Coffee and Dolls EN: Easter Basket Barbie Special Edition 1995

Oh how I love Easter! No more winter jackets and scarves, no more heavy boots! Warm sun wakes the nature back to life, there are flower buds and pastels all around. I feel light and cheerful. That’s the aura that surrounds the Barbie of this entry – the Easter Basket Barbie Special Edition 1995. Just like Birthday Surprise, Easter Basket Barbie belongs to my daughter, however Easter Basket does get to be played with a lot. Nevertheless, my little girl takes a good care of her and after play time, the doll always returns to her place of honor on the chest of drawers next to proudly looking Birthday Surprise while the fashionistas sleep in the drawer. Now who’s got special treatment?

While doing my research on Easter themed Barbie dolls, I’ve dug out some interesting information. I had no idea there were so many of them! Easter Barbies were released once a year between 1991 and 2009 and the first of them is the Sweet Spring Barbie. Between 1993 and 2009 most of the doll’s name would include the word “Easter” so that there’s no doubt as to the theme. My favorite releases would be 1993-1997. Now, as far as I know, Easter Barbie dolls were sold at pharmacies or supermarkets without all the hustle that accompanied Christmas Barbies. The dolls were packaged in simple, slim pink boxes and despite the loud “Special Edition” spelled on their boxes, there was nothing special about those dolls. These were all simple and charming Barbies, they usually came with some Easter themed accessories but that was really not much. Now that I checked the contents of the fashionista drawer, I can see how special they were. Their beauty is their simplicity.

the source: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/352336370843453137/

the source: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/479914904034664680/?lp=true

the source: https://www.amazon.com/Mattel-17652-Barbie-Easter-Style/dp/B003UTON4C

When describing Easter Barbie dolls it’s impossible not to mention the Mattel x Russell Stover Candies collaboration. Russell Stover and his wife opened a candy factory in Denver in 1925 which in 1940 was officially called Russell Stover Candies. Now we know it under a different name – in 2014, 60 years after Stover’s death, Lindt company purchased it however, back in 1995-1996 RSC and Mattell released Easter/Spring themed Barbie dolls. There were 5 of them including one AA version. Their outfits were simple but cute at the same time. It’s a pity there weren’t any more RSC x Mattel collab dolls produced.

the source: http://www.barbiedb.com/showbarbie.aspx?barbieid=1820

the source: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/224828206372966352/?lp=true

Easter Basket was purchased as NRFB but I’ve kept the box of course. The box has some lovely graphics at the back and a riddle – How many Bunnies can you count? The doll came with a brush, a sheet of punchouts, and a cute little plastic Bunny that cuddles an orange carrot. No basket though, unless you decide to call one of the punchouts a basket, but the bunny makes up for it.

Easter Basket is wearing a cute baby blue dress that’s made of a good quality fabric. The dress is happy, colorful and very busy and the pattern that goes all around it is baskets, bunnies, ribbons, Easter Eggs and what not, all in pastel colors. The puffy sleeves are made of tulle and make the dress look light and graceful. I would have given the doll some panties, but Mattel decided they’re not necessary. Barbie’s got some light blue pumps that keep falling off her feet and that irritated my daughter who was worried she might lose them. So we swapped them with some contemporary sandals that stay on the doll’s feet and my Magic Moves borrowed the unused pumps. What really surprised me is that my daughter hasn’t taken off Barbie’s jewelry – not once. When I asked her, she replied in a very matter-of-fact way: Why take it off? She looks pretty just as she is. Very wise indeed.

Easter Basket has a lovely face that brings Toy Story 3 to my mind. Her face paint is a good example of the way Barbie’s eyes were drawn in the 90s but her blue eye shadow and her narrow lips are very reminiscent of the 80s. Her hair is beautiful soft, light blonde saran styled with simplicity and moderation and it makes the doll look very youthful. The excessive bangs are swept to the side so nothing obscures Barbie’s pretty face.