Posted by mary/skippercollector on 10/27/2006, 9:10 pm
216.23.94.41
I'm starting a theoretical discussion on several different Barbie groups. What do you call the different time periods (kind of like differentiating between the Jurassic and Paleolithic eons)?
There are two that are official:
1. 1959-1966: Haute Couture
2. 1967-1972: Mod
3: 1973-1976: I'll come back to this
4. 1978-?: SuperStar era, with additional comments below.
When I started collecting in the 1980s, the time between 1973-1976 was referred to as the Lost Years, because there wasn't much information about it.
That term really isn't applicable anymore, since there is a lot more information available now.
I've also heard it referred to as the Best Buy Era, but that term is only half right. There were other outfits sold besides Best Buys.
I have a McMaster's Auction book which referred to it as the Sports Era. I like that term. You've got the Malibu, Olympic and Free Moving dolls, all of which are supposed to be athletic.
Have any of you ever heard any other terms?
As for the SuperStar Era, well, that's correct, but I think it's a lot shorter than 28 years. By that I mean that it's not today. It's my opinion that it was only 1978-1982. During that time you have a number of glamorous dolls (Golden Dream, Beauty Secrets, SuperTeen Skipper and Scott, not to mention a number of celebrities). The booklets from 1978-1982 all are the same format.
The booklets changed in 1983, and the dolls were subtly changing too. I call the period from 1983-1987 the Yuppie Years. You had the Day to Night dolls,
the Heart Family, and other more expensive dolls and outfits (this is when the prices started going up).
It's after 1987 that I've run out of ideas.
One thing I did notice: 1988 is the year that Mattel started making collector dolls for adults, which is another topic altogether.
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