(1997) Sweetheart Barbie
BOX DATE: 1997
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
VARIATIONS: Blonde; African American; brunette; redhead
BODY TYPE: 1966; pearlescent molded B print panties; Twist 'n Turn waist; straight arms; bend & snap knees
HEAD MOLD: 1976 "Superstar"; pierced ears
PERSONAL FUN FACT: Of all the Sweetheart Barbies I own, my brunette is currently the most "exotic." She joined my doll hoard in 2016, and like most of the others, was from a bin. She was part of the "Teresa lot" which contained over 60 dolls from mostly the 90s. She really perplexed me when I found her...it took me the longest to identify her out of all the dolls. See, her face was an exact match to the brunette Sweetheart Barbie's. But, she has pink stud earrings instead of clear ones. It doesn't look like her earrings were swapped either. But that being said, I've seen some earring swaps on dolls that looked factory done! When it comes to this sort of tricky circumstance, I always make my final ruling based on the facial screening. Since her hair style, facial screening, and body mold were a perfect match to Sweetheart Barbie (she even has the same painted panties), I thought that this was more conclusive than her earrings. Plus, I did a lot of research, and I couldn't find any evidence of this same doll being repackaged as another doll. She's kind of funny looking if you ask me. There's something really bizarre about the way this doll's facial screening works with her tan skin and dark, kanekalon hair. She's not necessarily pretty or ugly, she's just super unique and jarring to look at!
(1997) Sweetheart Barbie
BOX DATE: 1997
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
VARIATIONS: Blonde; African American; brunette; redhead
BODY TYPE: 1966; pearlescent molded B print panties; Twist 'n Turn waist; straight arms; bend & snap knees
HEAD MOLD: 1976 "Superstar"; pierced ears
PERSONAL FUN FACT: Of all the Sweetheart Barbies I own, my brunette is currently the most "exotic." She joined my doll hoard in 2016, and like most of the others, was from a bin. She was part of the "Teresa lot" which contained over 60 dolls from mostly the 90s. She really perplexed me when I found her...it took me the longest to identify her out of all the dolls. See, her face was an exact match to the brunette Sweetheart Barbie's. But, she has pink stud earrings instead of clear ones. It doesn't look like her earrings were swapped either. But that being said, I've seen some earring swaps on dolls that looked factory done! When it comes to this sort of tricky circumstance, I always make my final ruling based on the facial screening. Since her hair style, facial screening, and body mold were a perfect match to Sweetheart Barbie (she even has the same painted panties), I thought that this was more conclusive than her earrings. Plus, I did a lot of research, and I couldn't find any evidence of this same doll being repackaged as another doll. She's kind of funny looking if you ask me. There's something really bizarre about the way this doll's facial screening works with her tan skin and dark, kanekalon hair. She's not necessarily pretty or ugly, she's just super unique and jarring to look at!