(1994) Tropical Splash Barbie
BOX DATE: 1994
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Barbie; Skipper; Ken; Kira; Teresa; Steven; Christie
BODY TYPE: 1966; molded B print panties (some dolls); Twist 'n Turn waist; straight arms; bend & snap knees
HEAD MOLD: 1976 "Superstar"; pierced ears
IMPORTANT NOTES: Barbie came with a variety of earrings and bathing suit prints.
***My doll on the far right is wearing 1992 6-Fashion Gift Set #782.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: You are probably asking yourself, "How many Tropical Splash Barbies does one girl need?!" I guess I need five, and I love all of them very much! Okay, so the truth is, that all of these beauties, with the exception of one, were from various lots of dolls I acquired over the years at flea markets and yard sales. My very first Tropical Splash Barbie I believe was the cutie on the far left. To this day, despite having four others just like her, I think she is the most beauteous! I believe that I got her in 2003 or 2004, in one of the many random lots of Barbies my sister and I hoarded from our local flea market. I remember the thrill I felt when I unearthed her beneath all the other dolls from the bin. I had always wanted a Tropical Splash Barbie, although back then, I don't think I knew what she was actually called. My best friend when I was growing up had a stunning Tropical Splash Barbie. I can still remember her doll when she was brand new! She had an amazing golden, flower swimsuit, stunning platinum blonde hair, and huge, innocent eyes. And if that weren't drool worthy enough, this siren also smelled delicious! For years, I remember thinking fondly of this temptress, wondering if I'd ever find one of my own. Fate played out in my favor, and years later, I finally got my hands on one. Even though she does look quite a bit similar to some of my other ladies, I can easily tell her apart. I just know that face so well, because I'll never forget how happy I was to finally have her. Plus, she is the most scented of my babies if I'm not mistaken!
The third gal in this photo was also a childhood doll. I got her I believe, for my thirteenth birthday. Back then, my Dad, my sister, and I would all go to this small indoor flea market on the side of the highway. Over time, we grew to become friendly with one of the sellers there. When she heard one Sunday afternoon that it was my birthday, she let me pick out one of her Barbies for free. I of course chose another Tropical Splash Barbie! It's funny because years later, when I began collecting dolls again, this same flea market seller remembered me. For my 20th birthday, she let me pick out another Barbie for free...my second Flip 'n Dive Barbie! If I had to pick out a Tropical Splash Barbie that was my favorite, it would be this girl. I'll never forget that gesture of kindness, and every time I look at this lady, I am reminded of it. The sad part is, that when I first got back into doll collecting in 2011, I made the rash decision to put her out at a yard sale. In fact, before I had officially begun buying dolls again, I had made the horrible decision to get rid of a bunch of dolls! For whatever reason, I was obsessed in how many dolls I had, and duplicates were some of the first I planned to get rid of (hard to believe nowadays, considering I have five Tropical Splash Barbies). Anyways, since she was the less pretty of the two Tropical Splash Barbies, I kicked her out. Luckily, I changed my mind a few months later, and she ended up not selling at the yard sale. By the time I went to clean her up, I realized that a mouse had chewed her nose while she was with the yard sale stuff in the old hay trailer. I felt awful...and when I remember why her nose is chewed, I always feel a sense of deep guilt. I managed to repair it slightly, and she's been given a swimsuit, a new hairdo, and lots and lots of love since. This Barbie will never find herself in that position again!
Barbie number three is actually the second doll in this photograph. I feel a little bad, because I can't quite remember exactly where I got her. I'm almost sure that she was from the "Ariel Yard Sale lot" of 2011...but I really don't know. Anyways, I was more than happy to adopt the third girl, especially since she is very good looking, and was in great condition. If my first Tropical Splash Barbie weren't such a babe, I'd think that this girly was the prettiest of them all! She still has her original hair style too! I can tell her apart from my first doll because her eyes are painted closer together. My first Tropical Splash Barbie's eyes are painted very far apart, which I really love!
