Barbie Bazaar Special Edition 3: Mattel & Christmas Catalog Reprints of Barbie Doll 1966-1968

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Collector Bookstore is a retailer of new books located in Leavenworth, Kansas. We specialize in price guides and reference books for the antiques and collectibles industry.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION:

Dear Reader,

We are pleased and excited to present our third Special Edition! Celebrate Barbie's 40th Anniversary year by perusing the pages of the Mattel catalogs from 1966-68. These years are noteworthy because so many of today's popular vintage collectibles originate back to the pages of catalogs from those years think high color American Girls, Color Magics, haute couture1600 fashion, the "origin" of mod Barbie, talking dolls, and so much more.

The Christmas catalogs show such rarities as Sears Pink Formal, Standard and Talking Barbie gift sets, friend and relative gift sets like Francie's Sportin' Set, the Braniff outfits, and so much more. These pages are proof positive that these elusive items do indeed exist -- even if out of our collecting grasp! This is an opportunity to make your collecting want list direct from the the old catalogs.

We extend our thanks once again to Mattel, Inc. for giving us permission to reprint the pages of the old Mattel catalogs in this special edition. We send our gratitude to the legal departments at Sears, Montgomery Ward, and J.C. Penney for their permission to reprint the Barbie pages from their Christmas catalogs from 1966 to 1968.

Special thanks to former Mattel designer -- Carol Spencer -- who once again came to our rescue and allowed us to use her priceless personal collection of Mattel catalogs for reprinting. Carol is always supportive in our pursuit to further enlighten Barbie doll collectors.

A. Glenn Mandeville, our Price Guide Editor and the most pre-eminent Barbie scholar and authority, shot the cover and title pages for this edition. We think that you will agree that Glenn's love for our favorite fashion model doll comes through loud and clear in his Fabulous photos.

Take a look at the costume sections in the 1966 and 1967 Mattel catalogs. You'll notice that except for an occasional Midge (or Twist 'N Turn in 1967), most of the models are red lipped American Girls with silky hair or side part American Girls with red lips. No wonder these gorgeous dolls have become highly sought after by collectors around the world. They make every costume look simply gorgeous, darling!

Perhaps these catalogs will influence you to start to collect something you previously overlooked like the darling Tutti and Todd dolls, or Ken's fashions. Your certain to find the brightly colored mod-influenced '67 and '68 fashions enticing.

Challenge yourself. Look for variations, or materials of costumes that were never produced. Become a super sleuth and test your knowledge. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned Barbie doll collector, take the time to learn. That is how we sharpen our mental skills and get more enjoyment out of life.

We enter our 12th year of publishing with the same goal we had when we started -- we strive to be your collecting connection. Sharing beautiful photos and information about vintage and new dolls, offering you exciting projects, and showcasing you the collector, your clubs, and your talents makes publishing Barbie Bazaar a delight. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Karen Caviale & Marlene Mura, Publishers