Sunday, October 30, 2016

Willows in the 1970s, part 1

Willows, Wisconsin, got many new businesses in the 1970s, but I have examples of only two of them.  The most exciting and most famous one is, of course, Barbie's Friend Ship from 1973, a United Airlines doll case/plane.  So Willows must have built its own airport.
The other business I am showing you is Cafe' Today.  Actually, it's my sister's from her childhood.  You've seen both of these playsets before, but now they are next to each other.
Once you disembark the plane, you can go there to eat.
Some of the other businesses Mattel created in the 1970s were:
1971 Unique Boutique
1976 Fashion Plaza
1977 Beauty Boutique
1978 Photo Studio.
I took some photos of the Cafe' Today and the Friend Ship outdoors.  The plane is on the sidewalk, which makes a good runway.  You've seen these dolls and items before, just not outside together.  I like showing the exteriors of the playsets with dolls, which you seldom see.

Twist N Turn PJ, Living Skipper and Bend Leg Ken catch Living Barbie trying to sneak into 1970's Cafe' Today.
The dolls and outfits also are from 1970.

The reason I have Kelley on the Friend Ship's cart is that she is disabled (her arms and legs tend to fall off).  Mod Hair Ken and Quick Curl Barbie are dressed in their United Airlines uniforms and Quick Curl Kelley is in two Best Buys (the coat is pictured in the interior of the plane).  Walk Lively Steffie in All-American Girl, both from 1972, matches the plane!

I tried, with only moderate success, to get both the plane and
the shop in the same photo, but the plane is simply too big!