Changes in the early Barbie

When I first started collecting Barbie I learned that the first Barbie was made with different plastic then the later dolls.  Earlier plastic can have numerous problems.  Barbie 1 - 3 can had problems with plastic.  The #1 Barbie, #2 Barbie and #3 Barbie can be sickly white.  The #4 Barbie had a new plastic, that does not turn white. but some #4 Barbie's can have limbs that are sickly white. 

Now years later after I moved from Texas to New York.  I did not unpack my Barbie items when I first.  I knew what they were and they were packed well, so I just kept them in the box for safety.  I recently started to unpack them.  I noticed that my first year bubblecut Barbie now has very tan legs. 

So now after 50+ years do the #4 Barbie's also have a plastic problem.  Did it just take that long to come out? Does this mean that the plastic will continue to age unexpectedly.

Is it Vintage or Reproduction Barbie outfit: Enchanted Evening

That is the question for a lot of piece in the Barbie line.  And for someone just starting it very hard to till sometime.  If a reproduction items does not have a label how do you till.  I did blog showed to difference between. 

This will about Enchanted Evening.

Enchanted Evening come with gown, stole, long gloves, choker necklace, dangle earrings and clear open toe shoes with gold glitter.  The gown comes two different ways.  The most common is with a rose, but it also came with three rhinestones. 



The reproduction Enchanted Evening comes with gown, stole, long gloves, choker necklace, pearl earrings and shoes.  The reproduction gown comes with a rose.   The label is in the stole and does have reproduction on it.


The difference start with the necklace and earrings.  The reproduction necklace and earring are plastic and the earring are not dangled.  The snap are plastic.

 

American Girl

I was not luck to be a child when American Girl dolls came out.  I was just getting into Barbie collecting.  A couple years after they were out I see my first American Girl.  She was Samantha, I wanted her.  She was not to come to me for many years.  I was to get a Kit doll first.   I now have Samantha as while.  I have been luck in getting American Girl items up at estate sales and garage

I was not luck to be a child when American Girl dolls came out.  I was just getting into Barbie collecting.  A couple years after they were out I see my first American Girl.  She was Samantha, I wanted her.  She was not to come to me for many years.  I was to get a Kit doll first.   I now have Samantha as while.  I have been luck in picking up American Girl items at estate sales and garage sales.  Even second hand they are not cheap, some are priced higher they the regular price. 

 
Since American Girl are expensive. And everyone wants to go cheap so they buy Target, Walmart or other 18" doll clothes.  They fit why not.  Here is why.
 
I have brought American Girl at sales and have not removed the clothes, we all do it.  The doll look great and you want the items with so you just buy it.  You then get home and remove clothes and see that she has marks on her.  Ok you try to remove the stains.  You cannot.  So you go to the American Girl site to see what they say.  Now you have a choice send the doll to American Girl for new limbs or keep as is. 
 
Here is a key to know you have to look at the doll closer before you buy. 

Is it wearing American Girl clothes?

Does it come with clothes that you know are American Girl?
Does it come with clothes you do not know?
Is it still being played with or was it stored?

The answer is simple.

  If you know it in American Girl clothes you most likely do not need to look closer.

If you have no idea of the clothes you should look closer.

If there are a lot of unknown clothes you should look closer.

Here is why, American Girl doll should never be storage in anything but American Girl clothes.  If you have handmade or other doll clothes on the doll when it just being storage it can stain the doll.  I learned this learn the hard way.  I bought a doll that I love the outfit on her.  It was not an American outfit.  It stained the doll on the legs and arms.

The hard thing was collecting anything is not every piece is tag.  You have to know what you are looking for.  American Girl is not like Barbie, Mattel only mark on item in a outfit.  American Girl from what I have since has marked all.  This helps out a lot.

So if you want to get home & enjoy your doll, it is best that you look at it.  Then you will not have to send it to the American Girl Hospital. 

Is it Vintage or Reproduction Barbie outfit: Red Flair

With all the reproduction Barbie outfit out there I decided to start a series on the differences.   I am starting with the reproduction Silken Flame doll.  It come with a reproduction blonde or brunette bubblecut which is wearing Silken Flame and Red Flair. 

The Red Flair outfit.  Is mostly the hardest to till.  The material very close to the original.  For my the different it the feel of the coat.  The older coat are soft and the reproduction feel harder.  It does have a reproduction label.  So the item to watch are the purse, gloves & hat.  There are no tag in these so they can be called vintage when they are not.  The reproduction gloves are more pointed and the vintage are curved.

 

The Silken Flame has plastic strips.  These strips come off the minute the dress is taking off the doll.  The reproduction dress is not tag and the original dress is tagged.  The reproduction dress has netting under the satin and the original does not.  The original Silken Flame come with dress, shoe, belt and purse.  The reproduction does not have the purse and the belt is made in cloth not plastic.