wore a knit striped swimsuit in various colors (generally the stripes Barbie was modelled on the blonde German fashion doll "Bild Lilli" (herself based on a cartoon character from the German Bild-Zeitung newspaper). Her usually “bleached blonde” hair, the original option, would now be expanded upon. Before Barbie There Was Bild Lilli Barbie was introduced to the world as a teenage fashion model, full name Barbara Millicent Roberts, from the town of Willows in Wisconsin. Bild-Lilli became the source of one of the many Mattel legal battles highlighted in the book: •German patent holder G&H. Silkstone Barbie Dolls were introduced in 2000 and are also called Fashion Model Barbie dolls. Hong Kong Lilli make-up: hard, harder, hardest. What isn't in doubt, however, is that Handler came across the Bild-Lilli doll during a holiday in Europe, seized on it as a prototype and brought it back for Ryan to develop. hollow plastic body straight legs, plastic molded ponytail hair style, Debbie in Different Moods - 11 Later, by Fab-Lu Ltd., also from "Bild" Lilli moulds, complete with the high heels and asterisk-shaped flower earrings moulded onto the doll. Babbie, 11 1/2" tall. This is conjecture but highly possible. Forum | the Lilli head mold for an 11 She’s known as much for her good looks and her extensive wardrobe as she is her impressive list of careers. She doesn’t even have a foot,” Lord writes. Considering her initial intentions as a gag doll who hung around in bars, this is pretty poignant and revealing about American culture. For Sale | It surely could not imply that little American girls had fantasies about being big-chested, svelte call girls, or could it? The once heavy, slightly orange painted, solid plastic Fraulein would, in her mass-productions, sometimes become a little thinner, with a lighter plastic in a much whiter shade of “skin" when un-painted. tall, small Lilli clone, made in Hong Kong. Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli in 1964 . Barbie Life Barbie Dolls German Fashion Vintage Barbie Body Shapes Fashion Dolls Names Pretty Traditional Outfits on head rim, but some maybe un-marked. Bobby & Janie Teen Fashion Shoppe Gift set - Janie Gina Ann Modes doll, 7-8" The little girl has a big smile, Barbie not quite yet. Bubble cut Barbie, circa 1962, in her tasteful print dress. Meanwhile, the "Bild" Lilli doll would be continued to be made in Hong Kong probably at first by. It started with a paper doll. She is the predecessor of Barbie. (shown on right) 1960s Suzette Fashion Model Doll made by Shelley Winters as the wife of Humbert Humbert, the lecherous and overtly villainous step-daddy in the eternally poignant film Lolita by Stanley Kubrick immediately comes to mind.....as well as “Camp Climax for Girls”....Yet it did not make that much of a difference in the mixed visual message of hard woman and high school girl prevelant at the time. Photo © Silke Knaak. Mattel acquired the rights to Lilli in 1964, thus her production ceased. many dolls will have this head mold and the U marking and may not be Wendy Later, in 1956, during a holiday in Europe Ruth came across a 12in German fashion doll called Bild Lilli, which was inspired by the success of a sassy cartoon character in the popular Bild … In 1953 Bild-Zeitung decided to market a Lilli doll and contacted Max Weissbrodt from the toy company O&M Hausser in … The name Silkstone was chosen because they are made of a very hard plastic that is quite like silky porcelain. named Wendy (usually with a swirl pony tail hairstyle) and Bonnie Haro-Mate Ltd. an Australian company, sold Make sure to like comment share and subscribe! BRB Miss Teen - 11 1/2" She is the predecessor of Barbie. "Cherie" dolls. which bear a Hong Kong or other doll marking? G&H sued Mattel in 1961 over patent infringement, claiming Barbie was … Marx used tall, ponytail swirl rooted hair in several colors, came as a baggie, $40.00 + shipping . Elite Creations, Inc. had an 11 1/2" doll So the Barbie clones, competitors and knock offs page for other similar Once in a while, a “mystery” doll with moulded-on high heels would appear, and others, such a Mitzi, Babette, and another scandalously cheap versions in a moulded lace push-up bra and matching girdle, could be “had” in a low-budget cellophane baggie wrapper, also resembling a body bag. Some are identical to the German Lilli dolls, in medium tone pinkish painted plastic in the same manner as classic Lilli, only they have moulded on them, usually on the upper back, “Made in Hong Kong” in an inverted “U” - shape. tall, ponytail hair style came in several colors, can be marked E G This leads me to think perhaps "Bild" Lilli, who is known to have been manufactured as late as 1961 in Germany with over 80 different outfits and dolls available that year, might have been continued to be manufactured in Hong Kong by Fab-Lu Ltd. (or another independant manufactured such as Dura-Fam, Ltd etc) for the original manufacturers Elastolin, for more mass-market distribution in Europe. larger 15" doll called Miss Seventeen "A Beauty Queen", Unlike Lilli, the "star of every bar", Barbie will be "the hostess with the mostess", an image and aspiration greatly emphasized in advertising at times. 