Culture Magazine

My Favorite Skippers (A Top Ten List)

By Ashley Brooke, Kewpie83 @KewpieDoll83

I have many Skippers in my collection, but there are a few that I consider my favorites.  I thought I’d share with you ten of my favorite Skippers (in no particular order).

Japanese Skipper

Japanese Skipper

By far one of the most rare items in my collection is this Japanese Skipper.  Back in 1964, Mattel manufactured  this Skipper for the Japanese market.  She is known for her special eyes– large and black.  I am still on the look out for reasonably priced Japanese Skippers in different hair colors.  I just adore her eyes!

Japanese Skipper

Japanese Skipper

Living Skipper

Living Skipper

Like many of the Skippers made in the early years, Living Skipper was released with at least two different hair colors.  While both blonde, the pale blonde Skipper is harder to find.  I stumbled upon her at my favorite doll shop.  These pale blonde Skipper’s have tighter pigtails and paler skin.  I just think she’s so pretty.

Living Skipper (pale blonde)

Living Skipper (pale blonde)

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Skipper is from 1990.  She’s from what I call the anime eye era, where Skipper’s eyes were large and round.  The anime eye era is my favorite of all time.  Why?  It’s my youth.  These were the dolls i received for birthdays and holidays.  I’ve always loved this Skipper’s look.  It’s just so, well, me as a grammar school kid in the 90′s.

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Courtney

Cool Tops Courtney

Courtney is my favorite Skipper friend of all the era’s.  This Cool Top Courtney is one of my favorites.  Her hair is awesome– so much volume!  I also especially like her outfit.  The colors are so bright and fun!  I found a cute commercial for Cool Tops on YouTube.

Cool Tops Courtney

Cool Tops Courtney

Totally Hair Skipper and Coutney

Totally Hair Skipper and Coutney

One of the most memorable Skipper dolls of the anime eye era is Totally Hair Skipper.  At one point, Totally Hair Barbie was the best selling Barbie in Mattel’s history.  Skipper and Courtney hit store shelves in 1992.  In 1992, I was 10 (ish) and Totally Hair Skipper very quickly became a favorite.  Courtney, I nabbed later via Ebay.

Totally Hair Skipper and Courtney

Totally Hair Skipper and Courtney

Pajama Fun Skipper

Pajama Fun Skipper

I have very few Teen Skipper’s.  When Skipper originally changed to the ‘teen’ body, she still looked like Skipper.  However, as the line evolved, she began to look a lot like Barbie.  Pajama Fun is one of the cutest Teen Skipper’s Mattel made.  She came out in 2000.  What I like about this Skipper is her outfit.  It gives off a ‘fun’ vibe and keeps her looking young.

Pajama Fun Skipper

Pajama Fun Skipper

Camp Barbie

Camp Barbie

Camp Barbie Skipper, from 1994, is by far my favorite anime eye Skipper.  She came out late in era and only a year later, Skipper would look different with the new Pizza Party Skipper headmold.  I honestly don’t know what it is about this Skipper that makes me love her so much.  She’s a simpler Skipper than many of them, but she has such pretty face coloring.

Camp Barbie Skipper

Camp Barbie Skipper

Pose n Play Tiff

Pose n Play Tiff

Tiff is one of Skipper’s lesser known friends.  They were, in fact, only ‘friends’ for one line– Pose n Play.  Tiff was put on the market and sold as Skipper’s tomboy friend and released around 1972.  You may notice, she has the same face mold as Living Fluff, minus the eyelashes.  Fluff is a cute doll, but Tiff?  I think she’s adorable.  What stands out the most to me are her dark brown eyes.

Pose n' Play Tiff

Pose n’ Play Tiff

Twist n Turn Skipper

Twist n Turn Skipper

In 1969, Skipper got a new, more modern look and was given a Twist n Turn body.  It took me a long time to find an affordable TNT Skipper to add to my collection.  I’m still on the lookout for other examples of the TNT Skipper.  This one, to me, is so striking.  She still has great color and her hair is very nice.

Twist n Turn Skipper

Twist n Turn Skipper

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

It’s not everyday you come such a pristine straight leg Skipper.  I have a good number of straight leg and bendable leg Skippers from her release by in 1964 and this is by far my favorite. The dark brunette hair is perfect and she still has her wrist tag.  There’s something so innocent about the 1964 Skippers that I’ll always love.

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

Of course, there are many other Skipper’s I’d love to display here, but the post would turn into a novel.  I put these photos in to a video, for anyone who wants to take a peek!

I know many of you have commented before about your favorite Skipper dolls, but for those that haven’t (or those that want to comment again), why not leave a comment with your favorite Skipper memories?


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