Vintage PONYTAIL Barbie BLONDE Japan ♧A Rare 3???♧ Doll, Stand, Clothes, OT Shoes
Item History & Price
She's stunning, stacked, statuesque ... and 59 years young. No hip replacement for her (thanks to those growth hormones), but she has green ear on the right earlobe because her first owner didn't remove the original pearl earring. I had that honor upon meeting face-to-face this jaw-dropping doll that is the subject of this auction.
I'm thankful to several eBayers who wrote me about my doll on 6/25/2019. Unfortunately, according to eBay customer service, the Q&A is no longer ...; functional, and it has been removed. One person asked whether this vintage Ponytail is a #3, asking if she's pale. I indicated in the "Condition" section that this doll is not pale or alabaster. She has not faded, in other words. Not all #3 Ponytail Barbies fade, but *most* of them do. Does that make my vintage Ponytail Barbie a #3/#4 transitional? Now I'm not sure at all. What she's not is a #4 from head to toe. I own, and have owned, plenty of #4 Ponytail Barbies. This doll feels heavier than the heaviest #4 that I've ever owned.
I encourage all of you with hesitation to ask questions, compare my doll's face, head, hair and body to those parts of the #4 vintage Ponytail Barbie dolls that you own and the ones you find now on eBay.
My 1960 Ponytail doesn't have the faded beauty of the majority of the #3 Ponytails. Her sun-kissed blonde tresses, her all-original makeup, and her 100% red nail paint from hands to feet either could make her a rare #3 Ponytail or a transitional #3/#4 Ponytail.
Back in 1959, Mattel Inc./Mattel International was manufacturing a doll, a plaything -- a voluptuous one, yes. Creator Ruth Handler was inspired by Germany's Bild Lilli, and the toy world -- and associated marketing campaigns -- changed forever. The first Barbie dolls weren't called #1's, #2's, #3's, #4's, etc., back then; they were playthings onto which girls projected their fantasies of adult beauty, career ... in other words: life.
It's not hard to find the pale or alabaster-complexioned vintage Ponytails with their orange-brown eyeshadow. However, it's difficult to figure out, from photo upon photo, which pink-toned or light-tan-complexioned Ponytail is actually a #3. Making things trickier is that there are quite a few transitional Barbie dolls out there. So, again, I ask the early-vintage-Barbie experts out there: Do you believe my vintage Ponytail Barbie doll to be a #3, or a transitional #3/#4?
I want to share the following: Less than two years ago, I presented an auction for a brunette vintage Ponytail that I assumed was a transitional #3/#4, and questions came flooding in -- which, of course, I welcomed -- as to whether that Ponytail really was a transitional #3/#4 or a #4. Her poodle bangs had been butchered in her past, her top knot had been retied, she had light surface scratches, but had no green ear. She no longer had her original shoes, stand and box ... and so on. Well, I lowered my starting bid price significantly. Soon after I did so, an experienced collector -- and expert -- of early vintage Barbies won that doll. *Upon winning the doll*, the buyer wrote me quite enthusiastically that the doll was a rare #3.
When I selected this doll, I didn't know from her pictures whether she was a #4, or a transitional #3/#4 with the face (head) of a #3 Ponytail and the limbs of a #4 Ponytail. Then, after I received her by mail and opened the packaging, I held her for the first time. I lifted her. She had some heft, I recall musing. I remember having to steady her on the doll stand because she was so heavy all over that she seemed to overtake the stand. And that was only with her OSS and OT shoes!
Speaking of her zebra swimsuit and black mules, they're her originals, as are the cat-eyed shades with blue lenses and white frames. Reereerrrww!!! Shameful that her first owner didn't keep her box and stand with her.
Authenticity: Her right buttock is clearly marked. It shows "TM" in superscript after "Barbie" and the copyright year of 1958 in Roman numerals: MCMLVIII. We know left-buttock marking is just a manufacturing number, but I like to state it: Hers is lucky "13."
"JAPAN" is stamped vertically on the sole of her right foot, as it should be.
***** IMPORTANT TO MENTION *****About her feet: Please reread the "Condition" section. Tiny chip on left of right foot -- hard to see unless you look up close at an angle or at the sole. The chip was found by an eBayer -- again, thank you!
Looking up-close at my doll's right sole, I see a shallow groove starting from that tiny chip and ending where her arch begins. The groove measures 5mm wide (horizontally) by 8mm long (lengthwise). My doll also has a left-foot flaw on the sole (I don't know if it's factory-derived), which is a diagonal mark that resembles a lightning symbol. It's not a crack or a hole.
