Dream Town

There's a small cluster of tiny brown dots across the bridge of Kenzie's nose. Summer freckles! They remind me of the days when I played with Barbie dolls, especially the summer of 1964 ---when I was President of the Barbie Fan Club.

As self-appointed President, I received a legal looking certificate and some gold medallion stickers. Correspondence with Mattel was snail and even back then it seemed like forever to hear from Barbie's backers. It was all sales promotions and coupons, but I didn't care.

There were a few girls on my block who had exclusive memberships. Gloria Fasono and her younger sister joined and so did the Johnson girl that lived next door to them. We had occasional visits from curious neighbors and often a mother watching us from behind a screen door.

My job as president was to dream up fund-raisers for the club. Once we had a carnival in Vice President Gloria Fasono's backyard. Fishing in the pond (a box) and throwing my brother's darts at balloons were the special events. The proceeds from the carnival went into the George Washington Savings on the busy street corner five minutes away on foot.

I kept my savings passport in the Barbie Dream House. It was hand stamped from an ink pad with one of those gadgets that rolled the rubber days, months and years around in separate columns. I used the cash withdrawals for Saturday trips to the Dime Store to buy penny candy for myself and if they were lucky--- the club. The Dime store packed the goodies in small green bags that almost matched the Dream House.

On front porch steps our club set up many a Barbie Dream City. The dolls then traveled the metal railings of the cool concrete until dinner time. The green and white striped cardboard house transformed into a big suitcase that held all of Barbie's possessions including her Kens, Midges, Alans, Skooters and Skippers. I was in love with her world and all the people in it.

This brings me back to freckles. My Skipper doll had a gentle sprinkle of freckles on her nose. She was Barbie's little sister. She had a soft sweet face, a girl's body, and flat fleet. I thought it would be nice if Kenzie had a Skipper. But, they don't make her anymore. I should have known. I don't remember if my daughter had a Skipper during her Barbie phase.

Yesterday, I went to look for Skipper at Kay Bee, Target and Toys R Us where thousands of Barbie Dolls hip hopped all over the shelves of Fairytopia Land. Bratty princesses, Sassy Cinderellas and flawless Destinys (surgical masterpieces) sparkled and glittered and glowed. But no Skipper. Just like my Barbie Fan Club Days, George Washington Savings and the Dime Store, Skipper is history.


I did find some Vintage Skippers on Ebay and also at http://www.dollreference.com/