Skipper Highlight Reel: Let’s Drive Student Driver Barbie and Skipper 2-Set

Yahoo! Finally, I can check another grail item off my list. Recently, I particpated in an auction that featured hundreds of Barbie’s. On nearly the last page was this little gem– the Toys R Us exclusive Let’s Drive Student Driver Skipper and Barbie 2-Pack!

Here’s the thing about this grail item.  Many grail items on my list are things that I personally never had a chance at buying.  They’re either too old, like the 1950’s Madame Alexander Dionne Quintuplets, or I was a child when they were out, like My Pet Monster.

This Skipper/Barbie 2-Pack, on the other hand, I totally remember seeing in the stores as a collector and passing on it, thinking, ‘I’ll wait for it to be on sale’.  Well, that sale?  It never came. This set just disappeared.  Once I realized it wasn’t coming back to stores, I went online and, surprise, the price had tripled. So began the long search of finding this set at an affordable price.

I’m happy to say the search is finally over.  This sought after set was released in 2000 and was a Toys R US exclusive.  Its unique packaging was eye catching, with three open sides and all the accessories displayed on the card.

To me, this is one of the last pretty, well designed Teen Skippers. By 2003, she’d be gone and forgotten by Mattel. Between this release and 2003, Skipper would be included in only five more lines, the final of which was another 2-pack, the Pajama Fun Tote (a new grail item of mine). I’m a huge fan of the long eyelashes Skipper was given in this release, as well as her strawberry blonde pigtails and bangs.

The Barbie in the set is pretty, as well. Thankfully, she wasn’t produced with the inflated head that we saw many times throughout the 2000’s. She has a fresh looking face with big blue eyes.

Skipper’s car may be one of the last well produced Barbie vehicles. From what I have seen, most Barbie cars now are small, made with super thin plastic and are cheaply constructed. This cool Skipper car fits two Barbie sized dolls comfortably. The interior of the car is stickered with different details, which is also something Mattel has been wishy washy on over the years. One detail I love is the small cassette deck that is molded into the dashboard. So 90’s!

Besides the two dolls and the car itself, the accessories are pretty neat, too! In this set, you get orange cardboard cones, your very own faux license, a first aid kit and cell phone, cardboard signs describing the rules of the road and Skipper’s very own drivers license and insurance card.

Let’s Drive Accessories

Needless to say, I am so happy to have finally added this cool Teen Skipper set to my collection. Do you own the Let’s Drive Student Driver Skipper/Barbie 2 set? Do you remember it hitting Toys R Us? Share your thoughts below!