1971 Malibu Francie
Malibu Barbie has a cousin, sun-kissed Malibu Francie. And there is a rare brunette Japanese Sun Sun Malibu Francie also produced in 1971.
1971 Sun Set Malibu Francie
1971 Japanese Sun Sun Malibu Francie (rare)
1971 Malibu Francie
Hi Dolls!
How's your summer so far? Are you indulging in fruity umbrella drinks with wide-brimmed hats and cool retro shades at the pool with a good book like me?! With the arrival of bikini season, I'm going to feature one of my favorite dolls (I know, I say that about all of them!) from my personal collection, Malibu Barbie's cousin, sun-kissed Malibu Francie #1068. And there is a rare brunette Japanese Sun Sun Malibu Francie also produced in 1971.
The Sun Set Malibu group of tanned friends also included Malibu P.J., Malibu Skipper and Malibu Ken. In 1973, Malibu Christie #7745 was introduced and I thought she was one of the prettiest dolls I had ever seen. I was lucky enough that my family purchased all of these dolls for me! I grew up in Wisconsin, but with my strong affinity towards these dolls, I knew I was destined someday for SoCal. And voila, I've lived in San Diego for almost 20 years now!
The introduction of the Sun Set family was an off the charts hit but, as Stephanie Deutsch (author of Barbie the First 30 Years) notes, it sadly marked the beginning of the end of the "Golden Time of Vintage Barbie dolls." The following mass-produced, low-budget Barbies lacked the quality (lashes, elaborate hairstyles) and flair of the early Barbie dolls that collectors love so much.
How's your summer so far? Are you indulging in fruity umbrella drinks with wide-brimmed hats and cool retro shades at the pool with a good book like me?! With the arrival of bikini season, I'm going to feature one of my favorite dolls (I know, I say that about all of them!) from my personal collection, Malibu Barbie's cousin, sun-kissed Malibu Francie #1068. And there is a rare brunette Japanese Sun Sun Malibu Francie also produced in 1971.
The Sun Set Malibu group of tanned friends also included Malibu P.J., Malibu Skipper and Malibu Ken. In 1973, Malibu Christie #7745 was introduced and I thought she was one of the prettiest dolls I had ever seen. I was lucky enough that my family purchased all of these dolls for me! I grew up in Wisconsin, but with my strong affinity towards these dolls, I knew I was destined someday for SoCal. And voila, I've lived in San Diego for almost 20 years now!
The introduction of the Sun Set family was an off the charts hit but, as Stephanie Deutsch (author of Barbie the First 30 Years) notes, it sadly marked the beginning of the end of the "Golden Time of Vintage Barbie dolls." The following mass-produced, low-budget Barbies lacked the quality (lashes, elaborate hairstyles) and flair of the early Barbie dolls that collectors love so much.
1971 Sun Set Malibu Francie - Values: $175 - $225 NRFB; $50 - $75 mint/no box
Values from "Vintage Barbie Dolls" by Hillary Shilkitus James (2011)
Values from "Vintage Barbie Dolls" by Hillary Shilkitus James (2011)
It's nice to see someone who loves Barbie so much when the hobby of Barbie collecting sadly seems to be waning. I collect Barbie and her friends and family also, for 12 years now. I'm enjoying your blog a lot.
My first Barbie was a Malibu Barbie so I'm partial to the Malibu's, all of them. Malibu Francie just looks so happy, and why not, she's going to the beach!
I used to live in San Diego for about 5 years and I loved it too. Still think of it as home though I've lived in the Midwest for 33 years now. In the city I live in, I've not found any other Barbie or even fashion doll collectors. So, as you can imagine, reading blogs from other enthusiastic doll collectors is my only way right now of sharing the hobby.
I look forward to reading more posts and seeing more pictures of our favorite dolls. Best Wishes, Evie
For the sake of still having space to walk around in my doll room I've changed my buying habits a lot recently and now I mainly buy doll clothes to outfit all those dolls I found without them. It's still such a thrill but rare to find a Mod outfit in decent shape locally.
Hope you post more often in the future. Maybe share some personal stories about your dolls? I love to read doll holy grail stories, don't you?