Colorforms dolls get to do more than Whitman dolls

The last of my Colorforms sets is another Ballerina Barbie Dress Up Set dated 1995, with a stock number of 795.  On the cover there's a photograph of Barbie wearing a bodysuit, but it is not for ballet.  The photo is superimposed over the drawing of the ballet studio with the barre and piano.

The light blue bodysuit is the swimsuit from 10754 Goin' to Hawaii from 1994, as you can see from this photo of Sun Jewel Shani wearing the outfit.

I really like the studio backdrop for the set, and I also love all the tiny acccessories, including the towel!  But I don't understand why her clothes are all outlined in white.

She may be dressed as a ballerina but to me
she looks like she is ready to do a gymnast's flip!

Note the tiny detail of the lock on the window.

There were more accessories than clothes
with the 1995 Ballerina Colorforms.

The ballerina set is from 1995
but Sun Jewel Shani and Goin' to Hawaii are from 1994.

To open or not to open?

I can't tell you much about the Colorforms sets Private Collection Barbie and Baywatch Barbie.  I bought both of these new and have never opened them--they are still in their shrink wrap.

I can tell you this:  Private Collection is dated 1991 and is stock number 742.  The Barbie on the front of the box wears Private Collection #7113 from 1991.  The box includes the gown shown on the cover plus some Colorforms designs.

The other details I can provide for you is this:  Baywatch is dated 1994 and the stock number is 793.  A photograph of Baywatch Barbie in her red swimsuit is superimposed over a hand-drawn beach scene.  Her clothing is a mixture of both Colorform designs and Mattel outfits.

Normally I hate shrink wrap
but I have decided to keep these two sets unopened.

It took Barbie 30 years to look like a 1950s teen

When Barbie was first sold in 1959, she never bore any resemblance to a teeny bopper.  It wasn't until 1989 that Mattel made a 1950s be-bop doll of her.

I bought the Barbie and the Sensations Colorforms set at a garage sale, so many pieces are missing.  The box date is 1988 and the stock number is 716.

About all I can tell you regarding this set is that there is a drawing of the doll on the front of the box, but the actual doll is a photograph, and that the stand for her is very large and sturdy (which is a good thing!).

I was never impressed by the actual Sensations Barbie doll.
The drawings of her have always been prettier than the doll herself.
 

I wish all paper dolls had this large and sturdy of stands!

Ballerina Barbies very popular paper dolls

Yes, that is Brooke Shields on the box cover of the 1977 Ballerina Barbie Colorforms set, stock number 616.  Since she was born in May 1965 I estimate that she must have been 11 when the photo was taken.

I don't know when Colorforms started putting lines around its stick-on clothing, but there are outlines around the detailed hems of the tutus and the accessories.  A second Ballerina Colorforms that I have from 1995 has white outlines around everything, and I will write about them in a future post.

The actual doll and her outfits #9329 Princess Aurora, #9327 Snowflake Fairy and #9326 Sugar Plum Fairy were sold in 1976.

Western/Whitman/Golden published a competing Ballerina Barbie paper doll in 1977, which I wrote about here:  https://skippercollector.blogspot.com/2020/11/most-of-ballerina-barbies-clothes-are.html

Notice that the box background matches Brooke's eyes!

Here are the back and front of the accompanying booklet.

The red tutu is Princess Aurora, the pink and white is Sugar Plum Fairy
and the blue and white is Snowflake Fairy.
The yellow tutu is simply Ballerina Barbie's original outfit in a different color.

Sport Fashion Set another elaborate Colorforms creation

Some Colorforms sets were elaborate in the 1970s.  In addition to the Barbie playsets, I also have a large one for Battlestar Galactica.

The 1975 set, stock number 2352, is called Barbie Sport Fashion Set and comes in a box that measures 15 1/2 inches wide by 12 inches long, or twice the width of the average Colorforms box.  SunSet Malibu Barbie, Skipper and Francie are pictured on a large piece of enamel cardboard, with tennis, beach and skiing scenes behind them.  Although the clothing pieces are interchangeable, Barbie rides her bike, Skipper scuba dives and Francie skis.

The set also came with an instruction booklet.

I have only a few pieces of a similar Colorforms item called Barbie Dress-Up Set from 1977.  It has a separate standup SunSet Malibu Barbie, the same as the Sport Fashion doll, and their clothes are the same size so that she can also switch outfits with the other dolls.

I love that the 1970s Colorform sets came with booklets.

The Colorforms Barbie Sport Fashion Set
is one of the first items I acquired as an adult collector.

Francie looks cold standing in her bikini in the snow!

The girls had a choice of biking,
tennis, skiing, hiking or swimming.

Alas, my Dress-Up Barbie has had her right arm amputated.

Barbie Color and Play unusual set by Colorforms

Barbie Color and Play is an unusual and beautiful Colorforms set.  Its stock number is 920A and it is dated 1974.  There were two versions of this set, as the Barbie logo on the box that I have is the new one from 1976.  An earlier version has a completely different box cover with the original Barbie logo, and that set is much harder to find.

Numerous details of this set are unusual.  First, there is the number of dolls: Barbie, Ken, Skipper, Francie, PJ, Christie, Kelley and Fluff(!!!!).  Secondly, this set does not come with extra vinyl decal clothing items.  Rather, you can color their outfits whatever you want with crayons, and then wipe off the coloring with a damp cloth.  The only extra clothing pieces are hats.  The heads of the dolls are photographs of them:  1969 Talking Christie; 1970 Twist N Turn PJ; 1971 Living Fluff; 1973 Quick Curl Barbie, Skipper, Francie and Kelley; and 1973 Mod Hair Ken.

The set that I have--purchased off ebay--must never have been used, as the Crayola crayons are untouched.

