Product Description

In celebration of Barbie doll's 50th anniversary, favorite dolls and period fashions return, recreated in loving detail. If you missed your chance before, or no longer have your beloved Barbie, now is your opportunity to reconnect with a long-lost friend! Each set includes a reproduction Barbie doll, and extra reproduction fashion from the era and a collector's booklet. Complete your 50th anniversary collection with the My Favorite Barbie doll series of unforgettable, innovative dolls. Each sold separately. The Original Teenage Fashion Model Barbie measures approximately 12" tall.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8923 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Mattel
• Model: N4974
• Dimensions: 11.50" h x 13.00" w x 3.00" l, .0 pounds

Features

• Barbie Doll's 50th anniversary
• Now is the opportunity to reconnect with a long-lost friend
• A faithful reproduction of the 1959 Teenage Fashion Model Barbie doll
• Featuring the famous black and white bathing suit
• Collect them all while the celebration lasts

From the Manufacturer
MY FAVORITE BARBIE: THE ORIGINAL TEENAGE FASHION MODE BARBIE DOLL In celebration of Barbie Doll's 50th anniversary, six favorite dolls and period fashions return, re-created in loving detail. Now is the opportunity to reconnect with a long-lost friend. The first in the series, a faithful reproduction of the 1959 Teenage Fashion Model Barbie doll introduced at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959 and featuring the famous black and white bathing suit. Included in the package are reproductions of the popular Solo in the Spotlight fashion #982 from 1960, a reproduction vintage booklet, collectible 50th anniversary cards with a reproduction vintage image and Barbie fun facts on the other side.

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Customer Reviews

Very good, but not perfect, reproduction of the original
1959 Original Teenage Fashion Model Barbie Doll is the best repro of the #1 Barbie to date--but, it's still not a perfect repro. I've deboxed the doll, and so I'm evaluating it from the perspective of a deboxed display doll. The doll is very nice in appearance, and the reproduction of the Solo In The Spotlight fashion is excellent.

The quibbles: The arm molds for the vintage repro dolls are not accurate to the original dolls. The original dolls had divided fingers (index and pinky on the right hand, pinky only on the left hand) and the shapes were different from the reproduction body molds. Also, the #1 Barbie doll (as well as the #2, #3, and #4) reproductions should be manufactured differently from dolls meant to duplicate later dolls. The 'heft' of the doll should be weightier, as the original dolls had solid vinyl torsos and limbs. The skin tone is slightly too pink to be 100% accurate in my opinion as well. The original doll had copper tubing lining the holes in her feet. Obviously the repro doll should not include this feature due to metal oxidation issues, but some sort of metal lining would be a better match than no lining at all. The hair is also not a perfect match to the original, as the #1 Barbie doll had an extremely fine gauge saran hair material, in a distinctive yellow-orange color. This doll's hair is too glossy and too 'ash blonde' in color, and the doll doesn't appear to have the flocking underneath the ponytail that the original doll featured. Also, the hairline is placed too low on the doll's forehead, the original doll had a very high forehead. The face paint is a good likeness, but not 100% perfect. The brows should be slightly darker, and the paint colors are good but not perfect.

No collector is ever going to mistake this doll for the original, but it's still a great doll in its own right. Definitely worth the very reasonable price, and I would encourage anyone interested in vintage Barbie to pick this one up.

Perfect for Display!
This is not a perfect reproduction, it is however, a perfect display model for your vintage fashions. I wouldn't recommend this to collector's (It's being mass produced with the Barbie Pink Label, not worth much to "collect".) but I do recommend it to anyone who wants a decent reproduction to display early clothes.

The only real problem I have with this doll is the super low forehead. The hair should be up super high. The eyes aren't the same either, but I don't own an original #1 Barbie so I'm happy with this one.

In short, if you want a beautiful doll to display vintage fashions, she's your gal!

Don't buy this doll if you want to play with it...
I collect Barbies, but enjoy taking them out of the box, dressing them, etc... when I took this Barbie out, I almost regretted it. They give you an extra fashion with the doll, yes, but the swimsuit the doll comes in has adhesive on the back and is stuck to the doll's chest. Plus, the opening on the bottom of the Solo in the Spotlight gown is really, really small. So, even if you could figure out a way to get the zebra swimsuit off without damaging the Barbie, which I'm afraid to try and don't even think is possible because part of the swimsuit kind of tufted off onto the sticky stuff on the doll, you couldn't put the dress on very well, or pose the Barbie on the stand while she's wearing it. Sigh.
The doll, on the other hand, is quite a faithful reproduction for Mattel's standards. I was very pleased.
So I guess if you're buying this doll to display, she'd be a great choice. But if you actually want to play with the doll, I'd choose another one.