Two Mi-Bebe Boys Made in Spain, 1980s
At the request of a reader from Spain who has a keen interest in Mi-Bebe dolls and another of my dolls made in Spain, I agreed to photograph all the Mi-Bebe dolls in my collection and the other doll of interest to her, Bebe-Dulzon.
I began collecting Mi-Bebe dolls in the late 1990s. The dolls were made in Spain in the early 1980s; therefore, all my dolls were secondary market purchases. The dolls are vinyl with cloth bodies and measure approximately 27 inches. Most arrived wearing their original clothing, which consists of a pink knit baby-doll style dress with white knit shorts for the girl and a light blue, knit short romper for the boy. I believe they wore knit booties originally, but most of my dolls arrived with bare feet. They look much better redressed in children's clothing, which is what I've done with all except one girl.
After the reader, Marietta, read my Black Dolls Around the World - Spain Part 1 blog, she wrote to inform that the doll I identified as Coochi-Coo/Cuchi-Cuchi is actually Bebe-Dulzon. According to Marietta, "BEBE-DULZON means BIG SWEET BABY and they were the first BIG dolls of this type (1981). Cuchi-Cuchi came later" (1983) and were not produced in Black. She added, "They are still extremely hard to find in the secondary market. They are VERY RARE to find through Ebay though."
Bebe-Dulzon Made in Spain 1981
Bebe-Dulzon stands 28 inches, is all vinyl with a swivel waist (torso and lower body actually detach). He has a voice box, but my doll is mute. He holds true to his name, Big Sweet Baby.
View additional pictures of my Mi-Bebe and Bebe-Dulzon dolls here.
View very nicely redressed Caucasian Mi-Bebe dolls here.
dbg
Very cute! I love the picture of the baby with his little radio flyer wagon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roxanne. The baby with the Radio Flyer is the one that prompted this blog. I've had his name incorrect for years. The reader, Marietta, informed me of his correct name (Bebe-Dulzon and its meaning, Big Sweet Baby). The only thing that I would change (and I'm surprised that I haven't) about him is his lip color. Pink/coral lips on dark-skinned dolls is one of my pet peeves and should be a standard no-no to all doll manufacturers and artists. But I guess I decided to leave him in his original, 1980's manufactured state because he's so rare.
ReplyDeletedbg
I have two Mi-Bebes made in Spain. My big doll 27"is dressed in a pink knit dress. I brought her in Wales UK at a flea market in 1983. I remember stuffing her into my suitcase, my boxes had been shipped home.
ReplyDeleteThe smaller doll, 18" was dressed in white. I brought her in Chapel Hill NC in 1985.
freda