Again, this is not a minty doll. She's still gorgeous, and, yes, she was loved. She was loved long ago, loved by a kind soul who found her (or after the original owner or her/his heirs decided to sell her), and loved by me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exploring north: This early vintage Ponytail Barbie doll is blessed with a full bosom, defined cleavage that makes me blush, and a defined ribcage.
***ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION*****She has age-related light scratches here and there, a red spot on the underside of her right arm, and light soiling on most of her body. As for the arms, they got really dirty from not being covered over the decades. The winning bidder *might* be able to clean the old dirt away. I don't scrub vintage Barbies; I gently pat them down with a lightly dampened cloth.
This doll has no odors. She does have the aroma of crayons that may evoke that large flip-top box of Crayola.
This gal has no pinholes (her ears were pierced by Mattel in 1960), no bites, no tears and no gouges. She has fabulous A/O face paint -- no retouches -- with noticeable fading to the outermost left brow and negligible fade area near the left corner of her upper lip. Most negligible fading to "mascara" on both eyelids. Factory flaw of "mascara" appearing in lower right corner of left eye. Remarkably her nostril dots are perfectly tiny and red after five decades!
All items pictured in this auction listing -- except for the backdrops, of course -- are included in the sale. The doll's one, surviving "pearl" earring (the one that I removed from her right ear, the ear with green-stained earlobe) is safely stored in a teeny baggie for the winning bidder.
Kindly note that none of the clothes and shoes are minty. However, some are in excellent vintage condition, such as: the pantyhose, the 900-series slip and panties (beautifully elastic; their fabric, fresh); her Cotton Casual (#912) sundress; the orange Pak skirt; and the two pairs of OT shoes (her original black mules and a pair of HTF vintage-Barbie clear mules with gold glitter).
Truly TLC are the following vintage-Barbie items:
1) White Magic Satin (#1607) coat, which has a few light age stains and, while the two "rhinestones" survived at front, the elastic piece to loop from one stone to the other is missing. There are stray threads, and the coat needs a gentle iron. Remarkably this HTF coat has managed to retain its brilliant white color -- except for the few stains. What's fabulous is the b&w Barbie tag!
2) the Winter Wedding gown -- too stiff, faded, totally missing the faux fur trim around the neckline. I added a contemporarily made fabric bouquet to remind myself that the gown is intended for a bride, not a corpse.
3) 900-series yellow raincoat -- stiff and stained. Also may require laundering in general. I purchased this raincoat as part of a small vintage-Barbie lot.
Non-vintage-Barbie items included in the sale (and pictured):
Two *clone* clutch purses (silver, gold -- the latter has a split and can't close)
Clear "Cinderella glass slippers" complete with silver sparkle
One shoebox
Adjustable two-piece doll stand in black, imprinted on the base's underside: "KAISER CHICAGO"
Jewelry set of safe earrings and safe drop "pearl" necklace
MIB & MIP corsage by Tonner (magnificent and era-appropriate)
Beautifully designed, whimsical chapeau by Yoly
Now that I've allowed Ms. Ponytail to take down her hair for the photo shoot, I will not be refashioning it into the updo. She came to me with her tresses flowing, as you see in the photos. The items I'd used to fashion the updo were: baby blue gift ribbon, artificial plastic flowers and straight pins (inserted only through rolls of hair, not into the doll's head).
What say you? Here's a gorgeous original, early-vintage Ponytail Barbie (is she a rare #3 or a transitional #3/#4) that's ready for display in your private doll collection. She surely has adorned mine. I will miss her.
Free domestic shipping (United States only). For bidders outside of the U.S., kindly note that I am enrolled in eBay's Global Shipping Program (GSP).
Thank you, everyone, for visiting my vintage Ponytail Barbie auction page today. I hope that you've found a doll long desired. She's yours for the bidding ... the winning bid. Good luck!On Jun-27-19 at 18:26:45 PDT, seller added the following information:***Attention***A longtime collector of early-vintage Barbie dolls wrote me this evening about her/his experience with identifying #1, #2 and #3 vintage Ponytail Barbies. She stated that not all #3 Ponytail Barbies' complexions fade to white. This awesome eBayer's explanation supports what I state in my listing description: that not all #3's have faded-to-pale or faded-to-alabaster skin tones. Our fellow eBayer said there's no reason for anyone to suggest that my early-vintage Ponytail Barbie doll is not a #3. I know that she's a #3.
