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Barbie Dolls From The 70's Article
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All About Stacey: Barbie's Vintage Friend
from: Maxx Family Life: Kid's StuffStacey is to Barbie what Abbott is to Costello -- a friend who's been around forever and who's an integral part of her act. There are a couple of varieties of Stacey dolls that have been issued -- keeping in mind that she was only in production for a relatively short time - and are still being traded by collectors.
There's the 1967 "Twist and Turn Stacey." Her hair is fashionably medium length and may be either a coppery red or a blond. She has rooted eyelashes, and the reason why she's referred to, as "twist and turn" is the fact that she is one of the famous dolls with a movable waist.
"Talking Stacey" was also released in this year and here Barbie's British friend truly shines. Her hair color is blond, although other hair colors were also available. She has a voice box and speaks six phrases very clearly.
Also on sale these days is the 1968 Stacey with the Bermuda Holidays top. The hair of the doll is usually a longer copper color, and the doll has fingernail polish.
Stacey is the classic product of the Mod era as well as the result of an upswing of interest in all things British, and as such is usually clad in bright colors and big designs. Accessories that accompany her are special shoes, which are currently one of the most coveted items on several auction sites.
What makes Stacey such a priceless addition to Barbie's circle of friends is that she's a direct answer to the famous British Invasion that hit American shores between 1964 and 1966. It was the time when The Beatles first played live in the United States, when the Rolling Stones first shocked parents, and when The Yardbirds launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, as well as a young Jimmy Page.
Granted, Stacey might have come a bit closer to the end of the British Invasion than at the very beginning, but it's noteworthy that Mattel went to great lengths to help Barbie and her friends stay hip and in line with the times. The Mod lifestyle has been introduced to American, and with it came the inevitable fashions, which were a wonderful addition to Barbie in general, but her British friend Stacey in particular. The clothing is fanciful, bright, and filled with designs of the times. Accessories that were available then are also beautifully fitting for the times.
Yet, just like the real life British Invasion eventually petered out, so did the anglophile feelings that for a while had gripped the attention of everyone in the United States. While Stacey was still considered to be a great friend for Barbie, her star began to sink when the 1970s hit, and when the disco era struck America with a vengeance.
Suddenly her hip, British phrases and clothes were no longer at the forefront of the wish lists of little girls, and instead the same girls who could not get enough of her just a couple of years earlier, suddenly demanded disco fashions, dolls with disco haircuts, and also anything considered hip in the years of the disco craze.
Stacey went by the wayside, like so many others of Barbie's friends. While she may have left the scene in 1970, her admirers and now vintage collectors have never forgotten her, and if you log on to any one of the various auction sites that deal in Barbie dolls and her numerous friends, you'll frequently see a large number of Stacey dolls being auctioned off.
Granted, depending on the condition of the doll, you may not be making a mint, but at least you'll have the opportunity to sell -- or if you are an aficionado -- to buy this wonderful vintage doll.
Barbie Dolls From The 70's News