Barbie of the Month: Barbie and Ken (Tennis) Gift Set

The #892 Barbie and Ken (Tennis) Gift Set is one of my favorites.  Interestingly, we all call it the “Barbie and Ken Tennis Gift Set”, but Mattel didn’t include the word “Tennis” in the name, although the picture on the box depicts the couple with their tennis racquets. 

 

The set was released in 1962 and 1963 only.  The early set came with a #750 flocked hair Ken and #850 Ponytail Barbie doll or #850 Bubblecut Barbie.  Later it could be found with a painted head Ken as well.

Ponytail Barbie and Flocked Hair Ken

This fabulous set included so much. Barbie in her red one-piece swim-suit and Ken in his red swim trunks and yellow towel, or red swim trunks and matching striped terry-cloth lined jacket.  Both dolls were placed in their plain white boxes, box liner (no top), black metal stands, and proper wrist tags. Ken wore cork sandals and Barbie sported her red open toe shoes and pearl earrings.  Barbie’s box included the blue 1962 Barbie and Ken booklet as well.

The clothing consisted of nearly the complete #941 Tennis Anyone ensemble: Jacket, socks, shoes, tennis book, sunglasses, tennis racquet, and tennis balls. The white tennis dress was replaced with a white scoop neck playsuit.  Ken had the complete #790 Time for Tennis ensemble: shirt, sweater jacket, shorts, socks, shoes, sunglasses, tennis racquet, and tennis balls.  Each tennis ensemble for Barbie and Ken include two tennis balls, but the gift set had a total of two.

This beautiful set also included Barbie’s pretty yellow silk sheath dress, orange gathered pak skirt, pink bra and panties, orange clutch purse, orange open toe heels, red wide pak belt, and pearl necklace.  Ken also had a pair of white undershorts, green corduroy pants, green socks, red and green sport shirt, and brown shoes with white tops.

The box is one of the bigger gift set boxes.  It measures 17 inches deep by 27 inches wide (for those of you wondering if you have room to showcase it!).  It has a blue liner to which the clothes are attached by white string.

End of box showing the stock number

The set was featured in the Mattel Catalog in 1962 and 1963.  It retailed for $15.00.  In 1962 and 1963 the Montgomery Ward catalog contained the set as well, but the box was replaced with a plastic doll carrying case.  The retail price for that set was 13.77, or $10.99 without the case. 

1962 and 1963 pictures of the set in the Montgomery Ward Catalog

This is a very difficult set to find, both complete in the box or the box alone!  It’s such a treasure once you acquire it.

Happy Hunting!



Be sure to visit my web site for more Barbie!
www.MyVintageBarbies.com

Barbie of the Month: Walking Jamie

In 1970 Sears released the exclusive #1132 Walking Jamie doll.  She was never available in the Mattel Catalog.
 

Jamie came with a choice of three hair colors; blonde, brunette and titian, which was styled in a shoulder length flip.  She had brown eyes and rooted eyelashes.  On Jamie’s back she had a button.  When pressed, her legs would move, her arms would swing, and her head world turn as she walked. 

Button on Jamie's back

 

 

Jamie is marked: ©1967 Mattel, Inc./U.S. Patented/ Pat' d Canada 1967/Other Pat's Pend/Japan

 

Original Box

In her original box, she was dressed in a yellow, pink and orange knit mini dress, with a matching belt, yellow panties, and orange calf length boots.  A sheer pink nylon head scarf tied in her hair completed the outfit.  There was a clear plastic X stand as well as a fashion booklet.  She originally retailed for $4.97 in the Sears catalog.
 

 


Walking Jamie

Jamie also had two gift sets which included a Jamie doll.

The first was #1584 Jamie Furry Friends Gift Set (1970-71) which retailed for 8.99 in 1970 and $7.99 in 1971.  The stand-alone Jamie doll was reduced by $1.00 in 1971 as well.  The set came with a fuzzy orange coat with attached belt, matching hat, her original outfit (dress with belt, pink head scarf, yellow panties, and boots) gray poodle, pink collar and leash, dog dish, white bone, box of dog food, and pink bow shoes. 
 

Jamie Furry Friends Gift Set

Sears Ad

 

The second set, #1247 Jamie Strollin' in Style Gift Set from 1972, is not listed in the 1972 Sears catalog.  That makes me to believe it may have only been available at Christmas time in the Sears store (the stand-alone doll wasn’t listed in the catalog in 1972 either, but I did read the doll was available by mail-order through the fall).  The gift set included the doll wearing a red, blue, and yellow knit dress with crocheted blue belt, matching red calf length boots, and a blue sheer nylon head scarf.  Also included in the box was a second outfit which consisted of blue bell-bottom knit pants, with a matching blue and yellow knit top.  Blue pilgrim shoes completed the outfit.  Jamie also had a white poodle with a blue collar and a blue and yellow ball.



Walking Jamie Strollin' in Style Gift Set
Not shown: Blue pilgrim shoes. (Photo courtesy of Catherine)

 

Strollin’ in Style is by far the most difficult of the two gift sets to find complete, and it usually commands a higher price on the secondary market.