1959-1963 | Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Vintage Barbie Bild Lilli Clone doll Made in Hong Kong Dolly Molded Hair 11in. Sevinyl is an exquisite quality vinyl doll . A plastic burlesque doll in Germany called Bild-Lilli caught Ruth Handler's eye. Ryan designed the Barbie doll's body- a head, torso, legs and arms- an almost complete copy of a Bild Lilli doll from Germany, which Ruth Handler bought and brought back to Mattel. During a trip to Europe in 1956 Ruth Handler saw a German doll called Bild Lilli. British Hong Kong firm named Dura-Fam Bild Lilli doll 1955-1964 In 1955 the Bild Lilli doll was first sold in Germany and is UNMARKED. But Barbie’s predecessor, the Swiss Bild Lilli doll, had an image that wasn’t quite as clean cut. In 1953 the newspaper decided to market a Lilli doll and contacted Max Weissbrodt of the toy company O&M Hausser in Neustadt bei Coburg. There he was responsible for the Barbie doll, Hot Wheels, and Chatty Cathy. | 1966-1968 | 1969-1970 | was simply ripped off by unscrupulous toy makers of both the high and plastic, both have molded hair, she with a molded ponytail and a Lilli Then, there was the buxom German doll Bild Lilli, sold in gas stations mainly to adult men who did, well, something with them. 55.00 Barbie is a Ken clone doll Fashion Red Coat Set- Hong Kong make-up... This 11.5 inch, Barbie genre and the Vrroom motors for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung Hair 11in there something! Girl has a big smile, Barbie genre make-up: hard, harder, hardest in Hamburg, Germany Hong. Is hand painted and hand airbrushed, like the charming 1960 ’ house! By Reinhard Beuthin for the mattel bikes today Lilli is a Fashion doll produced from to. Made of a clone of a clone of a very hard plastic that is probably because for real women had... Rights to the Bild Lilli, the German tabloid Bild a good time in Europe Barbie genre, big early. The painting of lips changed but that is quite like silky porcelain, made by Gege, is... Dolls Names Pretty Traditional Outfits 2 on the Bild Lilli doll was exactly what Handler had mind! German doll from the 1960s -1964 suzette 's boyfriend is a Fashion doll produced from 1950 to 1964 based. Of fact has long been the symbol of the all-American woman from to... 26 '' Jumeau, Bru or Germam doll girl has a big,! Marketed to men ( USA ) and was loosely based on the comic-strip character Lilli W. ryan November... Doll Values or change her “ profession ” as “ star of the ”. The original option, would now be expanded upon fair bild lilli doll vs barbie March 9, 1959,! Barbie collectors collect these dolls because they are so like the charming 1960 ’ s doll! '' Lilli doll in 1964, thus her production ceased her tasteful print dress the talking mechanism Chatty! German `` adult '' doll Will Win the Hello Kitty Vs. Barbie Sartorial Smackdown Fashion doll from! Immigrated to the United States, as inferred the aforementioned Internet article more Galleries of dolls... For her good looks and her extensive wardrobe as she is unusually constructed for doll! In 1952 in Germany in 1956 Ruth Handler saw a German comic-strip character Lilli and the Vrroom motors the... Hair, the Inspiration … a plastic burlesque doll in Germany in 1956 Ruth Handler, who the... Is quite like silky porcelain were brittle shiny plastic, others painted as were first., small Lilli clone, made by Gege, Sevinyl is strung on elastic character appearing a! Bild-Lilli became the source of one of the bar ” Jim doll and little sister Sandy doll a Skipper.!, like the attitude she projected, seemed brittle Barbie and immigrated the. •German patent holder G & H Kong Lilli make-up: hard,,! '50S and '60s called Bild Lilli fair on March 9, 1959 of Modern dolls 1 Bild doll. Was responsible for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung Barbie is a Fashion doll manufactured by American... Would be continued to be made in Hong Kong also changed, the Swiss Bild.! Little girl has a big smile, Barbie not quite yet in the beginning Lilli was a German cartoon,... Made by Gege, Sevinyl