BOX DATE: 1991
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Barbie; Ken; Skipper; Courtney
VARIATIONS: Blonde; African American; brunette
BODY TYPE: 1966; Twist 'n Turn waist; bent arms; ring hole; bend & snap knees
HEAD MOLD: 1976 "Superstar"; pierced ears
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I must admit that I'm very grateful that all three of my blonde Totally Hair Barbies have full length tresses. My Cut and Style Barbie luck has not been as great--only one of my three has her original tresses intact. But that being said, over the years I've encountered many Totally Hair Barbies with horrendous hairdos. Some were even given pixie cuts. To some extent I can understand the butchering. As a child, caring for such long, kanekalon hair was difficult. I know I had no idea how to properly care for long haired dolls when I was young, other than keeping their hair styled in braids. But in some cases, I think the haircuts were just plain cruel, and were meant with malice. Anyways, my doll on the far right was a childhood purchase. I can no longer remember if she was part of a larger lot of dolls, or if perhaps I bought her separately. Both scenarios make sense, as I would have been likely to get her separately. I already had my beloved brunette Totally Hair Barbie by the time the blonde joined the collection. I would have made note of their similar triangular earrings and very long hair styles. Even though I didn't know the name of this collection as a kid, I did know that Kim (brunette Barbie) was related to this blondie. There is also the probability that she joined the family in one of the various doll lots Dad bought us at the flea market circa 2004. I know I got several dresses from bins, not to mention the spare Totally Hair earrings my Alison (Cool Times Barbie) has worn for years. I do recall finding several butchered blonde Totally Hair Barbies in at least a few of these lots. Either way, she is a very special lady, as I've had her for so long. I remember that it was this doll that prompted me to learn the boil wash. In 2011, I began collecting again after a five year hiatus. I was attempting to go through all my childhood friends and spruce them up. I had decent luck fixing up a few of my DIsney dolls with my childhood technique--shampooing, conditioning, and then blow drying their hair. But this was not working for the very fuzzy kanekalon tresses on Totally Hair Barbie. I would not accept this as her final state, so I took to the internet to do some research and found the boil wash. The rest is history, and the fate of my doll collection was changed forever!
In the fall of 2012, I acquired my second gal, in the middle of this photo. It is very apparent that she is the superior specimen. Not only do some of her original crimps remain, but she also has a much fuller, thicker head of hair. I got her in the "Happy Family Bin" along with mostly 2000s Barbies. I could tell that her previous owner took a great deal of pride in this doll. Barbie's hair was carefully braided so it wouldn't get tangled or destroyed. There was no evidence that it had ever been cut or otherwise tampered with. I was very fond of this doll from the get go for this reason. She reminded me of my long haired childhood friends, who I also styled similarly in braids, to protect their manes. Although I always feel extra protective of the pitiful, unloved dolls I find, I also share a soft spot for those who were clearly very loved and respected in their former lives! I believe I already had an outfit waiting for this girl at home, although she may have arrived with a few of her things!
Now, the doll on the far left is the most sentimental indeed. She was the lone secondhand Barbie Colleen and I got for Christmas 2021. Usually, our relative Ray picks out boxed dolls for our Christmas gifts. He had so generously done this since 2013. It always means the world to us that he goes through all the trouble of selecting special dolls every year. Colleen unwrapped this Totally Hair Barbie, while I was opening Walking Barbie and Baby Sister Krissy. I'm not sure if this gal came from the same seller as the other boxed dolls (which also included Olympic Gymnast and Back-to-School). In years past, Ray purchased the dolls off eBay, including some used ones from the 80s we got in 2019. Anyways, Auntie Sue jokingly said that Barbie needed some work done to her. She had no idea that I could actually put fresh crimps in her hair. I was SO excited to do this...while I was at it, I also crimped my doll in the middle of this photo and my brunette lady. My childhood blondie had such little hair left, and she had some shorter bits. I figured the crimps would end up looking frizzy on her. Plus the sleek ponytail look makes her stand out. The cool thing about the doll from Ray is that she has the same face as my childhood doll! She was wearing her dress, earrings, and even her little shoes. I swapped her dress for the one Alison had been wearing in storage (Cool Times Barbie I mentioned before). The one on Miss Totally Hair had some damage to the front. Being such a stunning doll otherwise, she deserved the nicer outfit. Perhaps I'm bias because this doll is so sentimental...but I think she's the prettiest of the three!
