Along with Crystal, featured in
yesterday's post, the dolls shown below were shared recently with one of my online doll groups. I am compiling their information here in one location to use as a quick reference as well as to share their information with the readers of this blog. Please forgive me for not listed them in copyright date order. I had already inserted photos and written text before realizing I was not listing them chronologically.
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| Skye by Kenner, 1975, is a "fashion-action" all-vinyl doll with spring-loaded arms and torso, bendy elbows and knees with jointed wrists. She and her counterpart, Dusty, are sports enthusiasts. Both dolls are shown on the back of Skye's box in the image above. Skye was on the market for 2 years only; the 1976 version did not have the spring-loaded arms and torso or jointed wrists. That version wore a yellow bathing suit. Both versions have flat feet. Below is a close-up of Skye's face which features brown eyes and an open/closed mouth with teeth. |
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| Close-up of Skye by Kenner, 1975; she has short black curly rooted hair. |
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| Full and close-up views of Mini Mod dolls by Shillman ©1978 |
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| Full and close-up views of Maxi Mod by Shillman circa 1960s. Note that the boxed doll in the yellow bathing suit has rooted eyelashes; the other does not. The boxed version has what was probably the then new "twist and turn" waist. The doll in the lavender hand-knit coat dress does not enjoy waist movement. She is probably the older of the two. |
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| Poor quality scans of side panels of Maxi Mod's box illustrate fashions that were probably sold separately for the doll. |
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| Coca-Cola 11-1/2" Fashion Doll, ©1986 distributed by BBI Toys International Ltd.wears Coca-Cola logo red bathing suit with floral print wrap skirt; also has pink Hawaiian lei. |
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| Back of Coca-Cola
doll's packaging illustrates several
different dolls dressed in sports fashions and active wear (click to enlarge for a slightly better view). | |
As part of my love-hate relationship with Barbie, during the 1990s when these dolls were purchased, I had a fleeting interest to add non-Barbie fashion dolls and Barbie clones to my collection. If the doll was playscale in size, was not Barbie, and had dark skin, it interested me.
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Thanks for sharing these dolls. I'm still in the phase of prefering non-Barbie fashion dolls.
ReplyDeleteOpen-mouthed Skye has a really cute, perky face! :-)
ReplyDeleteSeems like so many dolls being produced now just look bland.
I love Skye. Now I have another doll I have to search for. I see Dusty being sold from time to time, so maybe there's hope.
ReplyDeleteLove them all! Skye looks like one of my older cousins.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the non barbie dolls.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments everyone.
ReplyDeleteI still add this size to my collection, Paulette, but these days I prefer articulation. It's not a requirement but a preference.
I too still love the non-Barbie dolls MDW.
Skye does have a perky face, Erin.
I have recently seen listings for Skye on eBay Miss Lola. You might check their current and completed listings to see how much sellers are asking and at what price, if any, the dolls have sold recently. Good luck in your search for either version (pink bathing suit or yellow, but the yellow does not have all the features as the pink).
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I think they are great to have in a collection! I don't understand what a spring loaded arm is. Is that like those dolls where they have a lever in the back to make things move?
ReplyDeleteHi Muff,
DeleteSkye's right arm has a spring in it, but she does not have a lever to activate the motion. I suppose the spring was added to allow the child/owner to aid the doll in swinging its arm when the tennis racket or golf club were held. Both dolls were sports oriented as opposed to being Barbie glamorous and girly.
I found an interesting article online about Kenner's Skye and Dusty. The text is informative but the title is derogatory. Here is the link.
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Wow, that article was very interesting but I do wonder if the author isn't directing attributes and a movement where they weren't intended. Being of that persuasion, I would love the idea of such a doll, but there was a lot of conjecture in the article, not to mention I was turned off by the "D" word in the title. You warned me though.
DeleteYes, I did offer a warning. My brows are still raised a little from reading that term. I did find the text interesting whether the comparisons to the dolls and cited events are on point or not.
DeleteI also read somewhere else that Dusty and Skye were not popular because parents of that era felt they were too masculine.
Times have changed since then.
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I'm on a clone kick myself right now. I'm absolutely loving this post; Maxi Mod has an adorable face.
ReplyDeleteMaxi Mod has a sophisticated face and rooted eyelashes. You didn't see that too often on clones.
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