I learned that Skooter is a world traveler!

The set of three Skooter paper dolls is rare.  It includes blonde, brunette and redhead Skooter paper dolls.

A mixture of Mattel and Whitman designed clothing is included, and they are not as matronly looking as the Skipper paper doll I wrote about.  Its stock number is #1985.

The original owner came up with new names
for her Skooter paper dolls: Karen, Cindi and Judy.

The inside shows Skooter's bedroom, with a screen that includes photos of Barbie, Ken, Skipper, Midge and Allan.  It's the left side of the folder that is most interesting.  Skooter has passport stickers on her steamer trunk from London, Madrid, Pisa and Rome, and posters from Tokyo, India and a safari in Africa.  Has she been to all of these places?

Skooter borrowed some of Skipper's clothes
to add to her own outfits.

Note the travel stickers and posters in Skooter's room.

Skooter looks just as pretty as Skipper does
in School Days, Platter Party and Skating Fun.

The front has a clever picture
to showcase all three Skooter dolls.

Almost mirror images of Skipper in 1965

I have two 1965 Skipper paper doll sets from Whitman. The dolls are reverses of each other.

The first is #1984, simply called "Skipper" and the picture on the front of the folder is of Skipper riding a seahorse.  Inside is a fold-out cabana plus what I guess is a separate cardboard holder (the thing with blue flowers) for her clothes.  The clothes are all Whitman designs.  The outfits, in my opinion, look a little matronly for a 10-year-old girl.  They also are not meant for the beach at all!  My favorite items are the picnic basket and cooler, which are a heavier cardstock than the clothing.

The second is a set called Fashion Calendar Wardrobe, and I am unable to find the stock number for it.  I have just a few of the outfits, and they are a mixture of Mattel and Whitman clothes.  This Skipper is of heavier cardboard and originally came with a plastic ring to insert the paper doll into so that she can stand.

Despite what the folder cover says,
there was only one Skipper paper doll included with this set.

The back of the folder is one of many scenes
I've seen of Skipper in the 1960s at the beach.

The first Skipper is of cardstock, is a tad bit taller, and wears her red striped swimsuit.  The second Skipper is an almost mirror image, except she wears a blue version of the swimsuit.  You'd think the blue swimsuit would have been worn by the first Skipper, so as to match her cabana.

They're not quite twins.  The one in blue is a bit shorter and made of a heavier cardboard.

The clothes look better on the doll than they do by themselves.

The doors of the cabana open out,
and Skipper can hide inside to redress.

The calendar fashion wardrobe came with a red striped cap
that matched Skipper's swimsuit.
I'm guessing Silk N Fancy is Skipper's favorite,
because the tabs have hearts on them.

Whitman introduces Skipper in 1964, soon after Mattel does

Western/Whitman began making Skipper products soon after her introduction in 1964.  This set, #1957 from 1964, is called "Barbie and Skipper."  Note that the items are referred to as "2 Stand-Up Dolls."

This set features a combination of matching outfits for Barbie and Skipper that are both Mattel and Whitman designs.  Note that on the back cover that the dolls' three sets of hair colors are shown, and that Skipper is with a titian Swirl Ponytail Barbie, a blonde Bubblecut Barbie and a brunette Midge.  The middle drawing is of Skipper in Dress Coat and Barbie in Red Flare, and they have Christmas presents in their hands.

The first Whitman paper doll set to include Skipper
was #1957 in 1964.

I am showing you outfits of Barbie's Let's Dance and a matching dress for Skipper in the same design as Silk N Fancy, and Barbie's Registered Nurse with a Candy Striper outfit remade for Skipper.

Whitman designed even more matching ensembles for Barbie and Skipper than Mattel did.

Barbie must have been hanging out with Ken,
so Midge took Skipper ice skating.

I love the watery aqua background of this paper doll set.

new etsy items for Oct. 13

 I have one set of Barbie items and two board games now listed on etsy:

1968 Barbie Togetherness and Jump into Lace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/871311804/1968-barbie-togetherness-jump-into-lace?ref=listings_manager_table

1970s Selchow & Richter Parcheesi game

https://www.etsy.com/listing/878731651/1970s-parcheesi-board-game-selchow?ref=listings_manager_table

1978 Pun-Fun board game

https://www.etsy.com/listing/879916655/1978-pun-fun-party-board-game-green?ref=listings_manager_table

Just what are "Cut-Outs"?

