Saturday, November 1, 2014

Doll of the Month: #7382 Barbie

The #7382 Barbie doll was released in 1976, and was only available in Canada and Europe.   


#7382 Barbie dressed in Shift into Knit (1969)

She had straight legs and was on a non-twist Korea made body with long-straight blonde hair. She was made from the Stacey head mold.  Barbie came dressed in a two-piece blue swim-suit, and was marked: “©1958 Mattel, Inc. U.S. Patented Us Patented Made in Korea”.

 
7283 Barbie (1976)

In 1977 everything was the same except her mark changed to read:  ©Mattel Inc 1958 Korea”.

7382 Barbie - 1976 (left) and 1977 (right)
 
In 1978, the #7382 Barbie with a new hot-pink one-piece swim-suit arrived.  Her face also had a bit of a change, as did her marking.  This year she was marked “©Mattel Inc 1958 Philippines”.  

 #7382 Barbie (1978)

The 1978 version’s packaging is marked Mattel, Inc. 1975. Hawthorne, CA 90250. Made in Philippines. Packaged printed in Hong Kong".  


Interestingly, the later vintage Barbie dolls that were produced from 1973 to 1978 were made in Korea.  In 1978 to 1988 they were made in the Philippines. This 1978 doll seems to be a bit of both!

The later #7382 Barbie's  have a different marking on their boxes which in part reads: “©Mattel, Inc. 1980, Made in Philippines”


1978 packaging (left) and 1980 packaging (right)

Sometimes determining which version you have can be a bit confusing, but it’s always fun to find these foreign dolls, and add them to your collection.  They are usually more difficult to come by, which makes their acquisition all the more satisfying!  
Happy Hunting!