All Dressed Up: Barbie Dressed Box Dolls Are Rare Finds Today
Over a million Barbie dolls had been sold by 1962, according to a Mattel press release. This is just three years after Barbie was introduced at the 1959 Toy Fair. In an interview with Elliot Handler,...
View ArticleCurious Collector: Mattel Barbie RN Repro
Q: I am a retired nurse and I remember the original Barbie registered nurse outfit. I learned that a Barbie doll and the outfit had been reissued, but I didn’t know it at the time. Fortunately I found...
View ArticleNew Sculpts, Spectacular Adventures Propel JHD Fashion Doll
Expect the JHD Fashion Doll universe to brim with cover girls, globetrotters, new face sculpts, and fantasy figures this year. Other temptations also are likely to follow, if Jiao Huadong has his way....
View ArticleFashionable Flexibility: British BJD Design Duo Focuses on Beauty, Posability
By Wil Peterson Pursuit of the perfect doll physique is a perpetual priority for Emperis Dolls. In this case, “perfection” represents a body that’s both visually appealing and as fully functional as...
View ArticleLovely Little Lissy: Madame Alexander’s Follow-up to Cissy Became a Favorite
In 1956, Madame Alexander issued Lissy, a 12-inch doll with a stunning face and sleep eyes. Her body was jointed at the elbows and knees. Her age was not precisely defined. Lissy was a perfect fashion...
View ArticleCurious Collector: 1971 Mattel No-Bangs Francie
I got into an online bidding war with someone over this 1971 Mattel Francie because I had looked for years for one and have not been able to find one. Why is this doll so rare and expensive? The post...
View ArticleA Well-Turned Ankle: Madame Alexander’s Elise Could Wear Shoes for Any Occasion
By 1957, Madame Alexander’s fashion-doll lineup had never looked better. The 1957 dolls had a new peaches-and-cream finish to the faces with a perfect blend of blush — the company’s offerings were...
View Article1950s Ginger: The Darling of the Doll World
Nearly every American doll company around in the 1950s tried to capitalize on the stellar success of Ginny, Vogue’s charming 8-inch toddler doll. Ginny reigned as queen, but Cosmopolitan promoted...
View ArticleIsland Dreams: Alena Amicus Settles Into New Life in Britain
Fashion and fantasy BJD artist Alena Amicus (Elena Kochurova’s professional name) won an Industry’s Choice award in the Teen/Adult Doll category in last year’s Dolls Awards of Excellence. Late last...
View ArticleEverybody’s Talkin’ Barbie!
The big news in toys back in 1968 was the release of a talking Barbie! This had been on the drawing board for several years — Mattel’s 20-inch Chatty Cathy from the early ’60s could say several...
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