In this installment of the Skipper Highlight Reel, we’re going back to 1987. In the late 1980’s, after a few years of limited Skipper releases, Mattel debuted a brand new look for Barbie’s little sister. Besides developing a chest, Skipper’s eyes became rounder and more animated. The first releases of Skipper with this brand new look were under the title Teen Fun and included Teen Fun Cheerleader, Teen Fun Workout, and Teen Fun Party.
Interestingly enough, none of these Skipper dolls were produced with blue eyes. Teen Fun Cheerleader has brown eyes, Teen Fun Workout has green eyes and Teen Fun Party has purple eyes. It’s interesting because most Skipper’s, I’d say at least 85% of them, have blue eyes. Various shades of blue, but blue, nonetheless. It’s almost like Mattel was trying to work out what worked and what didn’t.
It’s no surprise that all three Skipper’s have different hairstyles, but there’s also another fun thing to point out here. As far as I recall, Cheerleading Skipper is the only Skipper doll with a mix of brunette/dull blonde hair from this era. Some dolls with the same mold have been brunette, like Wendy, but that doll wasn’t portraying Skipper. The other two dolls have great hairstyles, too. I mean, how amazing is the curly hairstyle on Workout Skipper? I also love the creamy blonde color Mattel gave to Party Skipper.
In the top picture, you’ll notice one other doll, Teen Sweetheart Skipper. Teen Sweetheart Skipper has the more traditional blue eyes and a 2-in-1 outfit. The 2-in-1 concept would be used a lot during this era of Skipper releases.
One trait that all these dolls share is, unfortunately, defective vinyl. The vinyl they used on these releases doesn’t age well. It’s common to find dolls from the late 1980’s with spotted legs. This happens in both white and African American skin tones. All the dolls pictured here have spotted legs and most of them were bought mint in box, so this problem has nothing to do with them being played with. You can see the spots on the picture above. They’re the white spots under the tights. A viewer on YouTube said that at this point in Mattel’s history, the company was trying to cut corners by melting down old vinyl and mixing it with new vinyl. That’s most likely why these bodies are so prone to this problem.
So, these three dolls were the worlds first introduction to the new tweenage Skipper. Which of these four dolls is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Advertisements &b; &b;December 5, 2017. Tags: Skipper Highlight Reel. Uncategorized.