Barbie number four has the most interesting, funny story. Back in 2013, I rescued her from a small paper bag of dolls I purchased at my local flea market. Inside the bag were mostly duplicated 90s Barbies, with a ton of nice looking Kelly clothes. Anyways, I saw this Barbie and immediately thought she looked familiar. But what threw me off was the fact that she was on a poseable body! This particular articulated body was also an orange/tan color, and matched her perfectly. This made it even more difficult to tell that she had been body swapped (plus her head was on very securely). Colleen was the one who took the reigns on identifying this girl, but somehow didn't realize her face matched Tropical Splash Barbie's in our "Ultimate Barbie Book." I guess that both of us were more fixated on the fact that her body was articulated, than on her facial screening. This is why it is so important not to have tunnel vision when identifying a doll. Bodies and hairstyles can easily be changed, and can be done in a very professional looking/deceptive way that leaves no evidence behind. Had we focused on Barbie's face alone, we would have identified her in minutes. But I spent two days scrolling through thousands of eBay listings, until I finally realized our stupid mistake! Every time I look at this doll, I have to have a good laugh at Colleen and my stupidity!
My fifth doll, on the far right, is the newest of my Tropical Splash Barbies. She was from the "Teresa lot" of 2016. When I found her in the hoard of random 90s Barbies and Teresa dolls, I instantaneously recognized her, even without her signature gold, massive earrings. By that time, I had learned to be a much more cautious doll identifier, and I had memorized Tropical Splash Barbie's facial screening. She's really cute--in fact, I think she wins the adorable award (my other four Tropical Splash Barbies don't have the same cuteness factor). I had so much fun dressing her up and making her funky, tropical earrings. That being said, it was kind of frustrating that I had just acquired a fourth Tropical Splash swimsuit for my last Barbie...only to need to find yet another one for this girl. But hey, I'm not complaining, she is a really good dresser!
(1994) Tropical Splash Barbie
BOX DATE: 1994
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Barbie; Skipper; Ken; Kira; Teresa; Steven; Christie
BODY TYPE: 1966; molded B print panties (some dolls); Twist 'n Turn waist; straight arms; bend & snap knees
HEAD MOLD: 1976 "Superstar"; pierced ears
IMPORTANT NOTES: Barbie came with a variety of earrings and bathing suit prints.
***My doll on the far right is wearing 1992 6-Fashion Gift Set #782.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: You are probably asking yourself, "How many Tropical Splash Barbies does one girl need?!" I guess I need five, and I love all of them very much! Okay, so the truth is, that all of these beauties, with the exception of one, were from various lots of dolls I acquired over the years at flea markets and yard sales. My very first Tropical Splash Barbie I believe was the cutie on the far left. To this day, despite having four others just like her, I think she is the most beauteous! I believe that I got her in 2003 or 2004, in one of the many random lots of Barbies my sister and I hoarded from our local flea market. I remember the thrill I felt when I unearthed her beneath all the other dolls from the bin. I had always wanted a Tropical Splash Barbie, although back then, I don't think I knew what she was actually called. My best friend when I was growing up had a stunning Tropical Splash Barbie. I can still remember her doll when she was brand new! She had an amazing golden, flower swimsuit, stunning platinum blonde hair, and huge, innocent eyes. And if that weren't drool worthy enough, this siren also smelled delicious! For years, I remember thinking fondly of this temptress, wondering if I'd ever find one of my own. Fate played out in my favor, and years later, I finally got my hands on one. Even though she does look quite a bit similar to some of my other ladies, I can easily tell her apart. I just know that face so well, because I'll never forget how happy I was to finally have her. Plus, she is the most scented of my babies if I'm not mistaken!
