Like my newest Barbie Fashionista, this circa 1970s Uneeda fashion doll was also supposed to have arrived with a travel mate, an identical doll except for a straight hairstyle and clothing (see her head shot below). Their arrival was delayed by weeks before I contacted the seller regarding their whereabouts. Seller "thought" she had mailed the dolls but discovered the package had slid underneath the car seat (?). The package finally arrived, a bubble wrap mailer, containing only one doll!I inquired about the missing doll. Seller investigated and said the other doll could not be found (?). A refund to include the full amount of shipping was issued. There is no love lost because the one I received with curly hair is the one I really wanted anyway.
I have searched my doll reference books and various Uneeda Doll reference sites online for help in identifying the doll. As for now, I only know her as a circa 1970s Barbie competitor. The doll has distinct facial features of brown painted eyes with painted upper and lower eyelashes. She has an open/smiling mouth with separately molded teeth. The head markings are U.D. CO. INC. The back is marked UNEED ADOLL CO INC (the spacing is not off; "uneed adoll" is the way it is printed), which was the company's clever way of spelling "you need a doll"). A gold label is on the doll's lower back that reads "Made in China." Except for her twist and turn waist, she is not articulated. The head is a firm vinyl while the body is made of a thin plastic. Her round neck knob is molded onto her body for easy removal of the head. I believe the purple dress with center ruching is original to the doll. Underneath the dress, as illustrated, she wears white panties (something that is usually omitted on today's dolls).
After thoroughly washing the visible dirt from her face and body, I redressed the doll in a combination of Sparkle Girlz and Barbie fashion/shoes/accessory. It might be my imagination, but to me she looks happier now.
Any help leading to the doll's manufactured name will be greatly appreciated.
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| Head shot of the missing-in-action Uneeda doll friend |
dbg
She's lovely, she reminds me of my Magic Curl Barbie from 1981 (one of my favorite Barbie's). Debbie you have definitely inspired an interest in the nicer quality Barbie clones and I think I'm equally delighted that the companies name which I've known previously was such an obvious one, but missed until you phonetically spelled it out...You Need a Doll. And yes I do! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd definitely happier.
Hi Julian,
DeleteThis doll's curly locks are reminiscent of Magic Curl Christie's although Christie's curls were tighter. My daughter owned that doll and I own a NRFB one.
I enjoy finding the higher quality Barbie clones but have yet to find one with the original Barbie head sculpt. I have a tan one that was sold through K-Mart, but I do not believe she was marketed as a black doll. I watched an auction last week on eBay but watching is all I did. That nude doll sold for almost $300. I am not willing to pay that much for one and will opt for other company's competitors instead. I was very pleased to see the two Uneeda dolls offered on eBay and had hoped to receive both after winning.
dbg
I think the AA Magic Curl Barbie was the first doll named Barbie on her box that didn't refer to her as "Black" Barbie or released as Christie, from memory.
DeleteWait...what...a nude out of the box clone went for $300.00...!!! 😧
Thanks for the name correction. You are right! I just checked my doll's box. Her name is actually Magic Curl Barbie.
DeleteYes, a nude Black Barbie clone went for almost $300 recently ($285 to be exact). Here's the link to the completed auction.
dbg
I'm. Really. Confused. Why did she go for that much?! Is there a hidden market I'm completely unaware of?
DeleteBlack #1 Barbie clones are rare and harder to find, which drives the price up at auction, but I cannot see paying as much for a doll in that condition. Obviously there was a lot of competition for this one and someone wanted it enough to pay $285.
Deletedbg
Hello Debbie, it's not your imagination she looks happier after the makeover.
ReplyDeleteYou have chosen the perfect outfit for her.
I'm happy she managed to find her way home. She is in good hands. Are you going to give her a name?
Arlette
Hi Arlette,
DeleteI had not planned to name her because I was hoping to find her manufacturer's given name, but now I think I will call her Miki. On eBay I saw a white doll by Uneeda from 1983, Streak 'N Frost Miki, that uses the same head sculpt. I am not sure if Streak 'N Frost Miki was available as a black doll, but because the dolls do share the same head sculpt, for now, I will refer to her as Miki.
dbg
She looks good
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Deletedbg
Love her hair. Her smile is much brighter now. Sorry I can't help with her ID. That seller was having some serious issues.
ReplyDeleteYes, the seller was having some serious issues and still is, Vanessa. She contacted me and told me she found the other doll and offered it to me. I accepted, paid the Paypal invoice. That was over two weeks ago. Still no doll. I contacted her re: the whereabouts and no answer. I guess I'll have to go through Paypal and get my money refunded. Why do people who want to run a business online conduct business like this? Geesh. If you have something to sell, have it on hand, ready to ship out when payment is made. It's just that simple, when you're an honest, upstanding type person.
Deletedbg
What a sloppy eBayer! The doll looks like a young, black Marie Osmond to me.
ReplyDeleteHow are you liking selling directly through your blog versus eBay?
Sloppy is an understatement to describe this seller, Muff.
DeleteI found a white version like this doll on eBay as I commented to Thammie. That doll is from 1983, Streak 'N Frost Miki, and uses the same head sculpt.
I sold two of dolls that were listed in the dolls for sale post. I think creating a Dolls for Sale tab on the blog will work a lot better than an individual post. The post gets hidden among all the others after new posts are published. Selling is iffy anywhere, unless your items are priced at giveaway prices and mine usually aren't. I think my prices are reasonable based on what I am selling and usually lower than what I paid. If I don't list them anywhere, they won't sell. Listing them at least gives them a chance to be seen by someone who hopefully wants to purchase.
dbg