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The Bubblecut Barbies
A nice assortment of bubblecuts from Teresa Jackson's collection
Mattel started selling BUBBLECUTS in 1961. The first bubblecuts had an assortment of hair colors: raven, blond, white ginger (see below), brownette (see below) and titan (redhead). The early 1961 bubblecuts had red lip paint -- except for the white ginger! She had bubblegum pink lip paint! Another feature of the early bubblecuts is that many of them also have what is known as 'greasy face.' The same vinyl was also used on the 1961 Ponytails. The greasiness is actually a break-down of the vinyl. Mattel quickly realized this defect and changed the 'recipe.'
Here is a general list (by year) of the features of the bubblecuts:
1961 Bubblecuts (first Issue):
Red lip paint, full lips, full bubblegum pink lips on the white ginger
Torquoise eyes and eyeliner (hard to distinguish in digital photos)
Red nail polish
May have a 'greasy' face
Hollow 'Barbie' (not 'Midge/Barbie') body with small neck-knob (and therefore a thin face)
Hair color: titian, blonde, raven, white ginger, and brownette (as shown above)
Tighter bubblecut
style (not as full as the later editions), but this is not always the case!
Sometimes found with delicate painted
legs (skin tone)
1962
Bubblecuts:
Watermelon lip paint (often called 'pink'), full lips
Torquoise eyes/eyeliner of the 1961 bubblecuts
Watermelon nail polish
Small neck-knob and hollow 'Barbie' body -- though sometimes found with smaller neck-knob on 'Midge-Barbie' body and watermelon nail paint
Hair colors:
titian, blonde, raven (as shown above)
Sometimes found with delicate painted
legs (skin tone)
1963
(and beyond) Bubblecuts:
'Midge/Barbie'
hollow body with the larger neck knob (and therefore
chubbier cheeks)
Coral lip paint (often thinner shaped lips), White or pink lip paint on the Platinum
Blue eyes and eyeliner
Coral nail polish
Fuller bubble hair style (and advent of the rarer side part bubblecuts, especially seen in Europe)
Hair colors are titian,
ash blonde, lemon blonde, brunette, and platinum (as shown above)
Sometimes found with delicate painted
legs (skin tone)
(Above): Some later
bubblecuts found in Europe and Canada are on the
bendable leg American Girl body, with the American Girl swimsuit. While these are more unusual, they are difficult to verify as
original unless the doll is NRFB. Bodies and heads were often switched long ago
during play (or by dishonest sellers trying to increase their profits) - Therefore, buyer beware!
More Bubblecut Information and Restoration Photos
The 1961 White Ginger Bubblecut and 1963+ Platinum Bubblecut
The very rare 1961 Brownette Bubblecut
True Side Part (1963+) Bubblecuts
