Author's collection
Author's collection
1972 Pose 'n Play Tiff & 1971 New Living Fluff: Skipper's Groovy Friends
I've been coveting a 1972 Pose 'n Play Tiff doll for AGES! She's one of Skipper's rarest friends from Mattel's Mod Era, and every time I spotted one on eBay, she was either outrageously expensive or in less-than-stellar condition.
Then, one magical day, I found her! A beautiful Tiff doll in fantastic condition for $280! I've seen Tiffs in worse shape selling for twice that amount, so I couldn't resist. When she arrived, I swear the skies parted and I heard angels sing!
She's so freaking cute I can't stand it! Her long red hair, sweet face and tomboy style are absolutely irresistible. And now she's joined another rare Skipper friend in my collection, 1971 New Living Fluff.
These two groovy girls share more than their adorable faces. They have the same posable body, came with skateboards and were each produced for only a short time.
1972 Pose 'n Play Tiff: Skipper's Tomboy Friend
Introduced in 1972, Pose 'n Play Tiff #1199 was advertised as Skipper's "tomboy" friend. She replaced New Living Fluff, who had debuted just a year earlier.
Tiff shared Fluff's adorable face mold and the same articulated, posable body used for Pose 'n Play Skipper. Unlike blonde Fluff, Tiff had long, straight Titan-red hair and painted eyelashes instead of rooted lashes.
And her wardrobe? No fancy dresses for this girl! Tiff wore a casual white tank top, blue jeans and sneakers; and came with a red skateboard. Her outfit featured fun removable decals with words like "Stop," "Go" and "Help."
Tiff was discontinued in 1973, giving her a very short production run. Today, she's one of the harder-to-find friends of Skipper, especially in beautiful condition with her original clothing and accessories.
A collector's note: The articulated bodies used for Tiff, Fluff and Skipper can develop problems with the shoulder and hip joints, including plastic deterioration or melting. Finding well-preserved examples with intact joints can be a challenge.
1970 Dramatic New Living Skipper (author's collection)
1971 New Living Fluff
Before Tiff arrived on the scene, there was New Living Fluff #1143, introduced in 1971 as Dramatic New Living Skipper's playmate (see above photos). Learn more about this Skipper in my blog post here. Fluff was Skipper's first new friend since Skooter and Ricky retired in 1967. Apparently, Skipper had been following big sis Barbie around so much that she told her to go make some new friends. Ha!
Fluff was available only as a blonde. She styled her hair in two adorable pigtails tied with orange bows, with bangs and cute little pin curls framing her face. Her pretty brown eyes featured rooted eyelashes.
Fluff's outfit was a colorful combination of yellow, orange and green stripes. Her one-piece jumper featured a bright orange vinyl skirt with two yellow buttons and attached shorts underneath.
Fluff introduced a new face mold that Mattel would reuse for Tiff the following year. She also had the same articulated, posable body used for Dramatic New Living Skipper and later Pose 'n Play Tiff.
And what did this fashionable young lady bring along? A yellow skateboard! Apparently, skateboarding was all the rage with Skipper's friends.
Like Tiff, Fluff was produced for only a short time, making her difficult to find today. I was thrilled to add one in minty condition to my collection!
1971 Sears Exclusive Living Fluff Sunshine Special Gift Set
As if the original Living Fluff weren't cute enough, Sears offered an exclusive Living Fluff Sunshine Special gift set #1249 in 1971. This fabulous set included a Living Fluff doll, with slightly lighter blonde hair, wearing her original playsuit. But the real attraction was her additional five-piece fashion ensemble.
The wardrobe included:
- Red velvet pants trimmed with yellow and blue rickrack
- A knee-length ruffled skirt with a matching red headscarf
- A gold velvet vest with red trim
- Coordinating opaque gold tights
- A white peasant blouse decorated with yellow, red and blue rickrack
The set also included flat gold shoes and Fluff's cool skateboard. The clothing featured Skipper labels, and the doll had the same markings as the original Living Fluff. This Sears exclusive is VERY hard to find today. What a fabulous addition it would make to any vintage Skipper collection!
Two Groovy Girls on Skateboards!
One of my favorite things about Tiff and Fluff is that both came with skateboards. These girls were ready for adventure!
Speaking of skateboards, I attempted to ride a plastic yellow skateboard back in 1976. After one push off with my foot, I immediately landed on my butt on the sidewalk and never tried again. Mostly a bruised ego, lol.
After Tiff's departure, Skipper wouldn't get another new friend until 1976, when Growing Up Ginger arrived on the scene. I have a blog post about Ginger here.
Tiff and Fluff may have had brief appearances in Mattel's lineup, but they certainly left an impression on collectors. With their adorable faces and colorful fashions, they're wonderful examples of the creativity and personality that made the early 1970s such a fun era for Barbie and her friends.
Want to see more? Check out this wonderful video featuring Fluff and Tiff by Kewpie83.