Your Barbie by Year
Your
Restoration Questions Answered
Email Me
My email
is not able
to receive
photos
"Transitional" Ponytails
#3/#4 Transtionals (Please note that doll on the right has cut bangs. She
originally had curly bangs)
There is a lot of confusion
regarding the term, ''transitional."
True transitionals are a mix of #3 and #4 body parts, but there are guidelines
for this!
For example, a #3 or #4 head will be on:
#3 torso with two #3 arms and two #4 legs
#3 torso with two #4 arms and two #3 legs
(etc.)
A transitional would not have one #3 arm and one #4 arm together (and that goes for the legs,
too) -- It is either one uniform set or the other.
Nor would a #3 head on a fully #4 body be considered 'transitional.,
Very pretty transitional: #3 brunette head on a body that has a #4 torso,
two #4 arms, and two #3 legs
I have also had the opportunity to see a transitional #4/#5 Ponytail Barbie. Their existence has been confirmed by a very well-respected, long time Barbie dealer (photos below):
Two
#5 Ponytail heads found on their original #4 Ponytail bodies. Mattel would have
used up their solid #4 bodies as they 'transitioned' to their new 1961 hollow
'Barbie' bodies.
Since Mattel was simply making toys, it was much more cost-effective to use up their spare doll parts as they 'transitioned' from one type of body to the other.
But please be wary of any other
type of 'transitional' doll or combination of doll parts you may see (especially on internet auction sites where this term is
used much too loosely).
The only other true transitional (to my knowledge, to date) is
a Color Magic doll with Francie legs! Yes, I have seen two dolls with Color
Magic heads, Color Magic/American Girl torsos, Color Magic/American Girl arms --
and short little bendable Francie legs!
**If you have seen or know of
another type, please let me know so I can do some research and update this page.
Please note:
Color Magic torsos with bleached Malibu Barbie legs are not
"transitional" Barbies, and Malibu legs
are not considered 'vintage.' **
*****************
Below are some lovely photos of
a gorgeous #3 Barbie who came to me for a hair restyle. She is so pink that she
is either a pristine, original #3 -- or perhaps she is a transitional #3/#4?
What do
you think?
In these photos you see her lovely pink arms and pink face -- However her torso has definitely paled like a #3 Barbie.
Her hair was washed and restyled back into its hard curl.
No matter if she is a pure-#3 or a 'transitional' doll, this is truly one of the prettiest dolls to ever visit my Beauty Salon and Spa!
