Doll-A-Day 2023 #116: Malibu Barbie

  I'm trying to get caught up, and I am getting a couple of reviews ready. But mainly today was doing some cleaning, and visiting with Emma. She was transferred to a bigger hospital today. She may have the stent put in tomorrow, but it seems they probably won't put the camera down her throat and look at her insides tomorrow. I'm guessing that kind of thing won't get done on the weekend either, so she may be there until Monday! She's feeling much better though, which is great. She had been having so much pain and was feeling terrible for so long. This gall bladder removal may also be the end of some other problems she's had for years. If anybody is experiencing severe stomach pain, chest pain, vomiting, etc., obviously you should get yourself checked out. But make sure you ask about the possibility of gall bladder problems when you talk to your doctor. Emma went to see the doctor just a week or so ago, in the midst of her really severe troubles. She was told she might have GERD, and gall bladder was never mentioned. If this had been caught early, she could have been in and out with the removal in a day. Instead, her gall bladder was so deteriorated that she was extremely sick and in great pain, her gall bladder became infected, and she developed a leak in her liver. She went in the hospital Tuesday morning, and as of tonight, (Thursday night), she's still not home.

  On to today's doll. She's Malibu Barbie.

Malibu Barbie, first produced in 1971, became the idea of the quintessential beach girl. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, a heavy tan, a 'perfect' figure, and lived at the beach. 

Pardon her dirty swimsuit. The ocean waters ain't what they used to be.

Yes, she does seem to have had a piece chopped out of her hair.

Personally, I never thought she was one of the more attractive Barbies. She was made with the Stacey head sculpt. Stacey is my favourite Barbie and Friends doll. But Malibu Barbie was given weird little 70's eyebrows, spikey lashes, and a cancer inducing complexion. Also, the hair on Malibu Barbies is usually coarse and unattractive. (Must be all that swimming in salt water.)

Malibu Barbie came in a light blue swimsuit, and originally would have had sunglasses attached to the top of her head. The ones I have mostly seen are a thin nylon, like the extra suit pictured below with Barbie. This doll though, was wearing the suit you see on her here, which is a heavier fabric. The colour difference is probably due to fading, but the fabric difference has me confused.

The staining doesn't make it easy to see the colour difference clearly.

But maybe you can tell from this close up that the suit she's wearing is a heavier fabric than the extra suit. It's much more structured looking.

  Malibu Barbie was part of a line that included Malibu Ken, Malibu Skipper, Malibu PJ, which used the Steffie head sculpt, Malibu Francie, which used the old Casey head sculpt, and Malibu Christie.

  Malibu Barbie was first reproduced in 2008, as part of the 'My Favorite Barbie' line, to coincide with Barbie's 50th anniversary the following year. She was also celebrated on her own 50th anniversary, in 2021, with a reproduction doll, sold alone, and as part of a gift set with reproductions of Malibu Christie and Malibu PJ.

  Later original editions of Malibu Barbie were made to 'tan' when laid in the sun. They actually stayed pale under their swimsuits. It's kind of weird looking, and you'll find many of the dolls with their 'pale paint' all scratched up.

  There is a doll that looks like a pale version of this Malibu Barbie, complete with a (different) light blue swimsuit. She was a European doll called Fashion Fireworks. You can see mine HERE.

  This girl will end up on the sales page. She was in the Room of Water, with the dolls I don't want, and she didn't even get wet!

  That's the doll for today. See you again tomorrow.

  

Doll-A-Day 2017 #125: Short Flip Stacey Blonde

  It's VERY cold,windy, and rainy today. Somewhere, as we were driving around today, I saw on one of those electric signs that it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit. I overheard some ladies in a store talking about the weather report that they had heard, that said tomorrow we're supposed to get snow! I put a couple of blankets back on my bed last night, which I had taken off (and put back on a couple of times!) when the weather warmed up. Tonight I think I'll be putting another one on!
  Today's doll,who braved the cold for her photo shoot, is a blonde short flip Stacey.

