Monday, March 16, 2009

But Before There Was Barbie...

There was Suzette. And I would be remiss if I didn't give her equal credit.

A full year before Barbie changed my life, there was another fashion doll who took center stage in my imaginary world. Suzette and boyfriend Bob were made by the Uneeda company. If I'm not mistaken, they were exclusive to the W. T. Grant department store, of which there was one in my local shopping center. Here they are:



These are not my original two. These are two that I bought at America's Yard Sale, eBay. But these are exactly like the ones I had when I was six or seven. Suzette is an inch shorter than Barbie. And she has a bigger head and bigger feet. But she can wear the clothes. That's one of Barbie's dresses she's wearing in the picture. Shoes are harder to come by these days. But I'm lucky enough to have found two pairs. Bob, on the other hand, has to make do with Ken's hand-me-downs. The pants are too long and the shirts too big. But he doesn't seem to mind, does he?

There were a couple of others in the Fifties. Little Miss Revlon. Tammy. Miss Toni.

Barbie may not have been the first, but she's definitely the reigning queen. It's always about Marketing, isn't it?

Enjoy your day, whoever your playmate might be.

Susan

1 comment:

Mark Wolfgang said...

I like Bob's wife beater shirt. Did they live in a trailer park?