Teen Courtney 1996

I’ve been  working on my Skipper/ Courtney collection like a maniac. Starting this year, I’ve purchased Great Shape Skipper on the classic 1963 headmold, then Phone Fun Courtney (the 1993 Pizza Party mold) joined her and now I’ve got Teen Courtney from 1996 (the Teen Skipper 1995 head sculpt). I’m not so keen on the Teen Skipper face except for perhaps the gorgeous Florida Vacation with her platinum blonde hair and dark, almost black eyebrows (I love that contrast) but I like Courtney in general. I find her much prettier than Skipper, who nonetheless will always remain one of my most favorite dolls sentimentally. Needless to say, I absolutely had to get the lovely, freckled Courtney and she’s just arrived from a very nice collector.

In 1996 Mattel released a series of totally revamped dolls. It consisted of Skipper, Courtney and Nikki. Skipper and her friends looked different and the most noticeable change was that they grew up and they were now almost as tall as Barbie. They had lanky legs and in general, they were skinnier than Barbie if that’s even possible to achieve. The dolls had the Shani arms, they wore flat shoes, their face paint was very realistic looking and they had very, very long hair. The markings on their necks say 1995. There were four Courtney dolls in total produced based on the new at that time Teen head sculpt. Those were Teen Courtney 1996, Totally Yoyo Courtney 1998, Pajama Fun Courtney 1999 and Fashion Party Courtney 2000. Courtney also changed her hair color. Starting with the Teen series she was still a brunette with very prominent red highlights, but then she went full red in Pajama Party and this way she remained until she was discontinued. To me Courtney will always be a brunette but I find the red hair of Pajama Party esthetically pleasing. She’s on my wish list.

 

The source: https://fyretrobarbie.tumblr.com/post/185330304896/teen-courtney-skipper-and-nikki-1996

 

The source: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NRFB-Barbie-Totally-Yoyo-COURTNEY-Redhead-with-yo-yo-/192673545718

 

 

The source: https://www.amazon.in/Pajama-Courtney-Friend-Skipper-Barbie/dp/B001D1FMLW

 

 

The source: https://www.amazon.com/Barbie-Teen-Courtney-Fashion-Party/dp/B00C7Y6F3S

The Teen series is rooted with kanekalon that goes past the dolls’ knees and it seems to be their most prominent feature but it’s not the hair that is the theme of the series, it’s … tattoos. It appears that Skipper and Courtney are old enough to wear tattoos now. These are of course only glittery stickers and for the little owner there’s a sheet of removable tattoos. My doll also comes with some cardboard accessories like a driver’s license – another proof of adulthood, and some magazine and folders. These last items I found in her very trendy, orange, translucent bag. There was also a pair of sunglasses and a classic shell hairbrush in her box. I just love the old Mattel – counting this one, I’ve got three dark purple brushes and they are all different shades!

I get the impression that in terms of fashion, everything goes nowadays, but in the 90s there were some unforgettable trends, some of them quite tacky. Skipper and Courtney would always wear whatever was on top at a given time and Teen Courtney is a good example of that. She’s got a purple and bottle green crop top and some white baggy trousers. Unfortunately, although I purchased Courtney brand new and still in her box that had never been opened, there are yellow stains all over her trousers, which is a pity. The trousers are really well made with real stitching and functional pockets, belt loops as well as a belt with a buckle and it matches her bag! Just look at those belt loops! Nowadays details like this would be printed! She also comes with a pair of purple sneakers that are a bit loose and don’t stay on her feet very well. But that’s not all. Apparently Courtney is going to the beach right after school so she came prepared – she’s got her bikini bottoms in her bag and she’s already wearing the top that serves a dual purpose. Now that kind of a beach doll is right up my alley.

I like Courtney’s outfit with all the 90s nostalgia, I would go dressed like this myself back then, well minus the bikini tops perhaps. But what really made me convinced I absolutely had to have that doll was her face. Really, no matter what she wears, she will always look lovely. I do like her long, soft hair although it does get messy if you touch it too much. I like the color of the hair and the style and that little braid on the side but what really makes this doll stand out is the freckles and her cinnamon complexion. She has a pair of brown eyes that make her look dreamy and give her a very soft expression. There is a small flaw to her face paint but I can forgive Mattel for that. Such imperfections happened but rarely at that time, but nowadays, the company is notorious for pixelated face print, eyes and lips in the wrong place and all the other possible defects. But I  don’t criticize contemporary Mattel for the sake of criticizing them. There are a few things that I like and appreciate about them and I need to finally publish a note on the Chelsea Camper that I got for my daughter for Christmas. The playset is absolutely adorable.

