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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