Aloha Hawaiian Barbie! She’s the most recent addition to my collection and I’m excited to tell you about her. In 1975, the first edition of Hawaiian Barbie #7470 was released. I discovered there are several versions of this doll so I’ve broken it down for you – it’s a bit confusing! The only Hawaiian friend produced for Barbie in the 70s was 1978 Hawaiian Ken #2960. Here’s more info on Hawaiian Ken: manbehindthedoll.com. In the 90s, a few more Hawaiian dolls were added including Skipper, Midge, Christie and Teresa. Their names were just Hawaii (insert name) vs Hawaiian.

1975 Hawaiian Barbie was the first “exotic” version of Barbie. She was a department store special using the Steffie face sculpt. She has side-parted, long, straight, black rooted hair. Her eyes are brown and her eyebrows are pencil thin. When I was in 9th grade in the late 70s, my mom tweezed my thick Brooke Shields eyebrows to Twiggy thin. It was “in” then but what were we thinking?!

1975 Hawaiian Barbie wears a beautiful outfit, a colorful abstract floral print on a white bikini with a matching long print skirt that ties around the waist. She also comes with a natural grass skirt with an elastic waist, a plastic colorful red/yellow/purple/white plastic lei (another version was just green, thinner and longer), a pink fabric hair flower on the left side of her head, a tan plastic ukulele and a white surfboard with a red sail. I’ve seen this referred to as a sun-sailer and a wind sail but the back of my 1975 box calls it a surfboard with detachable sail. The front of the box has a big sticker that says, “SPECIAL! Unique costume and accessories!”

The second edition Hawaiian Barbie was released in 1976. She was produced in a few new, but similar, outfits. In addition to the white bikini print, she now also came in blue and black prints. As a side note, there were two fashions produced in 1964, “Barbie in Hawaii” and “Ken in Hawaii.”

In 1978, Hawaiian SuperStar Barbie #2289 was brought to the market. She’s distinguishable by her  SuperStar face sculpt and SuperStar body with bent elbows. There are other differences too. Her hair wasn’t stick straight anymore, it is a bit wavy and thicker. The lei is now made from fabric instead of plastic. It’s green and has 3 pink flowers. Some 1978 Hawaiian Barbie dolls came with a green plastic lei instead. Her eye shadow is the popular 70s sky blue. Her sail color changed from red to a yellowish orange. The floral tricot fashion has a somewhat larger print than the 1975 doll and it’s mainly orange whereas the previous was white. There are slightly different variations of this orange fashion on the Hawaiian SuperStar dolls. Her grass skirt is now made with green plastic. I don’t think she came with the ukulele.

The 1982 – 83 Hawaiian Barbie is another version and drops “SuperStar” from her name. Her bikini and wrap skirt are now a maroon and green floral print and she has a cloth flower garland in her hair. Her face mold is back to Steffie’s – yay! And she got her ukulele back.

In 1990, Jazzie Hawaiian Fun Barbie #9294 was introduced. She didn't look like the other Hawaiian dolls. She’s blond in a bikini with a neon green top and no skirt.

There’s a 1994 – 95 Polynesian Barbie from the Passport Dolls of the World series #12700. She’s in a red print bikini top and bottom and a grass skirt. She has an orange and yellow lei around her waist and a white one around her neck. She has an orange flower in her hair, too. Another Polynesian Barbie was added to this line in 2012. She wears a floral lei, colorful bikini and traditional raffia "grass" hula skirt. She also comes with a passport, country stickers, sea turtle friend and a brush.

In 2005, Mattel added a Princess of the Pacific Islands (Pink Label) Barbie to their Dolls of the World line. The Barbie Princess of the Pacific Islands has draped the muu muu, traditional island attire over her shoulders. This doll is decorated with lei of "plumeria," a sweet-scented flower that inhabits the Hawaiian Islands. 
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I have images of all of these Barbies in my Pinterest slide show here: pinterest.com/pin/553379872972821464. I had to scour the Internet and my reference books for information on Hawaiian Barbie over the years, so if you have anything to add – please let me know and I’ll update this post. Thanks dolls!

