Skipper
Skipper was a doll created by Mattel in 1964 to be Barbie's younger sister, as well as to oppose controversies directed at Barbie. Since Skipper was introduced, she has changed immensely. When she first came out, she was 9-1/4 inches in height (compared to Barbie's 11-1/2 inches), and then as newer versions were released she gradually became taller with an older appearance, eventually turning out to be almost as tall as Barbie. At first, Skipper was available with three different hair colors, but later was only available as a blond. Usually, Skipper dolls had blue eyes.
In 1975 Growing Up Skipper was released. The gimmick of the doll, which led to much controversy in the newspapers, was that if Skipper's arm was rotated, the doll would become an inch taller and small breasts would appear on her rubber torso. In 1979 Skipper's entire appearance changed. She was advertised as 'Super Teen Skipper.' She had a new body mold which included small permanent breasts, and a different head mold that made her look slightly older. In 1985, Hot Stuff Skipper was released, which had another new head mold that included the addition of dimples and a longer face.
Skipper changed again in 1988 with the release of Teen Fun Skipper. Her new body mold was taller and more graceful. Her waist was more flexible and her breasts were slightly bigger. Her eyes were also enlarged, giving her a cartoon-like look. At this stage she appeared to be somewhere between 12-15 years old. Later, Skipper had a new head mold with smaller eyes in a Pizza Party line, but with the same body mold. Many collectors believe that the 'Pizza Party' head mold was the most popular, if not the prettiest, version of Skipper. Dolls with the 'Pizza Party' Skipper head mold and the 1960's head mold are the most sought after Skipper dolls by collectors.
Finally, in 1997, Teen Skipper was introduced. She again had a new body mold and was now almost as tall as her sister Barbie. This was mostly because of her legs, which were now long and lanky. Most notable of all, however, was Skipper's new face mold. She no longer looked like a child, but more like a girl on the brink of becoming a woman, appearing to be about 16 years of age.
In 1994, the first vintage reproduction Skipper was produced specifically for collectors to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Skipper's introduction. Instead of the usual vinyl, the dolls were made of porcelain. She wore a blue reproduction dress from 1965, known then as 'Happy Birthday.' In 2007, Mattel released their second vintage reproduction Skipper doll, this time sold in a gift set along with a reproduction of a vintage swirl ponytail Barbie doll.
Skipper Roberts was the original little sister of Barbie, and has been quite popular over the years. When she first came out, she was an alternative for parents who did not approve of Barbie's adult figure. The first vintage Skipper dolls now have a value of ~$195 MIB (Mint In Box). The brass headbands alone that came with these dolls have a value of $20. While vintage Skipper dolls, clothes, and accessories can sell for a lot of money, modern Skipper dolls usually only have a value of $10 to $20 MIB. If they have no box, the value may be only $5 or less.
See also: Barbie