I rearranged my Skipper shelf and I wanted to take a group photo of all my Courtneys but sadly, the lighting was bad in the room where I normally photograph my dolls. There was a thick layer of snow on the roof windows and the whole room was unusually dark, so I just took a photo of my dolls in the cabinet. I’ll do better when the snow melts down – the hinge is an eyesore!

 

 

Phone Fun Courtney 1995

 I’ve recently taken a stock of all my Skipper and Courtney dolls. It turned out I have 15 dolls with the 1987 head sculpt. There are blondes and brunettes, they have crimped, curled or straight hair. They are rooted with saran, kanekalon or both. They differ in terms of eye color, some are more made up others present a clean and more natural look. There’s also one AA doll. However, they all have the same headmold, the same face. Not that I mind it, the big-eyed Skipper is my most favorite version of Barbie’s little sister, but it was high time I introduced some variety to my Skipper collection. At the beginning of January I purchased Great Shape Skipper and Phone Fun Courtney 1995 followed her soon after. 

The signature at the back of her head informs the headmold comes from 1993 and collectors worldwide call it the Pizza Party mold. The name comes from the first series it was used for. This head sculpt is favored by many as it’s considered to be more realistic and more mature looking than the cartoony 1987 Skipper. Pizza party headmold was very short lived because in 1995 Skipper grew up and changed completely and I personally feel she looks too much like Barbie almost like her clone rather than a genuine Mattel product.

 

the source: https://www.walmart.com/ip/1994-Barbie-PIZZA-PARTY-COURTNEY-Pizza-Hut-Brunette-Teen-Sister-Skipper-Doll/291255152

 

The 1993 Skipper version seems to be very popular amongst collectors and she’s highly sought after, but Courtney is a bit more rare because there’s been only two Courtneys produced based on that headmold. They are Pizza Party Courtney and Phone Fun Courtney and they’re easy to tell apart. In 1993 Skipper’s face changed but her body mold was the same with the exception for Phone Fun dolls – Skipper, Skipper AA and Courtney have one arm bent to hold the phone by the ear.

 

the source: https://fyretrobarbie.tumblr.com/post/188564290701/phone-fun-skipper-and-courtney-1995

My Courtney is incomplete. She’s lost her stockings, both doll-sized phones, a gimmicky phone for the little owner and her brush. She’s also seen better days – she had the wobbly head syndrome. She did however, still have most of her original outfit and shoes so I snatched her. Phone Fun Courtney is hard to get and she tends to be pricey. I’d been regularly checking ebay for her to no avail. So even if she’s not perfect, she’s worth having.

Courtney needed a bit of work. Her head was loose because the plastic around the head knob cracked and chipped. This is a common ailment of the 1987 body mold. The neck is too long and the weight of the head and long, thick hair is too much. But there is a simple remedy to that problem – a bit of acrylic nail compound solves it. It does however have an unpleasant smell … ok it’s absolutely pungent, but it works and the scent isn’t long-lasting. Courtney’s hair is wonderful – it’s silky and soft, it only needed a bit of conditioner. It did resist gravity with all its might because it was styled in a mess of a ponytail but a little boiling water helped and it fell softly on her shoulders and her back.

Pizza Party head sculpt may not be my favorite because the 1987 Skipper is so close to my heart and so nostalgic that it makes me positively blind to all the other versions of the doll. However, this Courtney is so lovely, nothing would do but I had to get her for my collection. She has a pair of very happy and lively looking green eyes and a wide smile that makes you smile back. Her overall color scheme reminds me of the Babysitting Courtney from 1990. I’d love to own the AA Phone Fun Skipper too but the blond one seems to be the least interesting and for the reasons unknown she reminds me of … a piglet.

Courtney’s outfit is quintessential 90s when crop tops were in fashion and girls loved to show off their pierced belly buttons. I myself was no different at that time and I proudly wore a diamante in my belly button and showed slightly pronounced stomach muscles. But that was 20 years and 3 pregnancies ago. Well, back to reality and my doll. Courtney is wearing a lovely pink fluffy top with light green trim and a pleated sea foam and pink houndstooth check skirt with some faux leather accents and plastic buckles. She should be also wearing a pair of thigh high lace stockings but those, being so fragile, probably got torn at some point.