Depending on how you look at it, the 1963 Western/Whitman Midge Cut-Outs came with two or three dolls.  Blonde and redhead Midges are included.  It's also the first Barbie paper doll set that I have that has all actual Mattel outfits.

The stock number is #1962, the same number as the Barbie set that year.  One of the included "outfits" is the pack black bodysuit and slacks, covered by the apron of the 1963 outfit #953 Barbie Baby Sits.  The way the outfit is designed, Midge can hold the baby.

Some things I have wondered:  Why did Whitman term its earliest paper dolls as "Cut-Outs"?  Was the term "paper dolls" copyrighted and in use by someone else?  Or was Whitman making other items out of lightweight cardboard and heavy paper that could be punched out and put together, such as houses?

On an unrelated note:  I wonder if little girls thought that Midge had a baby and no husband?  Were there complaints by their parents?  Or did no one worry about a toy sending a "message" in 1963?  Remember when pregnant Happy Family Midge was sold in 2003 without Alan, and Wal-Mart pulled the doll from its shelves?

We've seen plenty of Midge dolls wearing Senior Prom,
but very few in Enchanted Evening or Red Flare.

Midge Cut-Outs and Barbie Cut-Outs, both from 1963,
have the same stock number of 1962.

I know of no one who wears all black to baby-sit.
Is Midge concerned that she will get covered in baby food and poop?

1962 and 1963 Barbie paper dolls can share clothes

I hit the jackpot the other weekend and bought 49 sets of Barbie paper dolls for less than $2 each. I combined them with the ones I already have and am going to tell you about them chronologically. The first sets are from 1962 and 1963, and are called Barbie Cut-Outs.

I have two versions of the 1962 set. The paper dolls and clothes and inside covers are the same; however, the outsides are different colors with different text. The pink cover is #1957 while the white cover is #1963. The clothing that came with these Cut-Outs are the same in each set; however, they are not Mattel items. Rather, an unnamed artist at Western/Whitman drew the clothing.

The 1963 Barbie Cut-Outs has a new cover and a stock number of #1962. I had originally figured that Western Publishing listed its paper doll sets in order, but that is not the case. This new set has a paper doll the same size and shape as the 1962 dolls, wearing new underwear. 1963 Barbie Cut-Outs came with a mixture of drawings of made-up clothing and actual Barbie fashions.

Pink Barbie Cut-Outs is #1957 and white Barbie Cut-Outs is #1963.
Both are dated 1962.

The insides of the 1962 Barbie Cut-Outs folders
are the same for both the white and pink versions.

I prefer the pink back of the 1962 Barbie Cut-Outs
rather than the white.

The clothing for both the pink and white Barbie Cut-Outs
is the same, and none of it is Mattel.

The 1963 Barbie Cut-Outs paper doll is now a brunette,
but she is the same design as the blonde from the previous year.

The clothing for the 1963 Barbie Cut-Out
 is a mixture of Mattel and Western/Whitman designs.

When you combine the sets from 1962 and 1963,
Barbie has an extensive wardrobe.

I found mistakes in 1994 packaging

Whoever designed and edited the 1994 Barbie playline clothing packaging needed to go over the backs of the packages one more time.  I've found three series of outfits with mistakes on them.

Dream Vacation #10754 Goin' to Hawaii.  The light blue shoes pictured are clogs.  I bought this item new, and know that the shoes are basic Barbie open-toe China heels.  I realize that the photo is probably of prototypes, but the inset showing the accessories probably could have been moved to the other side, blocking the clogs instead.

Floating Cool #11290 Raft Really Floats and #11291 Inner Tube Really Floats.  The pool toys are switched.  The clear pink raft belongs under the doll in the yellow and pink swimsuit and the blue tube is what the doll in the cross-shoulder swimsuit should be sitting on.  I know this because I bought Raft Really Floats new.

Great Weekend text under the logo.  "Weekend's" with an apostrophe "s"?  Really?  Oh, it makes me insane when people create plurals with an apostrophe "s".

AARRGGHH!!

The pool toys under the two dolls
in the water need to be switched.

The clogs that the Barbie on the right
is wearing would have made
a more appropriate addition to the outfit.