Monday, May 6, 2019

Magic Moves Barbie 1985 the Philippines


Last year I showed you a Magic Moves Barbie from Taiwan who desperately needed a rescue. She looked miserable. Her hair was one huge tangle, she was dirty and dressed in an old rag. Of course she was filthy and neglected. But she was Magic Moves! So I gave her a bath and some hair treatment. I dressed her in some fabulous fashion pack from the 80s and her mechanism even started to work – a miracle really! Now she’s one of my most precious and beloved dolls and as I was curling her hair with the use of plastic straws, I promised myself that soon her sister from the Philippines would join her but that doll would be perfect, new or almost new. Well, that didn’t happen because either I had no luck, or the Philippine MM is harder to get. The dolls that met my high expectations, exceeded my dolly budget so I had to adjust my demands to my capabilities and so I found a doll that I consider a reasonable compromise between the dream and the reality. The compromise meant just another doll in need of a rescue with no jewelry, but at least she’s fully dressed, she’s got shoes too and she’s working!


My MM from the Philippines had been waiting for a new home for ages. Whenever I browsed ebay for her, I saw this doll and no-one seemed to want her. True, the doll in the pictures needed some work, and her feet had been chewed on, but then I remembered my Mermaid Midge and I thought to myself I’d like to take care of that poor little thing. Dust seems to have been her constant companion for the last 20 years, she was incredibly filthy. I secured the button on her back with some scotch tape and began to brush her with a toothbrush. Washing her hair was a nightmare! Her neck is so loose I thought her head would fall off any minute. The head was so wobbly, it fell back under the weight of her moist hair and plastic straws. It would occasionally do a pivot – very much like the Exorcist and slightly morbid! If that was not enough, somebody had tried to do her a nose job – you can still see the needle scars that had been covered by the many layers of dust. As you can see the doll is not perfect and you may find it hard to believe that I’m extatic to have her. I really am and my happiness is complete. I’d wanted to own this doll for a long time and she’s finally here. I think I have a soft spot for dolls that had been through a lot.








Now her outfit is one of the best designs ever and its condition is rather decent. It comes in many separate pieces: there’s an opalescent body suit, a pencil skirt with a modest slit at the back, a silver belt that is easy to lose, and the magnificent cape trimmed with faux fur. The fur has seen better days and I can’t restore it to its previous glory, but the cape still looks amazing when Barbie lifts her hands and pushes it back in a manner of a true Hollywood blockbuster star! The fur is probably in the poorest condition, but the rest is almost pristine! The opalescent body suit shines like it should and I’m particularly happy about the belt because it’s often missing with used dolls. The whole design is well executed, there’s snaps instead of vile Velcro, I just love this outfit. The shoes are a replacement but I’m still happy she’s not barefoot.









I took my Taiwan MM for a quick comparison and when I was done playing with their mechanism, I took a better look at their faces. You don’t need to be an expert to see the dolls are completely different. I’m not going to talk about the differences between high and low-color, others had done it before me and probably better than I would. I just want to focus on the feelings that both dolls evoke. If they were real women, I think their tempers would be entirely dissimilar. I picture the Taiwan as a sweet, innocent girl that looks at the world with her wide eyes full of hope. Everything will be perfect for her because how can it be otherwise? The Philippine has had her share of disappointment and bitterness. Still she’s a woman who knows exactly what she wants and she’s determined to get it, though it may cost her a lot. She’s brave and daring. Just look at her smile and you’ll see there’s a bit of irony and sarcasm in it.




Now finally, both sisters stand side by side in a front row in my cabinet, proudly. They seem to catch my eye whenever I’m in that room and it gives me a great pleasure to look at them.




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