#HawaiianBarbie #HawaiiBarbie #BarbieCollector #VintageBarbies #ModBarbies #HawaiianFunBarbie #JazzieBarbie #PolynesianBarbie

Julia, a friend of Barbie, ​was introduced in 1969 and two different versions of the doll debuted​ that year​ – both using the Christie face sculpt.
 
The first Julia doll is a Twist ‘n Turn (TNT) #1127 wearing a two-piece white nurse uniform and hat – which is harder to find than the one-piece uniform it changed to in 1970. She was created in the likeness of Diahann Carroll from the TV series “Julia” in which she played a nurse and widowed mom in Los Angeles. The show ran from 1968 – 1971 and Julia was sold from 1969 – 1971. Mattel produced a 50th-anniversary reproduction of Julia in her nurse outfit in 2008. Amazon sells this doll. Ms. Carroll married four times and passed away in 2019 at the age of 84. RIP, beautiful lady.

The other Julia produced in 1969 is Talking Julia #1128. I was lucky enough to score a 1969 NRFB Talking Julia for $120. She came with brunette hair but her hair​, like most,​ oxidized to red over the years. When you pull the string in the back of her neck, she "spoke" with Diahann's voice! ​Some of the things she says is:
 "I love the new dress styles!"
"We sure have a lot of fun!"
"What should I wear on my show?"
"Nursing is great fun!"
"Would you like to be an actress?"
"Hi, my name is Julia."
 
Talking Julia wears a disco-esque gold and silver one-piece jumpsuit with a sewn-in belt and gold glitter open toe. There is also a Talking Christie, Talking Barbie, Talking Stacey, Talking Ken, Talking Brad and Talking P.J.
 
​Even though ​Julia is the same size as Barbie ​and can wear Barbie's fashions​, ​Julia is one of the few Barbie dolls who has her own wardrobe (so did Twiggy). ​Julia had four outfits in 1969 designed for her: #1752 Brrr-Furrr in red or blue, #1753 Candlelight Capers, #1754 Pink Fantasy  and #1751 Leather Weather.

The Sears Exclusive, Simply Wow Julia gift set #1594, was also released in 1969. The set included Talking Julia in her gold and silver jumpsuit and the hard-to-find Simply Wow fashion. It includes a sleeveless dress with a white satin bodice and turquoise knit skirt, a turquoise knit jacket and turquoise pilgrim shoes. The dress and jacket both have gold braided trim.
 
#JuliaDoll #JuliaBarbie #DollCollector #70sDoll #Barbie #60sDoll #DiahannCarroll #JuliaShow #FashionDoll #60sBarbie #70sBarbie #BarbieDoll #ReproBarbie #ReproJulia​ #ModJulia #VintageJulia​ #DollCollecting #BarbieCollecting

In 1974, Kenner debuted two sports action dolls, suntanned Dusty and her African American gal pal Skye. Dusty wears a navy one-piece swimsuit and Skye's is pink. The dolls encouraged kids to participate in outdoor activities like tennis, golf, softball, volleyball, fishing and horseback riding. Watch their commercial here.

The dolls are 11 1/2” tall, around the height of Barbie, but their waists are thicker, chests smaller and feet flatter. No high heels for these girls! She did have cool platform sandals though in addition to her cute tennis shoes and cowboy boots. Dusty wears her platinum blonde hair in a shag, a popular trend in the 70s, while Skye has a beautiful afro of curls. Dusty has a sprinkling of freckles and white’ish light pink lips. 

