Dressed Box Japanese Market Dolls

I recently acquired a fun little Barbie item, a Dressed Bubblecut Barbie exclusively from the Japanese Market.   

 

 

1965 Dressed Bubble Cut wearing Fashion Editor from Japanese Market 

 

 

These dolls are very difficult to identify, unless they are still in their original box.

The Japanese market dolls were packaged in normal western style clothing as well as a western style box, with only two additional stickers affixed to the box that the U.S. boxes did not include.   



Western Dressed Doll Box sold in Japan

 

 

The first sticker is found on the inside of the bottom box inside flap, where Barbie’s head would be positioned.  It is a white Tariff Stamp Sticker with black lettering. 

 

 

Tariff Stamp Sticker

 

 

Western Box without sticker and Japanese Market Box with Tariff Stamp Sticker

 

 

The 2^nd sticker is a KB sticker found on the top outside end flap of the box which also has the fashion number of the dressed doll.  

 

KB Sticker on end flap box

 

Also in the box was a fashion booklet and stand.  The earlier dolls included a 2-piece black metal stand with plastic base with the lettering “Barbie” written on it.  The later ones had a gold one-piece wire stand.

 

 

 

 

A Japanese fashion booklet was also included with these dolls.  And I believe others may have included a western booklet.

 

 

 

There are also rare boxes that had these western dolls in packages that were very similar, but the photographs on the box were Japanese faced dolls rather than Western faced dolls.

 

 

Box Variation

 

 

There is very little written about these dolls, and I’m still learning, but they are certainly something to look further in to, and even to acquire! 

Let me know if you have any more information you want to share!

 

Happy Hunting!

 

 

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