Kindly take the above into account as you re-examine this doll. Also, please take into account the flaws that I mentioned.
It does no one any good to have buyer's remorse. Thank you for reading this update. And a special note of gratitude to the eBayer who took the time to write me this evening. :-)
I'm thankful to several eBayers who wrote me about my doll on 6/25/2019. Unfortunately, according to eBay customer service, the Q&A is no longer ...; functional, and it has been removed. One person asked whether this vintage Ponytail is a #3, asking if she's pale. I indicated in the "Condition" section that this doll is not pale or alabaster. She has not faded, in other words. Not all #3 Ponytail Barbies fade, but *most* of them do. Does that make my vintage Ponytail Barbie a #3/#4 transitional? Now I'm not sure at all. What she's not is a #4 from head to toe. I own, and have owned, plenty of #4 Ponytail Barbies. This doll feels heavier than the heaviest #4 that I've ever owned.
I encourage all of you with hesitation to ask questions, compare my doll's face, head, hair and body to those parts of the #4 vintage Ponytail Barbie dolls that you own and the ones you find now on eBay.
My 1960 Ponytail doesn't have the faded beauty of the majority of the #3 Ponytails. Her sun-kissed blonde tresses, her all-original makeup, and her 100% red nail paint from hands to feet either could make her a rare #3 Ponytail or a transitional #3/#4 Ponytail.
Back in 1959, Mattel Inc./Mattel International was manufacturing a doll, a plaything -- a voluptuous one, yes. Creator Ruth Handler was inspired by Germany's Bild Lilli, and the toy world -- and associated marketing campaigns -- changed forever. The first Barbie dolls weren't called #1's, #2's, #3's, #4's, etc., back then; they were playthings onto which girls projected their fantasies of adult beauty, career ... in other words: life.
It's not hard to find the pale or alabaster-complexioned vintage Ponytails with their orange-brown eyeshadow. However, it's difficult to figure out, from photo upon photo, which pink-toned or light-tan-complexioned Ponytail is actually a #3. Making things trickier is that there are quite a few transitional Barbie dolls out there. So, again, I ask the early-vintage-Barbie experts out there: Do you believe my vintage Ponytail Barbie doll to be a #3, or a transitional #3/#4?
I want to share the following: Less than two years ago, I presented an auction for a brunette vintage Ponytail that I assumed was a transitional #3/#4, and questions came flooding in -- which, of course, I welcomed -- as to whether that Ponytail really was a transitional #3/#4 or a #4. Her poodle bangs had been butchered in her past, her top knot had been retied, she had light surface scratches, but had no green ear. She no longer had her original shoes, stand and box ... and so on. Well, I lowered my starting bid price significantly. Soon after I did so, an experienced collector -- and expert -- of early vintage Barbies won that doll. *Upon winning the doll*, the buyer wrote me quite enthusiastically that the doll was a rare #3.
When I selected this doll, I didn't know from her pictures whether she was a #4, or a transitional #3/#4 with the face (head) of a #3 Ponytail and the limbs of a #4 Ponytail. Then, after I received her by mail and opened the packaging, I held her for the first time. I lifted her. She had some heft, I recall musing. I remember having to steady her on the doll stand because she was so heavy all over that she seemed to overtake the stand. And that was only with her OSS and OT shoes!
Speaking of her zebra swimsuit and black mules, they're her originals, as are the cat-eyed shades with blue lenses and white frames. Reereerrrww!!! Shameful that her first owner didn't keep her box and stand with her.
Authenticity: Her right buttock is clearly marked. It shows "TM" in superscript after "Barbie" and the copyright year of 1958 in Roman numerals: MCMLVIII. We know left-buttock marking is just a manufacturing number, but I like to state it: Hers is lucky "13."
"JAPAN" is stamped vertically on the sole of her right foot, as it should be.
***** IMPORTANT TO MENTION *****About her feet: Please reread the "Condition" section. Tiny chip on left of right foot -- hard to see unless you look up close at an angle or at the sole. The chip was found by an eBayer -- again, thank you!
Looking up-close at my doll's right sole, I see a shallow groove starting from that tiny chip and ending where her arch begins. The groove measures 5mm wide (horizontally) by 8mm long (lengthwise). My doll also has a left-foot flaw on the sole (I don't know if it's factory-derived), which is a diagonal mark that resembles a lightning symbol. It's not a crack or a hole.