Dusty is an action doll that comes in four sports versions; golf, tennis, softball and volleyball. The sports equipment and outfit were also sold separately as accessory packs. Dusty and Skye’s hands are in a gripping position so they can hold on to sports equipment like a tennis racket, fishing pole and golf club. They have jointed wrists and elbows, vinyl “skin,” a spring action arm, clickable, bendable legs and a twistable waist. Their stance is a little wide, but it’s perfect for standing on their sports stand. When the doll’s waist is twisted back and let go, she can swing at her golf, tennis or soft balls. When pushed down, the right arm springs back up which lets her punch a volleyball. There’s a base for the doll to stand on and either a hanging apparatus or stand for the ball. 
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​When it came to fashions, in addition to the sport sets, there is an Awards Night Set, with either a tennis or golf outfit, evening gown and accessories. There were stylish outfits too, like crop tops, bell bottomed jeans and funky platforms. Dusty and Skye could wear each other's clothes.

There was a trade-in Dusty that you could buy for just $1.99. Compared to the original Dusty, the trade-in version is easy to identify. She has longer hair, wears a light blue one-piece swim suit, doesn’t have freckles, is unjointed so her arms and legs are straight, and she has pinker lips and a peachier skin tone.

Dusty has a golden palomino horse named Nugget who has a fuzzy coat with a beautiful mane and tail to brush. Nugget's head moves up and down. You can watch Nugget's commercial here. 

Dusty didn’t have many extra items but she does have a 1975 Bubblin’ Bath and Shower with accessories - which is kind of random. I guess being so sporty and sweaty, she needs a lot of baths, lol. Dusty and Skye also have a gymnastic set. Dusty has a boyfriend named Cliff but I’ve never seen him.​ He may have just been a prototype that never went to market.

There’s a British Airways Dusty who’s a flight attendant. There's a Dusty's play-jet, her take on Barbie’s United Airlines Friendship plane. The British Airways jet-setting girl has four international outfits including a kimono, an island look with a hulu skirt and surfboard, a ski jacket and pants with skis, and a safari jumpsuit.

Find your Dusty and Skye dolls on eBay!

#dustydoll #kennerdusty #70sdusty #skyedoll #kennerskye #70sskye #nugget #dustyshorse #kennerhorse #palomino #70sdolls #notbarbie

​​(Article updated: October 2024)

A plastic tan never fades! In 1971, Barbie kissed her mod years goodbye and welcomed Malibu Barbie #1067. She rocked the quintessential California surfer girl vibe with her blissfully tanned skin, blue eyes and platinum blonde hair – even though her roots peg her to be a native of Willows, Wisconsin! With California’s white beaches and Pacific blue waves, Malibu was the perfect setting for a new Barbie lifestyle. Golden couple, Malibu Barbie and Malibu Ken, could paddle out into the ocean to surf, roller skate on the boardwalk, make sandcastles or picnic at the beach, or lay out and soak up the rays. (Barbie recommends always wearing sunscreen!)

Mattel gave Malibu Barbie a fresh look. For the first time, she featured an open smile and her coy, sideways glance was updated to forward-looking eyes. Her TNT face was replaced with the Stacey face mold. She has long, straight, blonde hair with a slight off-center part and a smile much like Marcia Brady’s. (Marsha Marsha Marsha!) Her lashes are painted on and she has soft coral lips. Malibu Barbie was ready for the surf in her powder blue swimsuit, lavender goggle glasses on top of her head and a yellow beach towel. Each doll in the Malibu series came with a different colored beach towel. Although not confirmed by Mattel, the inspiration for Malibu Barbie is thought to be Sharon Tate's character, Malibu, in the 1967 film, Don't Make Waves. 
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​Malibu Barbie established a look that first springs to mind, even to this day, when someone says “Barbie.” I was obsessed with the Sun Set Malibu dolls as a little girl in the early 70s. I dreamed of being a Cali girl. I grew up in Wisconsin and, in the late-90s, I moved to San Diego where I still reside. Coincidence? Was Malibu Barbie my inspiration? Especially since she, too, is from Wisconsin? :-)​

Twist 'n Turn Barbie (#1160), also known as TNT Barbie, debuted in 1967. The first Barbie doll with bendable legs was the "Miss Barbie" released in 1964. This doll also featured movable eyelids, allowing it to appear as if it were sleeping. The next Barbie model to feature bendable legs was the "American Girl Barbie" released in 1965. The TNT Barbie, however, was the first who could turn at the waist! She was a dynamite addition to the prior static dolls who didn’t twist. A pivoting waist added playtime fun and more pose options. She wore a salmon-colored bikini featuring a groovy net cover-up, and she kept the red fingernail and toenail polish that were a hallmark of earlier Barbie dolls. Check out her 1967 commercial!