The third gal in this photo was also a childhood doll. I got her I believe, for my thirteenth birthday. Back then, my Dad, my sister, and I would all go to this small indoor flea market on the side of the highway. Over time, we grew to become friendly with one of the sellers there. When she heard one Sunday afternoon that it was my birthday, she let me pick out one of her Barbies for free. I of course chose another Tropical Splash Barbie! It's funny because years later, when I began collecting dolls again, this same flea market seller remembered me. For my 20th birthday, she let me pick out another Barbie for free...my second Flip 'n Dive Barbie! If I had to pick out a Tropical Splash Barbie that was my favorite, it would be this girl. I'll never forget that gesture of kindness, and every time I look at this lady, I am reminded of it. The sad part is, that when I first got back into doll collecting in 2011, I made the rash decision to put her out at a yard sale. In fact, before I had officially begun buying dolls again, I had made the horrible decision to get rid of a bunch of dolls! For whatever reason, I was obsessed in how many dolls I had, and duplicates were some of the first I planned to get rid of (hard to believe nowadays, considering I have five Tropical Splash Barbies). Anyways, since she was the less pretty of the two Tropical Splash Barbies, I kicked her out. Luckily, I changed my mind a few months later, and she ended up not selling at the yard sale. By the time I went to clean her up, I realized that a mouse had chewed her nose while she was with the yard sale stuff in the old hay trailer. I felt awful...and when I remember why her nose is chewed, I always feel a sense of deep guilt. I managed to repair it slightly, and she's been given a swimsuit, a new hairdo, and lots and lots of love since. This Barbie will never find herself in that position again!
Barbie number three is actually the second doll in this photograph. I feel a little bad, because I can't quite remember exactly where I got her. I'm almost sure that she was from the "Ariel Yard Sale lot" of 2011...but I really don't know. Anyways, I was more than happy to adopt the third girl, especially since she is very good looking, and was in great condition. If my first Tropical Splash Barbie weren't such a babe, I'd think that this girly was the prettiest of them all! She still has her original hair style too! I can tell her apart from my first doll because her eyes are painted closer together. My first Tropical Splash Barbie's eyes are painted very far apart, which I really love!
Barbie number four has the most interesting, funny story. Back in 2013, I rescued her from a small paper bag of dolls I purchased at my local flea market. Inside the bag were mostly duplicated 90s Barbies, with a ton of nice looking Kelly clothes. Anyways, I saw this Barbie and immediately thought she looked familiar. But what threw me off was the fact that she was on a poseable body! This particular articulated body was also an orange/tan color, and matched her perfectly. This made it even more difficult to tell that she had been body swapped (plus her head was on very securely). Colleen was the one who took the reigns on identifying this girl, but somehow didn't realize her face matched Tropical Splash Barbie's in our "Ultimate Barbie Book." I guess that both of us were more fixated on the fact that her body was articulated, than on her facial screening. This is why it is so important not to have tunnel vision when identifying a doll. Bodies and hairstyles can easily be changed, and can be done in a very professional looking/deceptive way that leaves no evidence behind. Had we focused on Barbie's face alone, we would have identified her in minutes. But I spent two days scrolling through thousands of eBay listings, until I finally realized our stupid mistake! Every time I look at this doll, I have to have a good laugh at Colleen and my stupidity!
My fifth doll, on the far right, is the newest of my Tropical Splash Barbies. She was from the "Teresa lot" of 2016. When I found her in the hoard of random 90s Barbies and Teresa dolls, I instantaneously recognized her, even without her signature gold, massive earrings. By that time, I had learned to be a much more cautious doll identifier, and I had memorized Tropical Splash Barbie's facial screening. She's really cute--in fact, I think she wins the adorable award (my other four Tropical Splash Barbies don't have the same cuteness factor). I had so much fun dressing her up and making her funky, tropical earrings. That being said, it was kind of frustrating that I had just acquired a fourth Tropical Splash swimsuit for my last Barbie...only to need to find yet another one for this girl. But hey, I'm not complaining, she is a really good dresser!