Vintage Bubble Cut Barbie Dolls
Filed under Vintage Dolls
Bubble Cut Barbies are the cookie-cutter version of the perfect vintage Barbie doll.
When one envisions a Barbie from the 1960s, then they probably have a vision of the bubble cut Barbie doll. There are numerous versions of this style and each one has different characteristics.
Many assume that all of the bubble cut Barbies are the same, except for their hair and lips. However, this is very far from the truth.
There are at least three different styles of bubble cut Barbies, and they all have different color variations as far as their lips and hair color are concerned. It would take a collector years to find all of the different bubble cut Barbies.
Bubble cut Barbie dolls can be separated into three different time spans: 1961, 1962, and 1963 to 1966. However, there was a certain time overlapping in the terms of factory productions. Mattel was well known for making use of extra heads, limbs, and torsos from previous dolls. (article continues below)...
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 BUBBLE CUT BARBIE VINTAGE  US $47.99
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What Does "Bubble Cut" Mean?
The term "bubble cut" stands for the new hairstyle introduced in the middle of 1961. Much different from the high ponytail that Barbie sported in the 1950s, the bubble cut is a short bob that is very full on the sides. The 1961 bubble cut Barbie was packaged in the original Barbie box, and was changed in 1962 to a new box that illustrated the new bubble cut style.
1961 Bubble Cut
Even though the overall hairstyle of all of the bubble cuts was the same, each year was slightly different. For example, in 1961 it was a very tight hairstyle, as well as having dark red lips and nail polish.
The Barbie also sported the traditional black and white striped strapless swimsuit, with the black heels and earrings. The traditional black sunglasses were not included this time.
One interesting fact is that the vinyl used for the 1961 doll's head has a tendency to sweat just like the ponytail Barbies from 1961, so you will usually find a bubble cut Barbie from this time period with a greasier face.
1962 Bubble Cut
The 1962 bubble cut Barbie came in the newer box, as mentioned above, and she wore a new red "helenca" swimsuit with pearl earrings.
In addition, she donned a pair of red open-toed high heeled pumps, a wire stand for display and a fashion booklet. While most of the 1962 versions have a tight hair style, such as the 1961 version, some have been found with hair that is slightly longer. Instead of only red lipstick and nail polish, the colors vary from deep red to pale pink.
1963-1966 Bubble Cut
The third type of bubble cut is easy to spot due to her large amounts of thick hair, which is not individually styled like the earlier versions.
The dolls were first introduced in 1963 and stopped being produced in 1966. The dolls faces also seem to be slightly "chubbier" than the earlier styles.
The dolls are also marked "Midge/Barbie" on their bottoms due to the fact that this was the year that the Midge doll was introduced, therefore proving that Mattel used the same body parts for different dolls. The 1963 bubble cuts were the only styles to have the Midge word stamped.
Unique Variations and Value
In 1965 there were a few bubble cuts set apart from the rest because of their bright facial paint, such as lighter blue eyes and eye-shadow. You can spot them because of their "crosshatch" woven side-part on the right side of their heads.
The hair below the part line also curls up onto the dolls' right temple. In regards to value, the bubble cut Barbies were produced for years in large quantities. They are still easy to find. Many collectors consider the 1961 bubble cut more valuable due to the fact that it was only made for one year.
Either way, collecting bubble cut Barbies is a great hobby and very fulfilling. You will have a lot of fun trying to locate all of the different styles and finding out their overall value.