In response to rapidly changing styles and ideals of beauty, the Barbie face of 1959 wasn't relevant for the mod fashions dominating the fashion runways. Mattel's designers re-launched Barbie with a brand new look. Now featuring long, rooted eyelashes and a more youthful face, TNT Barbie was given a trendy hairstyle of straight chest-length hair with bangs. TNT Barbie’s new rooted lashes made her eyes as dramatic as those of Twiggy, the famous 60s British model. Mattel also made a Twiggy Barbie doll in 1967, its first doll based on a real person. ​​

The TNT doll's flowing straight locks got a boost in color and, for the first time, her super-shiny hair was given a description. Hair wasn't just blonde, brunette or titian (red). That wasn’t fashion-forward enough for a model! Now her hair came in Sun Kissed (light blonde), Summer Sand (grayish blonde - which I have in my collection, see side photo), Red/Titian (rare), Platinum (rare), Go Go Co Co (brownette), and Chocolate Bon Bon (dark brown).

In an interesting marketing move, Mattel initiated a trade-in promotion for the popular TNT Barbie. Mattel promised children they could exchange any old doll and pay $1.50 to acquire the all-new Twist 'n Turn Barbie. The trade-in dolls (#1162) were identical to regular TNTs, but they sealed in a plastic bag and packaged in a slim pink box.

There's no doubt this was a turning point doll for Mattel. It was a departure from the doll's earlier more staunch, proper look. Pop culture strongly influenced Barbie doll fashions and attitude, which continued throughout Barbie history. The movin' groovin' world of the late '60s, with its mod haircuts, micro-minis, and moon boots, inspired Mattel designers to create a new line of clothes for Barbie and her teenage friends.  
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• 1967 Twist 'n Turn Barbie #1160
  • NRFB $600 - $875 (blonde + brunette), $1,200 - $1,500 (redhead)
  • Mint/Complete $275 - $375 (blonde + brunette), $450 - $600 (redhead) 
• 1968 Twist 'n Turn Barbie (Trade In) #1160
  • NRFB $475 - $575 (blonde + brunette), $875 - $975 (redhead)
  • Mint/Complete $275 - $375 (blonde + brunette), $450 - $600 (redhead) 

Values from The Complete and Unauthorized Guide to Vintage Barbie Dolls, Hillary Shilkitus James, 2nd Edition, 2011
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​Sources: The Best of Barbie, Sharon Korbeck 2001; Barbie Doll Photo Album 1959 to 2009, J. Michael Augustyniak 2010
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#tntbarbie #tnt #twistnturnbarbie #twistnturn #1967barbie #1968barbie #60sbarbie

UPDATED JULY 2024: Ken and Brad are best of friends. They’ve likely bonded because they both know what it feels like to be living in their girlfriends Barbie’s and Christie’s shadow. You know, the purse holder at a Red Carpet event, while the women do their step and repeat, haha! I have to admit, among my extensive Barbie collection, I only have a few Kens and one Brad. So, I’ve decided to give them some love and let them be in the spotlight for a change! Ken also had friends named Allan and Curtis.
 
Ken Carson was born on March 11, 1961 and stood at 12” high. Ruth Handler, prior President of Mattel and inventor of the iconic Barbie, named Ken after her son and Barbie after her daughter. 