Again, this is not a minty doll. She's still gorgeous, and, yes, she was loved. She was loved long ago, loved by a kind soul who found her (or after the original owner or her/his heirs decided to sell her), and loved by me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exploring north: This early vintage Ponytail Barbie doll is blessed with a full bosom, defined cleavage that makes me blush, and a defined ribcage.
***ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION*****She has age-related light scratches here and there, a red spot on the underside of her right arm, and light soiling on most of her body. As for the arms, they got really dirty from not being covered over the decades. The winning bidder *might* be able to clean the old dirt away. I don't scrub vintage Barbies; I gently pat them down with a lightly dampened cloth.
This doll has no odors. She does have the aroma of crayons that may evoke that large flip-top box of Crayola.
This gal has no pinholes (her ears were pierced by Mattel in 1960), no bites, no tears and no gouges. She has fabulous A/O face paint -- no retouches -- with noticeable fading to the outermost left brow and negligible fade area near the left corner of her upper lip. Most negligible fading to "mascara" on both eyelids. Factory flaw of "mascara" appearing in lower right corner of left eye. Remarkably her nostril dots are perfectly tiny and red after five decades!
All items pictured in this auction listing -- except for the backdrops, of course -- are included in the sale. The doll's one, surviving "pearl" earring (the one that I removed from her right ear, the ear with green-stained earlobe) is safely stored in a teeny baggie for the winning bidder.
Kindly note that none of the clothes and shoes are minty. However, some are in excellent vintage condition, such as: the pantyhose, the 900-series slip and panties (beautifully elastic; their fabric, fresh); her Cotton Casual (#912) sundress; the orange Pak skirt; and the two pairs of OT shoes (her original black mules and a pair of HTF vintage-Barbie clear mules with gold glitter).
Truly TLC are the following vintage-Barbie items:
1) White Magic Satin (#1607) coat, which has a few light age stains and, while the two "rhinestones" survived at front, the elastic piece to loop from one stone to the other is missing. There are stray threads, and the coat needs a gentle iron. Remarkably this HTF coat has managed to retain its brilliant white color -- except for the few stains. What's fabulous is the b&w Barbie tag!
2) the Winter Wedding gown -- too stiff, faded, totally missing the faux fur trim around the neckline. I added a contemporarily made fabric bouquet to remind myself that the gown is intended for a bride, not a corpse.
3) 900-series yellow raincoat -- stiff and stained. Also may require laundering in general. I purchased this raincoat as part of a small vintage-Barbie lot.
Non-vintage-Barbie items included in the sale (and pictured):
Two *clone* clutch purses (silver, gold -- the latter has a split and can't close)
Clear "Cinderella glass slippers" complete with silver sparkle
One shoebox
Adjustable two-piece doll stand in black, imprinted on the base's underside: "KAISER CHICAGO"
Jewelry set of safe earrings and safe drop "pearl" necklace
MIB & MIP corsage by Tonner (magnificent and era-appropriate)
Beautifully designed, whimsical chapeau by Yoly
Now that I've allowed Ms. Ponytail to take down her hair for the photo shoot, I will not be refashioning it into the updo. She came to me with her tresses flowing, as you see in the photos. The items I'd used to fashion the updo were: baby blue gift ribbon, artificial plastic flowers and straight pins (inserted only through rolls of hair, not into the doll's head).
What say you? Here's a gorgeous original, early-vintage Ponytail Barbie (is she a rare #3 or a transitional #3/#4) that's ready for display in your private doll collection. She surely has adorned mine. I will miss her.
Free domestic shipping (United States only). For bidders outside of the U.S., kindly note that I am enrolled in eBay's Global Shipping Program (GSP).
Thank you, everyone, for visiting my vintage Ponytail Barbie auction page today. I hope that you've found a doll long desired. She's yours for the bidding ... the winning bid. Good luck!On Jun-27-19 at 18:26:45 PDT, seller added the following information:***Attention***A longtime collector of early-vintage Barbie dolls wrote me this evening about her/his experience with identifying #1, #2 and #3 vintage Ponytail Barbies. She stated that not all #3 Ponytail Barbies' complexions fade to white. This awesome eBayer's explanation supports what I state in my listing description: that not all #3's have faded-to-pale or faded-to-alabaster skin tones. Our fellow eBayer said there's no reason for anyone to suggest that my early-vintage Ponytail Barbie doll is not a #3. I know that she's a #3.
Kindly take the above into account as you re-examine this doll. Also, please take into account the flaws that I mentioned.
It does no one any good to have buyer's remorse. Thank you for reading this update. And a special note of gratitude to the eBayer who took the time to write me this evening. :-)