The only clothing that was made specifically for Jamie were the items packaged in her gift boxes, and the clothing she wore in her original box.  Fortunately, Jamie was the same size as Barbie and could wear all her beautiful fashions as well.
 

 

Jamie did have two Sears exclusive doll cases that were made for her in 1971; Jamie’s Party Penthouse, which was a luxury apartment that also could hold four dolls (it retailed for $9.99), and Jamie’s Studio Apartment, which opened into a room of her own, and could store one doll (it retailed for 4.49).

Jamie's Party Penthouse

 

Jamie's Studio Apartment Case

 

With the decrease in price after only one year, Walking Jamie probably wasn’t the doll kids were asking for.  But forty-six years later she is the doll collectors are wanting!

 

Happy Hunting!



Be sure stop by my website at MyVintageBarbies.com


 

Barbie of the Month: Growing Up Skipper and Growing up Ginger

Growing Up Skipper

In 1975 and 1976 Mattel released two interesting and controversial dolls; #7259 Growing Up Skipper and #9222 Growing Up Ginger.  

Growing Up Ginger

Both dolls had the ability to grow from 9 inches tall (9 ¼ inches was the height of the original Skipper) to 9 ¾ inches in height simply by turning her left arm all the way around counter clockwise.  As you turn her arm her breasts would develop as well.  To return to a little girl, merely turn her arm all the way around clockwise.  

Growing up Skipper debuted at the New York Toy Fair in February 1975.  The box she’s packaged in reads; “2 dolls in 1 for twice as much fun!”  She went from a “cute little girl” to a “tall, curvy teenager”, according to the packaging. 

Once she was for sale in stores, newspapers all over the country had a heyday writing articles about this “Super Teen Skipper”.   Mattel received numerous letters from women’s groups and parents complaining about the doll and her ability to grow breasts. 

In 1975 she had pale blonde colored hair, and when the second version was available in 1976 she had slightly shorter, golden colored hair.  In 1976, the brunette Growing Up Ginger was offered as well.  She was only available in 1976, which makes her much harder to find on the secondary market, and especially in the box.

Both dolls are marked © 1967 Mattel Inc. Hong Kong U.S. & For. Pat.

There were six outfits exclusively designed for the Growing Up Skipper and Ginger Dolls.  Stock numbers 9021, 9022, 9023, 9024, 9512, and 9513.

#9021

#9022

#9023

#9024

#9512

#9513

Even though these aren’t my favorite dolls in the Barbie line, I still enjoy having them as part of history in my vintage Barbie collection. 

Happy Hunting!


Visit my web site for more Barbie!! 

Barbie of the Month: Dressed Skipper

Have you ever wondered why there isn’t much written about the dressed, boxed, 9 ¼ inch Skipper dolls?  I did, so I researched it!  These rare dressed Skipper dolls were very limited, and were released in 1964.





Barbie’s little sister Skipper entered the marketplace in 1964.  She was dressed in a one-piece red and white cotton swim-suit.  She wore a Skipper red and silver foil wrist tag and a brass head band.  If the band was left on her head it would often turn areas on her hair and near her ears green.  Inside her cardboard box there was a wire stand, white brush and comb, red flat shoes, and a booklet. 

1964 Skipper



The dressed Skipper dolls were available through the Mattel catalog  when purchased in the #1083 Skipper Master Assortment.   She did not come with a swim-suit, and was only available in the following 1964 fashions:

            #1901 Red Sensation

            #1902 Silk N Fancy

            #1903 Masquerade Party

            #1904 Flower Girl

            #1907 School Days

            #1908 Skating Fun

#1901 Red Sensation, #1904 Flower Girl, #1903 Masquerade Party
#1908 Skating Fun, #1902 Sink N Fancy

 #1907 School Days

 

Also included in the Master assortment, besides the six dressed dolls, were twelve standard Skipper dolls dressed in a red and white swimsuit and twenty-four packs of Skipper ensembles (which were also sold separately as item #1300).  The twenty-four packs of clothing consisted of two each of all ten ensembles that were released for Skipper in 1964.  There was also a counter display tray for the six dressed dolls.   Unfortunately, there was only a description and not a picture of the Master assortment in the Mattel catalog. 

The box of the swim-suit Skipper and dressed Skipper look very similar, with just two big differences.  The sides of the dressed box have three horizontal stripes on it, and the end flap of the box is white with a marking “dressed doll”.

Side of Dressed and Regular Box

 

 

 



End Flap of Dressed and Regular Box

 

I believe the dressed Skipper dolls did come with a wrist tag, and did not have a cardboard liner in the box like the regular dolls had.  Of course there are exceptions to every rule in Barbieland.  If you happen to see a Japanese Market Skipper dressed doll, they do have liners in their boxes!  And they were available later than 1964.  

 

Now you have it; 1964 was the only year these hard to find U.S. Version dressed Skipper dolls were available.  And that is why they are ever so scarce!