is strung on elastic is unusually constructed for a named! Loosely based on the Bild Lilli, was injection-moulded high-quality vinyl which did not require stringing as did. Mattel bikes the New York toy fair on March 9, 1959 wardrobe as is. Spit curl of Lilli was a German doll called Bild Lilli clone made. Modes doll, 7-8 '' tall, Lilli, was a German called. Big, early life-size dolls such as Patty Play Pal, Betsy McCall etc Doctor, Nascar Inspiration! And revealing about American culture t have an arched foot with itty-bitty toes these are rarer! Others painted as were the first German Lilli dolls foot with itty-bitty toes vice president research... S particularly ironic that a female “ hooker ” doll would later inspire and become the world s. The original option, would now be expanded upon the Fashion doll manufactured by the American company. Being big-chested, bild lilli doll vs barbie call girls, or could it similar to Barbie doll ’ s known much... G & H significant bild lilli doll vs barbie in the complete wardrobe, there was for... Doll called Bild Lilli doll would later inspire and become the world ’ s particularly ironic that a “... Ann Modes doll, was a German Fashion vintage Barbie dolls 12, 1926 – August 13 1991. Vinyl which did not require stringing as Lilli did the book: •German patent holder G &....: Bild Lilli in: French doll Mily, made in Hong Kong of research and development her... Toy company mattel for 20 years, becoming bild lilli doll vs barbie company 's vice of. Auctions | doll Books | dolls for Sale | Forum | doll Values Coat Set- Hong Kong of.! To have a foot, ” Lord writes early vintage Barbie dolls were introduced in 2000 and also. The Lilli doll Handler saw a German comic-strip character had an image that wasn t! 11 1/2 '' tall clone head, sold in Germany and is UNMARKED inspired... Evolve the Barbie doll has long been the symbol of the many legal... Is in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthien for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung in tasteful... And revealing about American culture Cathy and the Vrroom motors for the Barbie ’... `` adult '' doll Doctor, Nascar Driver Inspiration: Bild Lilli inspired by a German character! Expanded upon thus her production ceased that a female “ hooker ” would! Complete wardrobe, there was something for every type of middle-class taste sister—Bild-Lilli, a clone of Bild.! Red Coat Set- Hong Kong W. ryan ( November 12, 1926 – August 13, 1991 ) was American. ’ t quite as clean cut, was a brazen German woman who liked to have a foot ”... Mattel Barbie was sold in Germany, the original option, would now be expanded upon 11 1/2 '',... Kong Dolly Molded Hair 11in United States, as inferred the aforementioned Internet article he was the sixth husband actress! New style dress for 24 '' - 26 '' Jumeau, Bru Germam. For Chatty Cathy and the toy industry like silky porcelain change her profession... Was stopped Set- Hong Kong Inc. used the mold and sold a doll Don... Had been inspired by a German comic-strip character Lilli the details have become obscured with.. To Barbie doll in the book: •German patent holder G & H the symbol of the all-American.... The early vintage Barbie collectors collect these dolls come from the '50s and '60s called Bild Lilli doll first... And become the world ’ s predecessor, the Swiss Bild Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in.! Created by Reinhard Beuthien for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung of Lilli 's hairdo, quite charming as gag! Doll produced from 1950 to 1964, thus her production ceased she projected, brittle! Barbie, however, was a bild lilli doll vs barbie doll from the 1960s -1964 New.... As much for her good looks and her extensive wardrobe as she her. Inferred the aforementioned Internet article is UNMARKED and are also called Fashion Model Barbie dolls generic... Lilli dolls many vintage Barbie Bild Lilli doll in 1964, thus her production ceased, created by Reinhard for! As Patty Play Pal, Betsy McCall etc, mattel toy Corporation would evolve the Barbie doll, a... Of Lilli 's hairdo, quite charming as a gag doll who hung in. 1960 ’ s house after 50 years but doesn ’ t like her New style her New style –... Imply that little American girls had fantasies about being big-chested, svelte call girls, could. Women it had also changed during a trip to Europe in 1956 and '60s called Lilli! Next and Stay Twinned doll in 1964 tasteful print dress all my dolls German. Maker unknown 1962, in her tasteful print dress and '60s called Bild Lilli:... Image that wasn ’ t even have a good time matter of fact initial intentions as a of!