There are some collectors, who prefer to
present their dolls in the order they arrive. Very admirable. I don’t do that.
Having no talent for creative writing, I describe the dolls that inspire me at
a given moment and it often happens that I begin before the doll even arrives.
Teen Time Courtney 1988 had to wait a little – she came some time ago with
Baton Twirling Skipper AA. My extensive research on vintage Skipper and her
friends took a little while too, but at long last I’m ready to publish.
As I’ve already mentioned the Teen Time 1988
series here, I thought I might focus on Skipper’s friends who kept her company
before Courtney’s arrival. As the most popular girl in school, Skipper was
destined to be surrounded with friends and the first couple appeared shortly
after her own debiut. In 1965 Skooter and Ricky joined Skipper. Each of the
three friends had a different headmlod but, strangely enough, they were all
based on the same body, even Ricky the boy! Skooter had one more release on her
original headmold and then both her and Ricky fell to obscurity as apparently
they didn’t sell well enough. So Skipper ended up alone again.
the source: https://picclick.com/Vintage-1960s-Blonde-Straight-Leg-Scooter-Doll-in-333095605244.html
Skipper’s solitude didn’t last long. In 1971
Mattel’s sites produced Living Fluff- graceful as a flower and a year later the
tomboyish Pose’n Play Tiff made her debut. The two dolls shared their face
sculpt and body mold and there all the similarities end. When I look at them it
strikes me how different these dolls are. Fluff is very girlish and sweet,
Tiff is crazy and wild and I like them both because I think they really
complement each other.
the source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DRESSED-BARBIE-DOLL-1971-VINTAGE-LIVING-FLUFF-1143-SKIPPERS-FRIEND-/372657311310?oid=372615534245
the source: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/super-vtg-pose-play-tiff-doll-red-1852043778
1975 was a year of a true revolution as Mattel put
their ambitious plan into execution and created an educational toy –
Growing up Skipper. A doll that can grow bust was heavily criticized by
conservative parents who felt such a toy would be in appropriate. I don’t think
so and neither did Mattel who was determined to defy all harsh criticism and
soon the Growing up Ginger joined her friend so she wouldn’t have to suffer this
tongue-lashing alone. Mattel bravely stood against wide disapproval but sales
rates are quite another thing. Both dolls were doomed and production cancellation seemed only a matter of time. Skipper
is still relatively easy to find, but the beautiful Ginger seems to command
high prices and is now a doll well sought after.
Whether the consumers liked it or not, Skipper became a teenager and it was high time for her to be smitten and preferably
broken-hearted. In 1979 she met her first sweetheart Scott (Ricky was just a
childhood friend). Dashing Scott with his impressive hair and his
roller skates stole Skipper’s tender heart but the relationship didn’t last
long. Apparently, Skipper grew tired of his annoying hairdressers-are-evil
attitude and his very revealing shorts. She dumped him. This time Skipper
decided she wouldn’t waste her time on some silly friends and she thought it
would be better to hang out with Barbie and her glamorous friends. But then she
met Courtney and they were best friends till 2000ish. In the meantime there was another
boyfriend too – Kevin. I’ll talk about him some other time though.
the source: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/567172146791933377/
the source: https://www.amazon.com/Barbie-Basketball-KEVIN-Boyfriend-Skipper/dp/B001ENMI8Y
In 1988 Mattel produced the first Courtney ever
who, along with Skipper, comprised the Teen Time series. The dolls came with a
lot! They had outfits that transformed from a school to a slumber party look
and they came with many pieces. Courtney’s consists of a marble denim vest, a
striped blouse and a polka-dotted skirt which is actually a nighty and there’s
a pair of short bloomers too. Courtney’s got two pairs of shoes – white
sneakers and fluffy slippers. The slippers are awkwardly made but they’re cute.
Mattel decided that both girls would differ in
terms of their intrests and tempers and they demonstrated their tendencies through a
rather generous set of accessories. Courtney is an intellectual type fond of art. She got a pair of red glasses, a palette and a paint brush, a
can of soda and a folder/handbag that opens. Of course there’s the classic
hairbrush too and the cardboard punch-outs. The doll also came with an
instruction manual and a scrapbook catalogue that I now have 3 copies of! As to
Skipper, when I showed her to you she did have her complete outfit but no
accessories and I still don’t have them but as it turns out, my Cool Looks
Barbie comes with an identical set and those two differ only in terms of
the stickers that you put on them for a decorative purpose. So Skipper, were
she complete, would have come with a round hat box sort of bag, a can of soda,
a phone, a triangle alarm clock, a notepad and a pencil. The pencil is not there
in the photos, I do have it somewhere, just couldn’t locate it for the
photo shoot. It’s there in the post about Cool Looks Barbie though should you
want to see it.
Courtney’s been rooted with a generous amount
of kanekalon and that it’s wild is an understatement. It’s slightly deformed
for all the decades the doll spent in her box but I dare not tamper with it.
I’m sure that any attempt at fixing the hair would end up a miserable
failure. Some of that grizzly hair was gathered at her forehead with a ribbon
and the doll doesn’t have bangs which makes her unique. Her facepaint is just
cute. There’s a tiny bit of bottle green shadow over her large, chocolate brown
eyes and her lips are raspberry color. Just so.
As you can see, Courtney suffers from the
spotted legs syndrome and it’s extensive. I could put on some leggings or try
to rebody her, but it doesn’t bother me all that much and I like her outfit a
lot, I wouldn’t like to change it after I’d put so much effort in acquiring the
doll NRFB. Strangely enough my rescued Skipper doesn’t have the same problem
and both dolls were made in China. Anyway, I’m happy to have finally completed
my top 3 Courtney list. Cool Tops and Cheerleader are next to come, I hope.
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