Ken’s history from 1961 – 1975
Ken #0750 was introduced in 1961 as Barbie’s boyfriend. According to toy maker Mattel — Barbie met Ken on the set of a TV commercial in 1961. He’s 12” tall with flocked hair (blonde, brunette or light brown) with blue eyes and wears red swim trunks and cork sandals. Later in 1961, Mattel swapped out his yellow beach towel for a red and white striped beach jacket. Mattel felt he was under-dressed in just his swim trunks! The following year in 1962, Ken wears the same outfit but has a newly sculpted head with painted hair in blonde or brunette. In 1963, he remained the same except that he was 1/4 inch shorter; the only time Mattel produced a shorter version of Ken. In 1965, Ken #1020 had lifelike, bendable knees that clicked. Available in blonde or brunette, he wears a blue jacket with a “K” decal and red shorts and sandals.
 
No new Ken doll was produced in 1968 but Talking Ken #1111 was introduced in 1969. He now has a more bulked-up, buff body. He must have spent 1968 lifting at the gym! He has bendable legs and a new painted head mold with a more current looking face. He wears red shorts with a red jacket. 1970’s Talking Ken wears orange shorts with a blue jacket and orange stripe. 1970 also brought New Good Lookin’ Talking Ken #1124. OUCH. Were they implying Ken wasn’t good looking before? They wouldn’t be wrong, ha! 

1971 blonde Malibu Ken #1088 was a hit! He wears red swim trunks and comes with a blue towel. He and Malibu Barbie made a powerful “it couple” cruising Malibu beach in their yellow dune buggy with their beautiful tans, bright smiles and laid-back surfer vibes. Read more about the Malibu crew at modbarbies.com/mod-barbies-blog/the-history-of-malibu-barbie​. #APlasticTanNeverFades

Live Action Ken #1159 debuted in 1971. He joins my Live Action Barbie, Christie and P.J. so now they make up a band and, man, can they groove! They have a new body construction that allows them to dance on their Touch ‘N Go stand. Ken wears flashy, satiny gold pants (sa-weeeet!), a multicolor shirt, a brown suede fringed vest and brown shoes. Later that year, they added a stage with a microphone, mod stickers you could apply, and a record with two hit sides with a sheet of lyrics. He was Live Action Ken on Stage #1172. There was also a Live Action Barbie and P.J. on Stage.

1972 brought a number of Ken dolls. Busy Ken #3314 in an orange or red tank top worn with a brown belt, jeans and white sneakers. The new holdin’ hands feature had jointed elbows, thumbs and wrists that allowed the doll to realistically hold things including a portable TV, a soda set, a travel case with stickers, a record player and a telephone; the kind you had to use your finger to dial! His inner circle included Busy Barbie and Busy Steffie. Mattel produced a 1972 Talking Busy Ken #1196 wearing a blue and red print shirt with a brown belt, red corduroy pants and brown shoes. The last Ken doll produced in 1972 was Walk Lively Ken #1184 who wears a blue polo with plaid pants and brown shoes. Joining him was Walk Lively Barbie and Walk Lively Steffie.
 
Other Kens in the 70s include 1973 Mod Hair Ken #4224, the first Ken doll with rooted hair. He only came in brunette and had facial stickers to give him a mustache, sideburns and a beard When he wears the 'stash, he gives off a Freddie Mercury vibe! He wore a brown and white plaid jacket, white shirt, brown pants and brown shoes. 1974 brought the Sports Set Sun Valley Ken #7809 who wears a blue ski suit with a red turtleneck, and red skis. The Sports Set also included Sun Valley Barbie, Newport Barbie and Yellowstone Kelley. In 1975, there was a Funtime Ken #7194 in blue swim trunks. The set also includes Funtime Barbie, Funtime Cara (who is identical to 1973 Malibu Christie), Funtime Skipper and her girlfriend Funtime Skooter.
 
1975 Free Moving Ken #7280 wears a red and white striped polo and attached white shorts. Basically, a onesie! No judgment here. :-) His ensemble includes a red belt, white sneakers, white socks with red and green stitching, a gray plastic golf club and tennis racquet with a ball. There was a Gold Medal Ken doll skier #7261; commemorating the 1976 Winter Olympics in Montreal, Canada.
 
