Thursday, May 28, 2020

Barbie fan club information 1960-1964

The first Barbie fan club was formed by Mattel in 1960.  The club was advertised in the clothing booklets.  Occasionally I will find some of the membership materials for the members but they are fairly rare.
I am showing you the registration forms from 1960 to 1964 in this post.  At first membership was free  and all you had to do was to write to Mattel to join, but then Mattel began charging $1 to belong to the club and beginning in 1962 the booklets included actual registration forms.
Write in to join, 1960 booklet, free

Write in to join, 1961 booklet, free

Membership form, 1962 booklet, $1

Membership form, 1963 booklet, $1

Membership form, 1964 booklet, $1

cleaning out numerous items to put on etsy

When you have time to kill during a quarantine, you end up cleaning and organizing.  That's where all the merchandise I've been listing, not necessarily Barbie-related, has been coming from.

Gene Stratton-Porter books and movie:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/802379572/limberlost-books-gene-stratton-porter?ref=listings_manager_table

Peppermint Rose tablecloth and gift bags:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/815130361/1993-american-greetings-peppermint-rose?ref=listings_manager_table

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Twirly Curls dolls have greasy hair

My blonde Twirly Curls Barbie wears her original bodysuit, skirt and shoes.
The Hispanic Twirly Curls has on 4811 Curtain's Up from 1984.
I've noticed that a lot of the early 1980s Barbies and friends have long greasy hair.  I always figured it was a defect in the plastic that was used and the plastic was leaking, much like the 1961 bubblecut Barbies and their oily faces.
After I played with some 1983 Twirly Curl Barbies' hair, I realized that it wasn't a defect--it's supposed to be that way.
I have had a number of Twirly Curls blonde Barbies, but I have only one that I bought in the box, and that is the Hispanic version.  In the box, the doll came with a purple chair with a suction cup on the bottom and the curling device.
The curler has two settings, I and II.
You need to sit Barbie in the chair.  First, bend her legs, then slide her in sideways.  You can't just plop her down in the chair--she won't fit that way.  Secure the chair to a table in front of you--you need the chair to be still.  An extra instruction sheet indicates that you might want to dampen the suction cup to adhere it.  Then turn Barbie around so that you are looking at her the back of her head.
There are two steps to the curling, and the curler has two settings.  Place a small section of hair in each barrette (put the bottom end of the section in it, not up


A played-with Twirly Curls Barbie (left) usually has loose sections of hair.
A doll fresh out of the box has some twisted and secured strands already.
by her head), then put the curler on setting one.  As you press the lever, each strand curls tightly and individually.  Move the curler to setting two, and the two strands will wind around each other.
Since the hair is a little sticky, the strands will stay in place.
A doll fresh out of the box will have some hair already curled and tied with ribbons, as you can see with my Hispanic Barbie.
Henceforth I am calling early 80s hair "Twirly Curls hair."  Contrast it to Barbie's 1990s hair, which is a very dry frizzy platinum that tangles easily.  The curler does not work very well on these tresses--I tried!

Monday, May 18, 2020

I'm trying to list items every day

I'm trying to list items every day or so on etsy.
These are the most recent additions:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High by Cameron Crowe trade paperback
https://www.etsy.com/listing/796822678/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-trade?ref=shop_home_active_2

Eight is Enough by Tom Braden hardback
https://www.etsy.com/listing/797223458/eight-is-enough-tom-braden-hardback?ref=shop_home_active_1

Saturday, May 16, 2020

New listings on etsy

Here are three new listings on etsy:

John Cusack teen movies
https://www.etsy.com/listing/808761135/john-cusack-1980s-teen-movies-6-vhs-3?ref=shop_home_active_3

John Cusack weird movies
https://www.etsy.com/listing/796367134/john-cusack-weird-movies-vhs-dvd-cd?ref=shop_home_active_1

Barbie's Beach Bus paper dolls
https://www.etsy.com/listing/796341286/1977-barbies-beach-bus-paper-dolls-ken?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1

Etsy forums become useless

Etsy's discussion forums have become basically useless.  Why?
1.  The topics/complaints are always the same.  And apparently Etsy management no longer looks at the complaints, so the writers seem to be yelling at a brick wall.  I've gotten very tired of the thousands of repetitive complaints regarding Google ads.
2.  All the categories are designed for sellers.  There is no separate buyers' forum.  And even though I am mostly a seller, I have purchased items from others.  I have had questions that did not fit in any category. Thankfully, I've not had a buyer's question for a long time, and back then people did answer my questions.  I don't think they'd do that now.
https://community.etsy.com/t5/Marketing-Your-Business/never-done-a-google-search/m-p/127056987
https://community.etsy.com/t5/All-Things-Finance/princess-diana-beanie-babis/m-p/129630055
3.  When I do make a legitimate suggestion, it is ignored (see Google ads comments).
https://community.etsy.com/t5/Marketing-Your-Business/offsite-ads-media-question/m-p/130343529

Saturday, May 9, 2020

new items on etsy

These are the items I have recently placed for sale on etsy:

1959/1960 Barbie accessories:  rolling pin, scissors, gloves
https://www.etsy.com/listing/792915130/1959-1960-barbie-accessories-gloves?ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1
Since these items are so small I am offering free shipping on the set.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Light series books
https://www.etsy.com/listing/788114042/marion-zimmer-bradley-ghostlight-series?ref=shop_home_active_13

Christy TV series VHS tapes
https://www.etsy.com/listing/803859435/christy-tv-series-5-vhs-tapes-1990s?ref=shop_home_active_9

classic novels published by Scholastic
https://www.etsy.com/listing/782511262/1960s-1970s-scholastic-paperbacks?ref=shop_home_active_21

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Barbie has a new sweater dress

I discovered this new way to make a Barbie sweater dress on another blogspot site.
http://happierthanapiginmud.blogspot.com/2013/10/barbie-dress-from-1-stretchy-gloves.html?m=1
One of my knit gloves had lost its mate last winter so I decided to try this.  The dress was very easy to make.  The only additional comments I might make is that it's easier to turn the glove inside out and then cut off the finger tips, rather than the other way around.  You need to put this on a doll with hard plastic straight arms because you will slip the completed dress over her head.  The neck hole is too small to accommodate her hips and shoulders.
Even in Florida, it can get chilly in the winter,
so this 1999 Florida Vacation Barbie has donned
a burgundy sweater dress made from a knit glove.