2018 is right around the corner, which means Christmas has come and gone! I hope Santa was as good to you as he was to us! Thanks to Christmas, both my collection and my mother’s have grown a bit. (In our family, my mom and I tend to do most of the shopping. In my case, I will buy stuff for my father to sort through and buy from me to give to my mom. Ha ha!) Are you interested in seeing what was under our Christmas tree? Well, look no further! Here’s the annual Christmas Haul/Loot post!
A childhood dream became a reality as I opened an American Girl Kirsten, courtesy of my mom. She has a Pleasant Company head with soft lashes. Her body is tagged, which according to the internet, didn’t happen till around the time when Mattel bought Pleasant Company, so she could be a transitional doll, made in the first few years of Mattel’s takeover. Whatever the case, I’m happy with Kirsten. To me, it’s all about the head mold and the spirit of the line and even if this doll was produced after the Mattel sale, at least the spirit of the American Girl historical line was still in place. (Mattel lost me when they started placing less and less importance on the historical dolls.)
As my mom said after I opened her, now she won’t have to “listen to me whine about not having one.” It’s true. I have in the past made a lot of remarks about how Kirsten is the doll I should have bought before Mattel took over the line and then eventually retired her. With the addition of her to my American Girl collection, I can honestly say I’m done. I’m happy with the American Girls I’ve collected over the years and am quite proud of owning the five dolls I do (Molly, Samantha, A Girl of Today, Felicity and, now, Kirsten). It was a happy surprise to find her under the tree!
Besides giving me a cool quartz necklace (which he picked out himself), my father gave me my first ever Blythe doll! Is it one of those thousand dollar Blythe’s? No. But, honestly, I don’t care. This Blythe is perfect! She’s decked out in a Christmas dress and has long crimped blonde hair. It’s rooted, not wigged. I can’t wait to look for some cute outfits for her at PUDDLE 2018! Hopefully, people bring some Blythe clothing!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without some Skipper dolls. California Skipper was under the tree for me. California Skipper was produced in 1988 and was the last Skipper to be produced with the vintage Skipper face mold, originally introduced in 1964. California Skipper was only sold in Europe. In the States, Skippers were wearing a different head mold, seen on the Hot Stuff Skipper (and a handful of other Skipper releases). Shortly after this release, Mattel released my favorite head mold with large, anime eyes. But, back to California Skipper…
Skipper is dressed in a swim suit and overalls. Besides her backpack, she has a pennant, frisbee and visor stickered with ‘California’. Her blonde hair was originally done up with fancy pig tails. Mine has basic pig tails, as the rubber bands were long gone by the time I got to save Skipper from her cardboard prison. To be honest, I’m not sure why she and a number of other dolls with the classic face were released only in Europe. California Skipper was paired with California Barbie, Midge and Ken, all of whom were released worldwide. Regardless, I think she’s cute and hope to get more of the European exclusives over the next few years!
Totally Yo-Yo Teen Skipper was also under the tree. I have one already, but since Skipper comes with a second outfit, I think I may switch her into that one. Another surprise was Polly Pocket Stacie, mint in box. Stacie (thankfully) had all three Polly Pockets included with the doll. That was great, because I also received six new Polly Pocket sets, sans Polly’s!
My mother, also known as Barbee0913 on the web, also had a good Christmas! I like to think that I’m a pretty good gift giver. This year, my mom ended up with quite the haul. Besides some jewelry from Falsi Gioielli, a store I discovered while studying in Italy and quickly fell in love with, my mom also received a Sasha Doll Identification Guide. Her biggest doll related presents came in the form of the 50th Anniversary reproduction Francie and two Mystic Kids ball joined dolls, MSD Lillian and Yo-SD Nellie (not pictured). Both were being sold second-hand for a very, very good price, so it was a deal that was impossible to refuse! She also received an articulated Chewbacca doll and Maryellen’s Christmas Party accessories from American Girl.
Check out the annual haul video below!
What was under your Christmas tree this year? Share your thoughts in the comment area! And, since it’s nearly New Years, have a happy and safe New Years eve/day!