There was a particular doll in the 1976 Barbie catalogue (see bottom-left photo) I noticed as a kid way back when, who looked like none of the Free Movers, Malibus and Quick Curls that dominated that particular issue....I wanted her so badly from the minute I saw her and searched for this brunette beauty high and low- in every department store and toy store I could find back then, to no avail. Decades passed, and when I started collecting seriously a few years ago, I discovered that she was a 'hybrid' most probably created in the photo studio, using a Mexico armed body with an old side-glancing Living Barbie head (which was Kinda odd that they would use such an obsolete head on a new fashion in the 1976 catalogue, but there ya go!) A few years ago, I attempted to create my own version of this doll, but didn't have a spare body with the correct hands and the right outfit. I recently got a very decent 'Quick Curl' Barbie for a song (and another brunette Living head, courtesy of my friend Dean Reen- Thanks Deany! :D ) and just last week FINALLY scored this 1976 Best Buy outfit she wore in the catalog, in amazing condition, as you can see (It usually is pretty tattered if you find it nowadays, especially the mesh on the legs and the ruffled jacket.) The outfit is a bit too 'Tizzy Trophy Wife' for my tastes, but just had to complete the whole childhood wish fulfilment thing! So now I finally have the doll I really wanted, just as she looked in the catalogue - FORTY years later!