The box says 1974 but this set was sold in 1976.

Who knew there were separate items sold for Fluff?

Christie is way cooler and hip than her friends!

The unopened box of crayons
is a separate collectible in and of itself.

Colorforms different and clever type of paper doll

A completely different type of paper doll was made by Colorforms.  There are many types of playsets, not just dolls.  The early dolls were a sturdy cardboard covered in the front with an enamel paper.

The clothing is a form of vinyl stickers that adhere to the enamel doll.

I know there were Colorforms Barbie dolls sold before 1970, but the Living Barbie version is the earliest one I have.  The early Colorforms sets also included booklets.

Colorforms pieces can be mixed and matched.

Colorforms dolls, made of cardboard,
are much sturdier than regular paper dolls.

The yellow vest and pink skirt
are a variation of Gypsy Spirit
and the green coat is Velvet Venture.

The front of the booklet showed the top of the box,
while the back is blank.

new listings on etsy dec 7 2020

I've listed a number of items on etsy recently, and two of them sold very quickly.  Here are the other items.

6 1930s miscellaneous Christmas light bulbs

https://www.etsy.com/listing/901292928/6-miscellaneous-christmas-bulbs-1930s?ref=shop_home_active_2

4 1930s lantern Christmas light bulbs

https://www.etsy.com/listing/901277084/4-1930s-1940s-c6-figural-lamp-shapes?ref=shop_home_active_3

4 1930s fruit Christmas light bulbs

https://www.etsy.com/listing/914508423/4-1930s-figural-christmas-bulbs-fruit?ref=shop_home_active_4

5 Christmas VHS tapes

https://www.etsy.com/listing/899737262/5-christmas-tv-show-vhs-tapes?ref=shop_home_active_5

1987 Barbie items

https://www.etsy.com/listing/897134258/1987-barbie-ken-lady-lovelylocks-mrs?ref=shop_home_active_6

Gibson gift wrap also is a paper doll set

This Barbie gift wrap by Gibson is from, I believe, 1988.  Attached to the front of the package is a 1986 Tropical Barbie paper doll.

The gift wrap itself can cover two shirt boxes.  Imprinted on the paper are the original outfits for the Jewel Secrets and SuperHair Barbies, the yellow gown for #1862 Secret of Pleasant Manor, the half slip from Fancy Frills #3184 and the dog from #3659 Pink Sparkle, all from 1987.

The wrapping paper also came with a gift card
with a picture of Jewel Secrets Barbie.

Yes, I know the wrapping paper is upside down!

Fancy Frills Barbie gets way more clothes than the other paper dolls!

For want of a better name, I am calling my last three folders of Western Publishing Barbie paper dolls the Fancy Frills dolls.  In all three sets, Barbie is wearing the bra and panties of Fancy Frills 2976 from 1992.

The first set is #1502-3, dated 1992.  On the front is a Barbie who I know I've seen before, but at the moment I cannot identify her.  On the back is one of those foldable tote boxes.  The doll inside (in all three sets) has her hair styled like Pretty Changes Barbie's.  The clothes are mostly original outfits of other 1992 dolls.  A cardboard tote inside has a pink flower print.

The second set is #1690-2, also dated 1992, with a photo of Sparkle Eyes Barbie on the front and Fancy Frills Barbie on the back.  Her outfits are also from 1992, but are completely different from #1502-3.  The set also comes with additional outfits to color, and a tote (also meant for coloring) made of paper, not cardstock.

The third set is #2389, dated both 1992 and 1994, with a photo of Locket Surprise Barbie on the front and a portrait of her on the back to punch out and sit on your desk.  The clothing is the same as #1690-2, minus the outfits to color.  The tote is aqua cardstock with a dresser accessory print.

If you combine the outfits from #1502-3 and #1690-2, Barbie has a total of 31 outfits to wear!

Front covers left to right are
1690-2 from 1992,
2389 from 1994 and 1502-3 from 1992.

Back covers left to right are
1690-2, 2389 and 1502-3.

The two with dolls inside are 1502-3 and 2389.

This centerfold is for 2389 and 1690-2.

This centerfold is for 1502-3.

Totes left to right are: 1690-2, 1502-3 and 2389.

One of the extra outfits to color
that came with 1690-2.

fashion doll from usa

 Takara Fashion Doll from USA Barbie from 1981

1991 Fun to Dress set revised in 1994 with fewer outfits

Paper doll sets 1695-1 from 1991 and 2371 from 1994 have many similarities but are not identical.  Both feature the 1991 Fun to Dress Barbie as its doll.

The Deluxe Paper Doll set from 1991 has a photo of Costume Ball Barbie on the front with the doll to punch out on the back cover.  Inside are numerous outfits, both ones to punch out and others to color in and cut out.  All of them are Mattel designs, some original outfits and some separate outfits sold for Barbie.  There is a tote to color and cut out on the last page.

The Barbie Paper Doll set is dated both 1991 and 1994.  I do not know the name of the Barbie or her outfit on the front cover.  The back cover has a portrait to punch out and stand up.  The same Fun to Dress Barbie is inside, and the last page, also heavier cardstock, is a pretty pink tote with drawings of fruit on it.  The same 1991 Mattel clothes are inside to punch out, but not the ones to color.

The back of the 1994 folder has
a cardboard portrait of Barbie to set on your dresser or desk.

The gown is 7764 Ballgown or Beautiful Bunny.

The centerfold of both folders has 1991 original outfits:
Birthday, Lights N Lace and Hawaiian Fun.

1991 Fun to Dress Barbie is on the back cover,
but in 1994 she is inside the folder.

The 1991 Fun to Dress Barbie has Costume Ball on the front
while the 1994 has an unidentified doll