Ken’s friends
In 1964, Mattel introduced a friend for Ken named Allan #1000, and he was touted as “Ken’s buddy.” He has painted red hair and rust-colored eyes, wearing blue swim trunks and a multicolor striped shirt. Allan came with bendable legs the following year, just like his pal Ken.

1970 Bendable Leg Brad #1142 is the first black male doll in the Barbie line. He was introduced in the latter part of 1970. Such a handsome dude. My Brad is looking pretty groovy in his denim shirt flanked with flowers and jeans (see first pic in blog post). He comes in an orange shirt with orange and brown print shorts. Earlier that year, Brad debuted as New Talking Brad #1114 and was introduced on the box as Christie’s boyfriend. He wore orange shorts with a colorful orange, yellow and olive jacket to match 1970 Talking Christie’s outfit. #CoupleGoals Unfortunately, he was only produced from 1970 – 1972.

In 1975, a black male doll was introduced by Mattel and his name was Free Moving Curtis #7282. He's hard to find and fetches a nice price. He has the Brad head mold and his outfit is identical to Free Moving Ken’s but in orange. Curtis is Cara's boyfriend. There is also a Free Moving Barbie, Free Moving P.J. and Free Moving Cara. The Free Moving dolls have a tab on their backs that allow their body to rotate, bend or twist. They came with golf clubs, tennis rackets and balls. The clubs and rackets could be attached to the dolls' hands.
 
But we were on a break!
Interestingly, in the past 63 years, Barbie and Ken have never gotten engaged nor married. In fact, they were on a bit of a break from February 2004 to February 2006. Barbie started dating hunky Australian surfer Blaine. Ken resurfaced with a makeover in 2006. Coincidence? Hmmmm… Not to fret, our love birds reconnected and have been living happily ever together since – albeit in different homes. There’s still no ring on Barbie’s finger. Ken, you know what Beyonce has to say about THAT. Then again, knowing how independent Barbie is – she probably doesn’t want a ring! You go girl. 

FIND YOUR MOD KEN, BRAD OR CURTIS ON EBAY!

1968 Talking Ken #1111; $175 - $225 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box​
​1970 Sun Set Malibu Ken #1088; $75 - $150 NRFB and $25 - $45 Mint/No Box
1970 Talking Brad #1114; $100 - $175 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box
1970 Live Action Ken #1159; $200 - $275 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box
1971 Busy (w/Holdin' Hands) Ken #3314; $200 - $275 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box
1971 Walk Lively Ken #1184; $175 - $225 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box 
1972 Mod Hair Ken #4224; $75 - $125 NRFB and $50 - $75 Mint/No Box
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Doll values from:  Hillary James, The Complete & Unauthorized Guide to Vintage Barbie Dolls 2nd Edition, 2011

#KenDoll #Ken #BarbiesBoyfriend #Mattel #BradDoll #NewTalkingBrad #CurtisDoll #VintageKen #ModKen #FreeMovingKen #LiveActionKen #ModHairKen #BusyKen #TalkingKen #WalkLivelyKen #FreeMovingCurtis #Barbie #ModBarbie #VintageBarbie

Trend-setting Barbie was living in her 3-story posh beach townhouse tooling around town in her pink Star 'Vette sports car. Dawn sashayed down her fashion show stage and zipped around in her pink convertible action car. Fashionista Tuesday Taylor entertained her highbrow, cosmopolitan friends in a beautiful penthouse apartment. Then... there was The Sunshine Family. A fashionable and luxurious lifestyle was definitely not their vibe!

This salt-of-the-earth hippie family wove macrame belts and purses and made pretty flower pots. They probably also embroidered jeans, baked granola and tie-dyed vintage T-shirts. They made their living selling these treasures to local folks from their mobile craft store in the Piggyback Shack on the back of their far-out yellow van. 

