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These are dolls we got for Halloween (or on Halloween) over the years!
Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l8ZGImKZzA
BOX DATE: 2000
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Belinda; Desiree; Liana; Tamika; Maria; Tommy
BODY TYPE: 1994; articulated knees; strung hips
HEAD MOLD: 1994 "Open mouth"
BOX DATE: 2000
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Belinda; Desiree; Liana; Tamika; Maria; Tommy
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I'll admit that as a kid, I was guilty of buying a vast majority of my dolls for their outfits. But strangely, that wasn't the case at all when it came to my Kelly collection. On the contrary, I made my purchases solely based on which dolls I was the most taken with...which ones were the most unique! That meant that many of their original outfits were not the best for play. This Tamika ensemble is one of them. I don't ever remember playing with it as I found it to be super tacky. And the skirt didn't stay on well. But I did have fun with Tamika's wand and her beautiful silver slippers. And Tamika herself was one of my most played with dolls. Even though this ensemble was never a favorite, I always wanted to have a second one for my duplicated doll. When I rescued Tamika #2 from the "Kelly bin" of 2014, she only had her sash and a few accessories. It took me nearly three years to get a hold of the second leotard, from the "$5 Bin Bonanza." Words cannot describe how much I beamed seeing my once shabby flea market Tamika wearing her complete outfit...there is no better feeling in the world!
BOX DATE: 2000
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Belinda; Desiree; Liana; Tamika; Maria; Tommy
BODY TYPE: 1994; articulated knees; strung hips
HEAD MOLD: 1994 "Open mouth"
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I could write a novel dedicated to my childhood Tamika doll, shown on the left side of this photo. She was hands down one of my favorite, most played with Kelly dolls of all time. I have bucket loads of good memories that include this doll, and every time I look into her eyes, I can't help but feel this warm and fuzzy feeling. What would my Kelly collection be without this doll? She is definitely to this day one of the most important Kelly dolls I own. In 2002, Colleen and I finally reached a peace treaty over our raging Kelly war that had been going on since I was maybe six years old. Colleen was not willing to share her Kelly dolls for years, and when she was done playing with them, she didn't think anyone should. But after getting a little older, a little more mature, and a lot more generous, Colleen had a change of heart. Plus, my interest in Kelly dolls was a lot more pure by the time I was ten/eleven...I wasn't just pining for them because they were the "forbidden fruit" so to speak. And so we agreed that Colleen could play with all our Stacie and Skipper dolls, and I could have her whole Kelly collection. From there, our hoard of Kelly dolls blossomed. Not only did I fix up all of Colleen's shabby Kelly dolls, but I also acquired upgrades of all the ones I could find lurking around the flea market. On top of that, I found my own taste in Kelly dolls, and I started adding newer ones to my collection. Colleen always preferred the baby faced Lil' Friends of Kelly dolls, but I found myself attracted to the more mature looking, narrow eyed Kelly Club generation. I also was always one to fancy ethnic dolls, especially African American ones. So you can imagine how taken I was when I found Tamika, I believe at KB Toys, one Friday night. I didn't' buy Kelly dolls for their clothes, I bought them based on who I thought was exceedingly cute or pretty. I had no need for Tamika's tacky performance outfit, but I NEEDED Tamika in my life. I loved her warm brown eyes and her textured hair. Plus, her articulated legs had some advantages (and some disadvantages albeit). She was often the older sister to my blonde Bathtime Fun Kelly and Natasha (Stroll 'n Play Krissy). I will never forget those sunny afternoons spent in Colleen's now bedroom, sprawled out in my Kelly bedroom setup, with Tamika dressed up in all sorts of cute fashion packs, playing with her toys.
When I got my second Tamika doll, on the right, as an adult, I felt the same warm and fuzzy feeling rushing back. I didn't have a "need" for another Tamika doll, as mine had fared surprisingly well despite the hours of play and love she lived through. But having two of something you are so obsessed with only feels natural! She was part of the "Kelly bin" of 2014. I was a proud doll mama that day, as I unearthed another Performer Tamika from the masses of Kelly dolls and playsets. I felt as if I had known this doll my entire doll collecting existence...it's probably because she was such a familiar face. If I had owned this second Tamika doll as a kid, I would have loved making the pair of them twins. Especially since finding African American Kelly dolls was never as easy as finding blonde ones. I was even more proud the day I finally mated Miss Tamika with the rest of her original outfit in 2017. Nothing felt better than seeing my adopted friend wearing her factory ensemble all these years later!