By the way, anybody know what these flowers are?

Stacey, Barbie's British friend, debuted in 1968.

She was made in both talking and non talking versions.

The Talking Stacey had long hair in blonde or titian,with bangs.

Twist and Turn Stacey had long hair too, in blonde or titian, without bangs, and with 'spit curls' on her forehead and at the sides.

The short flip Stacey dolls came later.
 

They were Twist and Turn dolls,and were available in blonde or titian.

Stacey is my favourite vintage Barbie and friends doll. I have several, in the different styles.
 

You may have seen my Stacey Week posts during the last year of Doll-A-Day. If not, you can see them HERE,HERE,HERE,HERE,HERE,and HERE.

I've been waiting to use this raincoat for a blog post. I think it's vintage. It's very soft.

She's also wearing a vintage Barbie sheath dress and shoes and carrying a vintage Barbie purse.

 

I'm on my own here tonight, which doesn't happen very often. Ivy's working with Emma and Ken's at work too.I spent some time tonight going through some stuff and doing some straightening. It's pretty quiet here. I haven't been alone much since I had Emma almost 26 years ago,so it always feels weird when I am now. I guess I had better get used to it, since Ivy only has one more year of high school, and then she'll be off to college.

  Check back tomorrow for Shrunken Saturday.

Doll-A-Day 202: Stacey Week: Stacey Nite Lightning Gift Set Reproduction

  This is our last post for Stacey Week. Today's doll is the reproduction Short Flip Stacey from the Nite Lightning Gift Set reproduction from 2006.

The original was released in 1969 as a Sears exclusive.

The box is even a reproduction of the original box, except that it does say 'Reproduction'. I like that Mattel always labels it's reproductions as such. That helps prevent people from getting ripped off, thinking they're buying the original.

 

Except for the back. It obviously wouldn't talk about 'in the swinging 60's' when it was the swinging 60's.

The doll is not a bad reproduction. I've seen much worse. (Like, oh yeah, that red haired Skipper reproduction, or the Francie reproductions.)

She even has that slightly cross eyed look Stacey's always have.

The legs are always too shiny and hard looking on the reproductions.

Here she is with an original Short Flip Stacey.

The eyebrows aren't quite right. They should be slightly darker and slightly thicker.

 It's not the best of comparisons since I don't have a mint vintage Short Flip Stacey.

Mattel reproduced the original swimsuit for the Short Flip Stacey...

Ha ha. She's got The One Hair, and I haven't even taken her out of the box yet. Wait a minute. What am I laughing at?

...her wrist tag...

But it doesn't say 'repro' does it? Maybe it's on the back. I didn't think to look.

...and the Nite Lightning fashion.

Complete with tights and shoes.(And that hairy dress.)

 That's it for Stacey Week. See you tomorrow for Skipper Saturday.

Doll-A-Day 200:Stacey Week: Talking Stacey

  Well, here we are on a bit of a milestone day: the 200th Doll-A-Day post! There have been a few misses this year, but not many. It's been a challenge to post something everyday. Some days I have missed, but some days I have done two posts. What am I? Crazy?
  I was very busy doing stuff around the house today, so instead of doing a special post for day 200, I'm just doing a quick post. I know you've seen two Talking Staceys already, but here's one more.

This is a 'copper penny' Talking Stacey.

 She's obviously the Stacey that came in the striped two piece bathing suit because she still has her original green hair ribbon...which is far too short for me to ever get retied.

She's wearing Barbie's City Sparkler fashion.

City Sparkler came with green Pilgrim shoes. I don't have any, but then I do have some green shoes, which I forgot to leave out when I was putting stuff away. Typical.

'The One Hair': It's actually two, and they're eyelashes.

City Sparkler,from 1970, is one of my favourite Mod Era Barbie fashions, and it looks great on a red haired Stacey.

Tomorrow we're going to see my favourite Stacey. See you then.