Mattel produced The Sunshine Family (SF) from 1974 - 1978 and they were 9" tall. The first set of dolls included Dad Steve, Mom Steffie and Baby Sweets. All of the adult dolls were made of soft, posable vinyl with jointed knees. They wore prairie dresses, peasant blouses, bell bottoms, turtlenecks, cords, rainbow striped tank tops and sandals.  I'm willing to bet they recycled and were vegan! Next came The Sunshine Family's white-haired grandparents and family pets, a friendly cat (pic below) and playful dog.

In 1975, before the second issue of SF in 1976, Mattel added groovy African-American neighbors, The Happy Family, along with their set of grandparents. The Happy Family set included Dad Hal, Mom Hattie and baby Hon. One doll you don't hear much about is SF's red-haired aunt and cousin (a baby). All SF dolls were made the same size and shape.
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Initially, the dolls' fashions were DIY and you could customize the threads yourself. The second series SF fashions were redesigned and looked a little more modern. Steve wore jeans instead of khaki pants and another red turtleneck but in a brighter color and different fabric. Steffie had a more noticeable update. Her granny-style dress with the apron was replaced with a cooler jumper dress over a short-sleeved red blouse. Her hair was shorter, blonder and styled a bit differently. Check out their different fashions.

In the last year of production in 1978, the third series of The Sunshine Family was updated and changed its name to, "The Sunshine Fun Family." The African-American dolls were renamed "The Happy Fun Family."

​Click here to find your Sunshine Family dolls on eBay!

​Baby Sweets grew up to be big sister Sweets Sunshine and the family added an unnamed cute, freckle-faced baby boy with red hair. The box the new family came packaged in says, "And now there are 4! Mom, Dad, big sister and baby brother having fun together!" Dad Steve had a new outfit along with a funky, tight-curled hairstyle. Mom Stephie wore a new dress, had longer hair with a more natural color and upped her game with eye shadow and lipstick! Blonde-haired Sweets had orange ribbons in her ponytails and wore a cute orange jumper with matching orange shoes. The baby donned a jumper with a white top and brown shorts that matched the Dad's new outfit. The Happy Family also came in a family of four with big sister Hon Happy. The little girl versions of Sweets Sunshine and especially Hon Happy are probably the hardest to find of the SF dolls because they were only produced for about a year.

The Sunshine Family's modest (vinyl fold-out) one-bedroom home had a wood-burning furnace, rocking chair, kitchenette set, bed and other accessories and furniture. The house was comprised of a bedroom, kitchen, patio and living room. The Sunshine Fun Family got an updated house that included a kiddie pool and swing set. Each Sunshine family of dolls and each family accessory came with its own things-to-make Idea Book. It gave kids suggestions on how to creatively decorate The Sunshine Family's home with odds-n-ends around the house. You could grow potato plants in tiny paper cups, braid yarn to make a rug, make a sofa out of a milk carton or build an ice cream stick fence.

The eco-conscious Sunshine Family had other cool things like a  Craft Store that came with a functional spinning wheel and pottery stand, a 2-story farm complete with a cow you could milk, ababy's nursery and a 3-wheeled Surrey bicycle the family could ride together. You could also purchase separate fashions, coloring books and paper dolls.

In our bicentennial year, 1976, a set of dolls were released called the Star Spangled dolls. These were my least favorite. The collection included blonde-haired Miss Alison Thompson (Colonial Girl #7941) in a long blue and yellow dress with a white wrap; Rosa Lee Linden (Southern Belle #7939) with long red hair wearing a floral dress and straw hat; brunette Sara Jane Benson (Pioneer Daughter #7940) wearing a pink bonnet, long purple dress and floral purple shawl; Indian Maiden #7938; Regina and Richard Stanton (Liberty Patriots #7944); Jazz Performers #7945 and Thanksgiving Pilgrims #7943. 
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Thank you dolls for tripping down memory lane with me! xo

​Find Sunshine Family dolls on eBay in this link below!