Sugar Plum Fairy Barbie 1997

Christmas is over but my new doll brings back the Holiday mood. Sugar Plum Fairy Barbie 1997 is the embodiment of all things Christmas and more because she happens to be my Christmas gift that, as a matter of fact, I got for myself. That was quite unintentional though.  She happened to be available in December and this time I just snatched her. For a doll that is neither very rare nor extremely desirable she’s turned out to be rather difficult to get. At least in my country. I’ve lost count how many times I nearly got her. Well, here she is at long last. She was delivered a day before Christmas Eve, hence she counts as a self-gift, isn’t that nice?

I don’t like ballerina Barbies and that’s for their molded in outfits, the excessive usage of glitter and their wobbly, skinny limbs. Their articulation is nice, but after some time the joints become loose and the plastic legs wiggle making that awful, dull sound. So I just avoid ballerinas as a rule but there are exceptions to every rule and Sugar Plum is one of them. The Classic Ballet series dolls are exquisite and two more Barbies belonging to the line are currently on my wish list. Those are the ravishing Barbie as Marzipan and lovely Swan Queen Barbie.  

 the source: https://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/classic-ballet-series/barbie-doll-as-swan-queen-in-swan-lake-18509

 the source: https://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/classic-ballet-series/barbie-doll-as-marzipan-in-nutcracker-20851

 

1997 more or less marks the end of the Superstar era but it’s also a good year for the headmold. So many excellent dolls were produced at that time and Sugar Plum happens to be one of my top favorites. Her features are so lovely and gentle and her lashes are very well rooted which isn’t a rule with Mattel. I also love the doll for her hair. It may be blonde, but the shade is so pretty.

The doll’s face is magnificent but so is her dress. The color combination further enhances the softness of her features and there’s a certain elegance in the design that’s also well executed. The fabrics are of a very high quality and there’s a reasonable amount of glitter used. The accessories include the arm pieces that tend to get lost, the pantyhose and those lovely ballet shoes. The doll’s perfect to me and her limited articulation is an advantage in my opinion. Those vinyl legs aren’t going to get loose and move on their own accord.

Now that I finally got my Sugar Plum I almost lost her. My 4-year old nephew was curious to see the contents of a gift baggie that held my doll. He discovered the contents ( my doll and her stand ) were in fact very boring so he threw them on the floor. As it happens, my sister’s got a dog, a fierce beast with teeth as sharp as razors. My mom saved the doll but she didn’t notice the dog had managed to get a hold of a piece of the doll stand. The plastic stand was massacred and I tremble when I think it could have been the doll. Thanks mom!