeks but I promise to do more in the next weeks. At the moment I have two projects running and I neglect my blog more than the other project. So stay tuned in what may come in the next weeks.

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No no no I haven’t

No, to be honest I haven’t forgotten to post anything but in the last weeks. I hardly found anything. Sometimes it is like this… for a while you find every week a new item you want and in other weeks nothing, nothing and nothing. I recently had nothing weeks. This week I can show you something new from my collection. Wanted the Barbie for a long time and finally found her at a reasonanble price. As far as I found out she was a TRU Times Square exclusive.

Toys R Us Times Square Barbie

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Birthday Barbie – but it’s not my birthday today

Well I haven’t bought much stuff in the last weeks but yesterday arrived a new Barbie doll. And I have new pics for you. She  is the Birthday Barbie from 1996. I learned that she was also sold in Europe. I thought she was a USA only doll. This was a big surprise to me. And finally a new doll from the 1990s. Yay!

Anyway, here are some pics. I hope you like them.

Birthday Barbie 1996

Birthday Barbie 1996

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Time for Fashion Avenue … or what the hell is Fashion Avenue?

I got two new dresses last week. It’s summer and I didn’t find much new stuff for my dolls. This time I want to tell you about Fashion Avenue because the dresses came out under the label of Fashion Avenue. Fashion Avenue is a fashion line from Barbie which run from the 1990s until 2002. The quality was very good. You really got something for your money. Accidentally I found these two dresses. I always liked them but I found them to be too expensive in nrfp (never removed from package) condition. The fashions are not complete but I didn’t care about it at the moment. The blue dress seems to be very hard to find. I tried to find it via ebay but I had no success.

Fashion Avenue dresses

Fashion Avenue

I hope you can see the lovely rose on the seam of the blue dress. Very lovely!!! I already have a doll for this dress in my mind but she still needs a new body.

There’s a good page where you can see all the Fashion Avenue Fashions from the begin til 2002. Here’s the link Fashion Avenue . I hope you enjoy the page as much as I do.

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You are new in the Barbie world and have no idea where to search for information?

Hi guys,

I keep my promise and do not neglect my blog like I did in the last months. Today I’d like to show you a video that might be useful when you are new in the world of Barbie doll and especially interested in Superstar Barbie (era from 1977- appr.1999). Maybe you had a Barbie doll when you were little and want to have her again. Maybe you are completely without any ideas where to look for shoes. I know it’s one of the most difficult topics. What kind of shoe belongs to what kind of outfit and how do they differ?

I think this is a good video to start with when you are new but you want to know more about shoes.

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Time for Benetton!

I’m sorry for neglecting my blog but I hardly bought anything in the last months. Nevertheless I have two new girls that I want to show you. They are Benetton Barbie and Benetton Marina (no idea why a girl with Asian background is called Marina). Anyway I saw them when I was a child and suddenly I had the wish to have them in my collection. I found them accidentally within a short period of time. I like the bright colours of their clothes. So 90s like but also very cool and they remind me of my own childhood. I think they were available in Europe/Canada only in 1990/1991.

Benetton Marina

Benetton Marina (complete)

Benetton Barbie