Barbie's first dog is suspicious of her!

For the first time ever, I completed a 1,000-piece puzzle by myself.  (Well, my nephew's wife put in one piece, but I did the other 999.)  In the past, I've always worked on large puzzles with someone else.

I had received a Barbie puzzle for Christmas, and put it together last week.  It took me a week to complete.  The puzzle was by Ravensburger and made in Germany.  It is 26 inches wide by 20 inches high, and fits on the card table very well.  The puzzle pictures seven haute couture Barbies and one Ken. I have three of the dolls and outfits pictured.

You will notice that the blonde Barbie on the left has a bit of a smirk for her smile, like she knows something we don't know.  What I find amusing is that her dog--the poodle from 1613 Dog N Duds from 1964--is looking up at her like he doesn't entirely trust her.  I think that the dog is thinking, "she's up to something!"

Also in the picture is the orange Irwin Austin Healy from 1962.  Look closely:  Barbie is driving, not Ken, and they are both wearing their shoulder belts, which weren't included in cars until 1968.

Yes, I have the boater hat from Ken's Dreamboat,
but I don't know where it is.

The Barbie Learns to Cook dress in the puzzle has the flower print,
but not the Barbie logo.

From left to right are: blonde sidepart bubblecut in 1606 Garden Tea Party from 1964,
redhead bend leg in 1634 Barbie Learns to Cook from 1965,
blonde bend leg in 1668 Riding in the Park from 1966,
light brunette bend leg in 1650 Outdoor Art Show from 1966,
blonde ponytail in her zebra swimsuit from 1959,
straight leg brunette Ken in 785 Dreamboat from 1961,
blonde bend leg in 0957 in Knitting Pretty from 1964,
and blonde ponytail in 989 Ballerina from 1961.

The storage box isn't very big, and when I opened it,
it was filled to the top with puzzle pieces.

I wish i found rare items more often, but then they wouldn't be rare!

About once every five years I will find a rare Barbie or family item for just a few bucks.  Sometimes it is mixed in with a bag or case of a bunch of other stuff.  Yesterday I found the 1967 #1818 Barbie Velveteens jacket in with a bag of other clothing items at the Lawrenceburg antique show.  I am listing it for $100 on etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1758985069/rare-barbie-1967-1818-velveteens-red-or?click_key=7c26587c3303face9a54899f32408cc043f138cf%3A1758985069&click_sum=457c6447&ref=shop_home_active_1

I hope it sells quickly!  I have to get a cavity filled on Wednesday and I don't have dental insurance.  Even if it takes a little while to sell, it will help with the bill.

Tote bag found in the attic

 I'll explain these photos eventually.

Colorful, frilly dress common native outfit in Brazil

"Lembrança do Rio" is Portuguese for "Memory of the River."

My mother wasn't fond of my doll collecting, but in the 1980s a friend of hers brought her a small souvenir doll from when he visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The doll is what is known as a dress-me doll.  Mom's little 6-inch-tall doll would probably be considered stereotypical and politically incorrect today, but she is still very pretty and colorful.

All that is on her feet is a pair of burgundy straps, while the soles are glued to a wooden stand.  She wears lacy underpants and there is a stiff net slip under her skirt.  The main problem is her arms, which are attached to her shoulders by a rubber band running through the top of her torso.  The arms come loose very easily.  There are no markings on what I can see of her body.

 

Instead of pantaloons like most souvenir dolls,
she wears lacy underpants.

The tag on the bottom of the stand simply says, "No 8."
I don't know if that is the model number of the doll or the price in cruzados.

Her clothes are glued onto her rather than sewn.

My collection started with a Korea souvenir

The back of her hair and her dress
are just as elaborate as the front.

My doll wears the hanbok,
a gown worn at festivals in Korea.

We went to the World's Fair in Knoxville, TN, during summer 1982.  I don't remember much of it, except that I bought a souvenir charm the shape of a flame and a souvenir glass, both of which I still own.

I also still own a souvenir doll from the Korea exhibit.  She was the first doll I bought as an adult collector, a year or two before I started buying Barbies.

My doll is 9 inches tall and is made of papier-mache or a heavy fabric.  She is posed on a wooden stand.  There is nothing written on the stand.  I don't know if there are any markings on her, as her clothes are sewn and glued onto her.

Every souvenir doll from Korea wears a shawl or a shirt with the same multicolored stripes and a gown called a hanbok.  I wrote about her in a previous column, which you can read here:  https://skippercollector.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-korea-souvenir-doll_12.html

Tiny doll brought from France in 1980 or 1981

My Barbies are jealous of her feather boa.

Her tiny hatbox does not open.

This doll is smaller than she looks.  From the top of her hat to the hem of her skirt, it looks like she is 8 inches tall.  However, when you look under her skirt, you will see that her legs are much shorter.  From her scalp to her toes, she is actually 5 1/4 inches tall, smaller than a Dawn doll.

A friend went to France in 1980 or 1981 and brought me back this doll.  She has no name.  I don't know if there are any markings on her because her gown is sewn to her body.  She came with a little white hat box that says, "PARIS."

For such a tiny doll, it is unusual in that she has sleep eyes.  She is all hard plastic.

There's no way this doll could ever can-can!

My Maria doll is from the 1990s

 

Maria dolls are abundant but each one is unique.
I named mine Pilar.

My sister brought me a Maria doll
from Mexico in the 1990s.