Courtney’s outfit would be perfectly pastel and cotton floss were it not for the atrocious black shoes that look heavy and don’t seem to match her clothes. But that kind of look was very popular back in the 90s and I had a pair just like this myself. I used to wear it with skirts too. Now this sight is almost painful to behold but it’s also nostalgic in equal proportions so I’m hesitating whether or not to give her some white tennis shoes. They would definitely look much better and more harmonious with her overall style and more ordinary at the same time. It wouldn’t be so much 90s anymore. Oh what a silly thing, if all the world’s problems were so trivial like what color shoes to put on your doll … Still, with all that’s been going on on top of your usual difficulties, problems and vexations it does give you a respite to ponder on such insignificant things from time to time.

 

To wrap it up, here’s a few more pictures of my new doll. I was planning to take all my Courtneys out for a group picture but the project overwhelmed me. Not that I have THAT many Courtney’s, it’s just my Skipper shelf is so cramped I would have to take all the dolls off to dig the ones I needed. I really have no more space to display my dolls. I promised myself that when I reach that point, my dolls would start to rotate between boxes and display shelves but I just like the sight of all of them. So I concocted a clever plan and asked my Hubby to install some shelves over the couch in our study but I requested that they have glass cupboard doors. The official reason is that I wanted to put some pictures there. But my Hubby can see right through me – “but why put pictures behind glass, that is so unnecessary…” I think I tell him it’s for dolls haha! Take care and stay safe!

 

 

Great Shape Skipper 1983

 Skipper has always been one of my sentimentally favorite characters in Barbie universe. This is because when I was little, I fiercely dreamed of a Skipper doll my cousin had. Sadly, I could never get her because a typical Barbie was quite expensive and all Mattel dolls that varied in terms of hair color, face sculpt or height would normally go with even a higher price tag. To cut the story short, she was inaccessible to me at that time, but the longing of a child’s heart continued even though I forgot about dolls for almost two decades.  My cousin’s doll had of course the 1987 head sculpt that to me is quintessential Skipper. No wonder I’ve managed to amass quite a number of such dolls from various series, but I also intended to introduce some variety to my Skipper/Courtney collection and I’ve had an eye on a Great Shape Skipper 1983 which one of my regular sellers had had for a long time. The doll was slightly out of my price range however, during Christmas I found myself in a situation that required determination and strength and I promised myself that if I did well, I would finally buy that Skipper. I threw in a book for my Barbie library too for good measure.

 Great Shape Barbie needs no introduction. She’s one of the beloved Barbies of all times, one that collectors worldwide consider a must-have. I love that Barbie and Ken too and I don’t think I need to say just how gorgeous the AA Great Shape is, but strangely enough, they haven’t joined my collection just yet. Skipper on the other hand, happens to be one of my favorite dolls on the classic headmold and she’s also a good representation  of an early Skipper in general so she’s a valuable addition to my collection. The entire Great Shape cast (perhaps with the exception for the AA) have been so popular that they’ve been released in multiple versions. There’s been a Mexican release – Aerobica Barbie, a Spanish one – Ritmic Barbie (and Ritmic Skipper in a larger box), a French one – Star Super Danse 2 and probably many others. Barbie and Ken were also available in a somewhat deluxe set with a Walkman and of course we know the UK version of Barbie, Ken and Skipper in green outfits. But the UK release isn’t only a change of clothes, the dolls also differ in terms of eye and hair color. If you were fortunate, you could also get them as a set of three – that’s triple joy neatly packaged in one box! Such an excellent series also required a proper background in a form of a playset, well, check out the Barbie Workout Center from the commercial below! By the way, there’s been a glitch on blogspot, videos aren’t displayed in the mobile version.

 

the source: Barbie the first 30 years 1959 through 1989/ Stefanie Deutsch

I purchased Skipper NRFB in her tiny box filled with the familiar scent of a brand new doll. That’s all behind her now because I unboxed her of course. I normally just can’t keep my dolls in boxes and such a Skipper was a novelty to me. I needed to check her hair, her articulation, accessories and everything else there was to discover and I’m glad I did because unbeknownst to me there was also a catalogue included and I just love those little pamphlets that leave you longing for more dolls once you open them. That’s what you call a self-induced sublime torture! I want everything the little thing advertises: there’s Twice as Nice fashion packs, Designer Collection, Fashion Fun, oh  my! And I need that Todd, I seriously need him in my life.

