With my love for miniature things, of course the Mini Barbieland toys (see here) are not the only miniature Barbie dolls I have. They’re also not the first miniature dolls made by Mattel.
The first miniature Barbie doll, a little swirl ponytail doll in signature red swimsuit was made by Mattel in 1965 and came with the ‘Day at the Fair’ (#1911) and ‘Me ‘n My Doll’ (#1913) fashions and ‘Just for Fun’ Pak for Skipper, and in 1967 the ‘Let’s Play Barbie’ (#3608) fashion for Tutti which also included a cute Barbie carry case. Mattel also included mini reproduction vintage Barbie and Ken dolls complete with vintage style boxes in the 40th Anniversary editions of each doll. I think these dolls are the best scale of all the mini dolls.
The 1998 Mattel Barbie Toy Store came with four mini Barbie doll figures and wee cardboard mini fashions too. These dolls are a similar scale to the vintage and mini reproduction vintage dolls.
Hallmark has issued several Christmas decorations based on mini Barbie toys, including the 1999 Travel Case and Barbie ornament and the 2007 Barbie Family Deluxe House. The case features vintage style illustrations on the front and a moulded ‘Suburban Shopper’ fashion inside, with a removable mini doll. The Family Deluxe House includes an American Girl Barbie wearing the ‘Lunch on Terrace’ fashion. While I love both these minis, both of the dolls are slightly larger than the Mattel made mini dolls. The American Girl doll even seems a wee bit too big for the Family Deluxe House, I think it’s a much better scale for the Mini Barbieland dolls.
Around 1999, Basic Fun made Barbie themed keyrings including a round case with mini Barbie. I absolutely love the case, again featuring vintage style Barbie illustrations, but the doll is really disappointing. The poor girl has no face and is much, much too small.
In 2004, I was rapt to find mini Barbie dolls in capsule machines in the US. Made by the Tomy Yunjin Corporation, these wee girls come in assorted fashions and cute cardboard Barbie branded boxes. I was unable to find them anywhere when I came home to Australia, but a year or two later a second wave appeared in machines here. This time the dolls were in clear, Barbie branded cylinders. These dolls are a similar scale to the Mattel issued dolls, only slightly larger than the Mini Barbieland dolls.
Super Impulse has released three different sized mini Barbie dolls as part of their World’s Smallest and Micro Toybox brands. The World’s Smallest Barbie released around 2019, isn’t actually that small, it’s quite a bit larger than the Mattel-made mini dolls. But it’s touted as the World’s smallest moveable Barbie – the head, arms and legs move – so from that point of view, it probably is. Mine came as part of the blind box range, but several issues were available in clear plastic packaging, although I don’t think these were sold here in Australia. This doll comes with the absolutely teeniest pair of sunglasses. When I bought my doll, I opened the package in the car to see which toy I got, and I didn’t even realise it came with glasses. A couple of days later, I noticed a white fleck on my black car seat and luckily, something made me override my first instinct to brush it off, and on closer inspection I realised what it was. Since then, I’ve lost the glasses a couple of times in the carpet, so now keep them in a zip lock bag. Even in Barbie’s hand they’re tiny.
The Micro Toybox dolls come in wee boxes and in several styles, mine is Totally Hair Barbie. These are much smaller than other mini Barbie doll issues, which is a shame. The World’s Smallest range recently released the A-Frame Dreamhouse and the Fashion Doll Case. The dreamhouse is available in brown and yellow, similar to the real house or pink and white, and comes with different dolls. I got the brown and yellow version that came with Malibu Christie. The case also comes with different dolls, there are two included, one displayed and one as a surprise item. I chose Malibu Barbie to match with Christie, and the second doll is a brunette Totally Hair doll which would match my Micro Toybox doll except that they’re different sizes. The Micro Toybox dolls are slightly bigger. Bummer.
A few years ago I found these Barbie Career figures at my local independent supermarket. They come as a blind item in plastic bags, so I stood there for ages feeling through the packages to find half a dozen that felt different from each other, and luckily, I didn’t double up. They’re really well sculpted and a perfect size. I occasionally still see them in some stores.
There have been some larger Barbie figurines that could be used as supersized dolls for our dolls. Mattel released a range of career dolls, and best of all, they’re just like their full sized counterparts. They come on a stand, but I’m sure it could be cut off.
Kinder Surprise has also released at least two waves of Barbie figures. The first included six dolls, secreted away in their chocolate eggs. I was super lucky with this lot, I didn’t double up at all, but if you do, at least you’ve got a chocolate consolation prize. Some of these figures have rooted ponytails and fabric clothing pieces. They come with wee ‘B’ stands that double as a comb.
The second wave only included four figures, but they were based on real Barbie dolls. Each came with a unique stand and two have little cardboard backdrops. I did double up once with this range, and that chocolate didn’t quite quell my disappointment.
A couple of years ago I was wandering around my local Aldi store when I spied a Barbie book. I gave it a cursory glance and prepared to walk away when I noticed the words ‘10 figurines’. Published by Phidal Publishing Inc., behind the cardboard book is a box containing a play mat with four different scenes on which to display the 10 Barbie figures. The figures include Barbie Malibu and Brooklyn, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea, Ken, Daisy, Teresa, Renee and Nikki. I love that so many of Barbie’s friends are included, I just had to buy it, and I love having a mini Brooklyn the same as my doll.
Barbie isn’t the only mini doll in my collection. Mini Bratz dolls appeared in capsule machines in the mid 2000s. I think I have the full set, which includes some Bratz Boys too.
The On Tour Spice Girl dolls came with mini dolls in replica boxes. I only have a couple of these full size dolls, but I managed to pick up a third mini dolls somewhere and I’m sure there was a full set issued.
Super Impulse has released mini Monster High dolls in their World’s Smallest series and mini GI Joe figures in three sizes (I only have two) in the World’s Smallest and Micro Toybox series. These come in mini packages, but are removable.
Zuru Toy Mini Brands has included all manner of mini figures including Disney dolls and Animator dolls, Sparkle Girls and Shimmer Shine dolls, all in realistic packaging.
I have a few different sized Cabbage Patch Kids figures. The first is by Mattel and came in the 1998 Barbie Toy Store set. Larger dolls were made by Jakks Pacific and come with little adoption certificates just like the original dolls. The tiniest of all are Little Sprouts by Wicked Cool Toys LLC that come in two different sizes and with teeny tiny accessories.
I have all manner of tiny figures – too many to include – found at op shops, toy fairs and capsule machines, and including Disney Princesses, movie dolls such as Star Wars, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Super Heroes and Doctor Who as well as unknown figures. I just can’t resist adding to my doll’s doll and action figure collection.
Don’t forget, I’m now on Instagram – @jenjoysworld(and a non-doll photo art account @jenniferbs_world). There’ll be some unique content and behind the scenes stuff, so head over and follow.
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