 

Happy Hunting!

 

More Skipper doll information at: www.MyVintageBarbies.com

 

 

Barbie of the Month: Skipper on Wheels Gift Set

The darling #1032 Skipper on Wheels Gift Set was only available in 1966, and to make it even rarer it was an exclusive Sears Gift Set, meaning you could only buy it through Sears.

 

This fabulous gift set didn’t come with a doll, but did include a cool red scooter, a red and yellow skate board, red roller skates, and a red yo-yo to play with.  There were several items of clothing also; a red wrap-around skirt with matching print blouse from the 1966 ensemble #1911 ‘Day at the Fair’, a pair of blue pants, an embroidered top, a blue jacket, and blue flats from the 1965 ensemble #1920 ‘Fun Time’.  In addition the set included three items that could be worn with either outfit.  To top it all off there’s a cute red hat, red sunglasses, and a pair of red flat shoes.  

Interestingly, the Sears Christmas catalog advertisement for this “special value set” which retailed for $6.99 pictured and described a bendable leg Skipper doll, her swim-suit, and a second pair of red flats, but the set did not come with the doll or the additional clothing.  It is possible that Sears mailed a bendable leg Skipper doll along with the set when it was ordered out of their Christmas Catalog.  Otherwise, what a disappointment when your package arrived in the mail without the doll that the catalog described!  It’s a history, mystery!

 

Happy Hunting!

 

Barbie of the Month: Color Magic Barbie

Merry Christmas to me!  I recently acquired the beautiful and oh so rare Midnight Color Magic Barbie doll. What a perfect way to start this New Year’s Day blog!

Color Magic Barbie Dolls

In 1966 Mattel released these highly sought after dolls, and they were only available for two short years.

The #1150 Color Magic Barbie doll came in two hair colors, golden blonde or midnight.  Both came with changer solution packets to change the hair color and swim-suit. The Golden blonde dolls hair would change to Scarlet Flame, and the Midnight dolls hair changed to a Ruby Red hair color.

The doll was on a bend leg, non-twist body.  The first issue of the Color Magic Barbie doll had the same markings as the 1964 Miss Barbie and the first issue 1965 American Girl Barbie doll.  All three dolls had indented letter markings. The later versions of the American Girl and Color Magic's used raised letters in their mark.  All these dolls were marked the same “©1958/Mattel, Inc./U.S. Patented U.S. Pat. Pend Made In Japan”.

 

Color Magic Barbies -  Golden Blonde and Midnight

In 1966 she was packaged in a hard plastic box which doubled as a closet.  In 1967 the packaging changed to the standard open faced cardboard box.  The cardboard boxes are very hard to find because most were thrown away, where the plastic boxes were saved for play.  
 

In either the plastic or cardboard box, the doll was dressed in a diamond print swim-suit with an attached turquoise satin ribbon which tied at the waist, a wide diamond print head-band, plastic blue hair clip, turquoise open toe heels, a wrist tag, color magic changer packages A and B, a dabber, hair setting net, extra gross grain hair-ribbons, extra hair clips, and a fashion booklet. 

Cardboard box and hard plastic closet box

In 1967 these dolls also had five unique fashions made just for them that were sold separately.  These clothes could change colors using the same process that was used for the dolls swim-suit and hair. Apply the magic color solution "A" to the clothing or hair and magically you'd have a new color.  Apply solution "B" to convert the clothing or hair to it's original color.  Each fashion ensemble included a dabber, color magic changer A and B, and instructions. They were #1775 Stripes Away, #1776 Smart Switch, #1777 Pretty Wild, #1778 Bloom Bursts, and  #1779 Mix n’ Matchers.

Stripes Away, Smart Switch, Mix n' Matchers, Pretty Wild, Bloom Bursts,

Besides the fashions, there were three Gift Sets as well; In 1966 the #4040 Color Magic Fashion Designer Set, #4041 Color Magic Fashion Fun, and a Sears exclusive #4043 Color Magic Doll & Costume Set.  The only one that came with a doll was the Sears exclusive set.

Color Magic Fashion Designer Set,Color Magic Doll
& Costume Set and Color Magic Fashion Fun

There were two additional sets that included the color changing solutions. #4039 Barbie's Color 'N Curl set which came with a fashion Queen molded head, and four wigs that could be styled and color changed.  Included in the set was a battery-powered hairdryer, and other accessories for styling hair.  #4038 Barbie's Color "n Curl Hair Fashion Fun Kit, was a smaller version of #4039 that came with only two wigs and without a hair-dryer.

 

#4039 Barbie's Color 'N Curl Set

 

In 1965, before the doll was released, some of the fashion booklets pictured this new doll wearing a floral swimsuit instead of the diamond print that she debuted in. This is one of many misprints made in the Barbie World.  You can see more of these bloopers on my web site.

This swim-suit was never released

I’m still smiling about my new doll, and hope you can add one of these to your Barbie collections as well.

Happy New Year and Happy Hunting! 

Web Site: Color Magic Barbie Doll