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| Barbie Clones/Competitors, Bild Lilis, and other dolls from the collection of Escobar Artforall |
While working on a few doll projects on a Saturday evening, Facebook friend Escobar Artforall caught me online and shared images of some of her wonderful Barbie clones, Bild Lilis, and other fashion divas. I salivate each time I see dolls in her collection as I still long for a dark-skinned #1 Barbie clone and at least one Black Bild Lili.
At the time the photos were shared, she was awaiting the arrival of a swirl ponytail that looks like the one shown above. I immediately recalled having seen a similar doll on eBay in a buy-it-now that was beyond my reach. During our chat, I shared the link to the auction and asked, "Were you the winner?" She was.
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| Aren't these Wonder Woman-inspired dolls great? |
While she awaited the arrival of the swirl, she was working on Wonder Woman dolls.
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| Wondeisha "don't" play! |
Wondeisha (who looks like a bad mother… shut yo’ mouth), as seen in this graphic image, is a perfect inspiration for the dark-skinned Wonder Woman dolls.
Two 15-inch Bild Lili/No. 1 Barbie clones are shown above. The one in red was seen
here before. They have molded ponytails.
What is my name?
This is an interesting 14-inch doll dressed as a nurse, marked Sharing 3001 on the nape of the neck and Made in Hong Kong on the back (see next photo).
The Sharing doll has heavy blue eye shadow and an oddly shaped, hitch hiker's thumb that Escobar initially thought was a flaw until we located a white version online with identical thumbs.
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| Height comparison photo of Sharing and 15-inch Bild Lili-type |
Update: 07/17/21. The Sharing doll was sold as
Dr. Ben Joins the Nurses Doll, circa 1974. The Sharing doll is a possible clone or competitor of Dr. Ben Casey's nurse doll that was sold through the Sears catalog.
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| Barbie clones in lingerie. |
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| These clones/Barbie competitors have bubble cut, ponytail and straight hairstyles. |
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| Another Barbie competitor |
More Barbie clones in before and after repainting/restyling photos:
The next one is a vintage bubble cut Barbie repaint.
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| Doll's complexion had darkened some with age, which Escobar indicated she liked. |
The next doll asks, "Who am I?"
Unknown doll with side-glancing eyes has darker complexion than most with a face that is lighter than her body. Raised back markings are blurred.
The unknown doll could be a Shillman clone. Her face is very similar to a Shillman doll I own as illustrated in this side-by-side head shot image.
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| These are a few Bild Lilis, two with repainted, melanin-rich-appearing complexions. Black versions were never manufactured. |
Escobar shared:
The irony is that most of these dolls were originally for men. Cigar shop gag toys. Bild Lilis were men's dolls you would find on dashboards or hanging off rear view mirrors.
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| In this Internet-captured photo, a Bild Lili is seen in the cockpit of an aircraft with two amused pilots. |
Escobar's tan Momoko lounges in a cozy setting. She has been seen before
here.
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| Here she is once again in the same setting. |
~*~*~*~*~*
A few days after our initial Facebook chat, the swirl ponytail had arrived and had been restyled. Those shared photos follow.
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| Swirl Ponytail is Escobar's most recent acquisition. This is how she looked upon arrival. The one-piece body with unjointed legs is interesting. |
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| Swirl Ponytail, restyled above, is next joined by others. |
About her doll hunts and finds, Escobar Artforall added:
I look at a doll & get a sensation like rescue her. Look at the environment & how they display you. You are not valued, I will value you. I will make others desire you.
I purchase the doll & clean her, restyle or sometimes repaint her. I sage each doll & pray over them.
I know that I [am] the temporary owner. I enjoy sending the previous owner pics of how their doll looks after their make over. They seem to glow & almost smile. I get either a wow is that the same doll or give me credit for the eBay picture I posted that I use as a comparison pic.
My goal is to sell the dolls & find homes where they will be seen, displayed, treated & valued as I do. I enjoy styling, re painting & photographing them to represent my imaginings. I create the dolls I don't see & imagine someone drawn to my creation like if it were a painting. Since I am a painter.
I [am] intrigued how dolls represent how women were perceived in history as beautiful objects one could own.
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