Vintage Barbie Price Guides
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1962 Barbie Dolls
Barbie doll wears a ponytail, although the popular Bubble Cut is produced in much greater numbers. Red is her color this year, coupled with the Red Flare fashion - a vibrant red coat, hat, and handbag ensemble make1961 Barbie Dolls
A year after her introduction, Barbie doll is the hottest selling fashion doll of all time. Number 5 is released, featuring different hair colors, including a shade of red known as titian. And the new Bubble Cut1963 Barbie Dolls
Fashion Queen Barbie adds a new twist to the 1959 original debuting with three interchangeable wigs: a platinum Bubble Cut, a brunette Pageboy, and Swirl, which is a titian side-swept ponytail. Two of this year's memorable fashions areAbout Vintage Barbie Dolls
It all began when Ruth Handler noticed that her daughter Barbara was playing with paper dolls and imagining them in grown up roles. Ruth also realized that all the dolls on the market at the time wereGlossary
Now thanks to our online vintage Barbie doll glossary, you too, will become fluent in the most commonly used terms by vintage Barbie doll collectors from around the globe. Make sure that you read this page over
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11 Responses to “Vintage Bubble Cut Barbie Dolls”
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Out of all the old vintage Barbie dolls out there, the Bubble Cut has to be my favorite one. If I had to pick one, it would be the 1962 Bubble Cut that came in it’s own original box, I don’t like how the 1961 one came in the normal Barbie box.
My Gramdmother bought my Barbie in 1961, she is in the orginial box that said
STOCK No. 850 PONY TAIL. All this time I thought she just got the wrong
box when she got her, so thank you for solving that mystery. She also has the
greasy face, I so glad that I didn’t try to clean her. She also has a white plastic
belt over her black and white bathing suite, did she come with that or did my
Grandmother add the excessary?
Thanks -Paula
I’m nearly 50 now, and all my life I’ve been wondering what a monster for a doll it was which I got when I had asked for a Barbie from Santa when I was a child. Nobody has ever been able to answer me, when I’ve told that it had a huge hair and head, and it was much taller than the Barbies of the other girls. They haven’t known about it even in toy museums here in Finland! In a play it always had to be a mother for the other Barbies because it was bigger - how boring! Now I found out that it had to be a Bubble Cut Barbie! I didn’t realise it was a Barbie at all! Maybe it wasn’t really taller, it just had the huge head, but in our eyes it was big and ugly. I’d even thought maybe it was a kind of a cheap pirate from some Eastern country
Well, anyway, now it would be worth a fortune, I see…
@ Paula Roberts - The white belt I do not have on my list of accessories for the original Bubblecut so I think that she may have added that for you. According to my records the first Bubblecut Barbie came with a box, a box liner, a stand (either wire or pedestal), a booklet in cellophane, a pair of white rimmed sunglasses, a set of pearl earrings, a black and white swimsuit, a wrist tag and black open toe shoes.
In all of my research, I am still not certain what year (61/62) my barbie was made.Also, I cannot find any information about the B4 stamped on her buttocks. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I have a bubble cut barbie with the marking on her behind that says [ on the right cheek { Barbie with a circle around the R } and then under that it says { circle around a C and beside that { MCMLVIII } Pats Pend and under that By matelle inc. ] on the left cheek there is a [ B 4 ] . Can someone tell me anything about this doll. Thank you..
I have a Barbie, Midge with Mattel Inc. on right side of butt cheak and Japan
on her right foot . These markings are on right side with back side toward you
Please help. I think she has wigs
Thanks Darlene
i have a 1961 bubble head barbie doll without a box selling it at the best buyer
I have a bubble cut barbie with the midge barbie on right butt cheek. She has very brillo like burgandy red hair in the bubble hairstyle and black eyes no blue liner with white pupils. Straight legs. Can you tell me anything about her.
I have an original Bubble Cut Barbie - Teen Age Fashion Model With Pedestal - Stock No. 850 - Imported From Japan - Brunette. She is in her original Barbie Box which has written on it - Barbie Genuine Teen Age Fashion Model by Mattel.
She has the red suit, shoes and the black wire stand. They purchased her from Morgan’s for $2.98. I also have two original Books. Barbie and Ken (He’s a Doll) - blue book. Barbie and Ken and Barbie’s Best Friend Midge - white book - (1962 by Kokusai Boeki Kaisha, Ltd. - 0850-1150) My parents bought her for me when I was a little girl and everything is in excellent condition. I have a blue dress and a white fur coat also. Please contact me for more details.
Linda
I have a 1962 (could be 61)(I think) Bubble cut Barbie, stamped on Bottom Barbie Pats Pend
and The letters of the patent then on the left hip the number 10
She has the fuller bubble cut red hair, red helenca swim suit -looks to her right side, blue eyes dark eyeliner coralish/pink lipstick and nails
What is she worth?