The vision of possessing the contents of the little pamphlet is entertaining but I’ve got to go back to reality, because owning a new doll is pleasing enough. Skipper was produced in Hong Kong, she lacks any signature at the back of her head but you should be able to see it once you remove the head – it’s imprinted on the inner rim. I don’t want to decapitate the poor little thing so I won’t check it to make sure. There’s also Mattel INC 1967 at her back and that’s all for the markings. Her articulation is limited, her arms go up and down but not to the sides, she has a TnT waist but she can’t tilt like the 1987 Skipper. She does have the click and bend knees. I was surprised to see how much shorter she was compared to the big-eyed Skipper. Perhaps I chose the wrong model to demonstrate the difference, Workout Skipper’s hair makes her look much taller, but I think you get the gist.

Great Shape may not be the most bendable doll in the world despite her being an aerobics enthusiast but I didn’t buy her for her articulation. Great Shape has the classic 1963 head sculpt and I love her facial screening without the weird all-surprised expression on her face. The face paint is also pretty minimal and doesn’t make her stand out from a typical classic Skipper so she pretty much gives you an idea of what an early Skipper looked like. She has a pair of large, blue eyes and peachy lips and she looks like a 9-year old. A bit sad 9-year old. She also has a head full of the most wonderful golden saran, so soft and silky once you get rid of the disintegrated elastic bands, yuck!

I’m a completionist and usually when I like a doll, I like everything about her and that includes her stock which in this case is so lovely. She comes dressed in a pink bodysuit with ruffly sleeves, pink and blue striped leggins, a blue sash around her waist and a pair of classic pink tennis shoes. Her only accessory is the pink sports bag. She is very, very pink but that’s fine with me. I’m used to a great amount of pink in clothes because having two daughters and a son I sort my laundry into pink, white, black and the remaining colors.

As for the book I’ve mentioned earlier, I got one for my slowly (very, very slowly) growing Barbie library. The book is titled “Barbie the first 30 years 1959 through 1989 an identification & value guide”. It’s 300 pages of dolls and if a little pamphlet gave me a higher blood pressure then I almost fainted when I saw the contents of this book. The 80s are especially appealing to me and several dolls from that section jumped right to my wish list. It’s a bit hard to use it as an identification guide as the title suggest because the dolls are shown mostly in their boxes without face close-ups but this book has one significant advantage over some other publications of this kind – it gives some information on the European/Canadian exclusives as well as the Mexican variants of the popular Barbies of that time. There’s also a section on Takara and Bandai Barbies which is very valuable because those are a bit obscure dolls, not much is published about them.

So Skipper and the book are a self-reward for my endurance in the face of an extremely difficult situation, but there were a few bonuses as well. I got an accessory pack from 2019 # FJD56/GHL83. It’s a very realistic looking barbecue set with a removable lid, a double-sided grill, a bottle of ketchup and tongs. A thing like that always comes in handy but in a collection that consists mostly of secondhand dolls shoes are the product that you need most. I can’t even count all the auctions on lots of shoes that I’ve lost or missed but this time luck struck. I purchased a handful of Barbie shoes of my favorite kind – the 90s pumps. There are also some tennis shoes for Skipper, a pair of loafers for Ken and two pairs of the skinny pumps from the 80s. Most shoes are genuine Mattel but there are clone pairs as well, however, I’m not so picky because some of them look pretty authentic and it’s hard to tell them apart from the real thing. I’ve managed to gather a nice looking stock of spare shoes, my dolls won’t go barefoot anytime soon. I also got a necklace for the Jewel Secrets Barbie, now I just need to get the doll herself, she’s high on my wish list.  

But another doll from my wish list just arrived and she’s one of those 80s classics, do you recognize her? She’s been through a lot, her hair is thin and brushed out, she’s missing her jewelry and outfit and she arrived dressed in a pink nightgown. She’s wearing my favorite fashion that I put on the dolls that are missing their stock. It’s a temporary situation I hope because I just love her original dress and I’m on the search for it. Barbie will have a proper introduction once I get the outfit but for now, here’s some more pictures of my new Skipper and of the Skipper shelf. The necklaces that you can see there are handmade by my daughter. My Skippers are so much prettier with the necklaces on, don’t they. Take care and stay safe!