Heartwhisper Gallery
of Ponytails
Restoration and repaints by mardie
1959 #1
1959 #2
1960 #3
1960 #3
1959 #1
1960 #4
1960 #4
1961 #5
1961 #5
1961 #5
1959 #2
1962/65 #6
1962/65 #6
1962/65 #6
dolls are not for sale, for identification only
1959 - 1965 Vintage Ponytails
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1961 #5
1960 #3
1962/65 #6
1959 #1
1960 #4
1960 #3
1960 #4
1959 #1
1960 #4
1961 #5
1960 #4
1962/65 #6
1964/65 Swirl
1964/65 Swirl
1964/65 Swirl
1959 #2
1964/65 Swirl
1960 #3
1960 #3
1960 #3
1960 #3
1962/65 #6
1962/65 #6
1961 #5
1962/65 #6
1960 #4
1964/65 Swirl
1960 #4
1961 #5
1961 #5
1964/65 Swirl
1964/65 Swirl
1964/65 Swirl
Ponytail Identification Guide 1959-1964 : stock number #850
1959 #1 Ponytail Barbie
The first Barbie doll that was on the market came out in 1959. She came dressed in a black and white zebra knit swimsuit, with gold-toned hoop earrings, white sunglasses with blue lenses, black open-toed high heels, with holes in the soles of the shoes to fit the prongs in her stand. Her (and pontyails that follow) hair is rooted in a circle around the perimeter of the head and pulled into a ponytail with a "hard" curl at the bottom, and her bangs are small rag curls on her forehead. The scalp is flocked underneath the ponytail. A long strand of hair is wrapped around the ponytail elastic and tucked underneath to blend in with the rest of the ponytail. Blondes outnumbered the brunettes by 2 to 1. She has red and red/orange tone lipstick and nail and toe polish, heavy eyeliner and very pointed eyebrows. Her irises are white. Early dolls had handpainted faces, some had stenciled eyebrows. She has a heavy, solid torso and her feet have holes in each sole with a metal cylinder sleeve inside so that she can fit on her stand that has 2 wire prongs sticking up to position her on. Her butt reads Barbie TM Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc. The skin tone of most of these dolls has faded over the years to a pale white or ivory color.
1959 #2 Ponytail Barbie
This doll is identical to the #1 Barbie in every way but one. She doesn't have holes with metal cylinders in the bottom of her feet as her stand was revised to a plastic base with a wire that stood up behind the doll and held her under the arms. Also, her black open-toe shoes don't have holes in the soles, nor do any Barbie shoes from this doll onward. She came in either a blonde or a black/brunette. mark:Barbie TM Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc
1960 #3 Ponytail Barbie
The #3 Barbie has irises that are now blue and more realistic. Her look changed and her eyebrows have a more natural curved shape. A few of the #3's came with blue eyeliner instead of the usual brown. These dolls also came in both blonde and brunette/black, with red or orange lips. The vinyl on the #3's was also prone to fading and you will find most of these dolls today have turned white to ivory color like the first two Barbies. The #3 Barbie came with the same swimsuit and accessories as the first two dolls. mark: Barbie TM Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc
1960 #4 Ponytail Barbie
The #4 Barbie's main difference from the first three dolls is that Mattel used a new kind of vinyl that didn't fade over the years and has retained its pink/tan color. (I think, they experimented alot this year with "plastic recipes" as well as head molds). Her hair color is still either blonde or black/brunette. The #4 Barbie also has red lips and nails, curved brows, blue irises and the same accessories as the above dolls (more often with pearl earrings). This is the last solid body Barbie with the Barbie TM in the marking. Barbie TM Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc. NOTE: 1961 and newer the mark changed to Barbie ®.
Many late 1960 solid bodies have the Barbie ® marking.
1961 #5 Ponytail Barbie
The #5 Barbie has a new type of body with a hollow hard plastic torso. mark: Barbie ® Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc .She also has hard plastic arms and legs. Some of the #5's have the new, firmer textured hair but some still have the old soft hair as well. (A few have been found with both kinds of hair combined, soft bangs and no flocking). The bangs tend to be larger curls and not the soft rag-curl type of bangs seen on previous dolls. Hair colors are blonde, black/brunette and a redhead called titian. No flocking on her scalp under the ponytail now. Lips and nails are still bright red and accessories are all the same with the exception that her earrings are all now pearls. #5 Barbies will sometimes have a greasy, shiny face as the vinyl that the heads were made out of this year tends to "sweat" over time. Not all #5's have this, but many do. You can dull the shine but it will eventually come back. Her stand was changed to a black wire stand with no plastic base but with a black wire rectangular base.
1962-64 #6 Ponytail Barbie
The #6 Barbie was available with lots more variety. Hair color is available in many shades of blonde, brunette/brown and titian. The hair and bangs are firmer textured. Lip and nail color also came in many varieties from bright red to the palest pink. She came dressed in a new red helenca swimsuit. She came with pearl earrings and red open-toe heels. No sunglasses. The torso was hollow, same as the #5 dolls. Her black wire stand was also the same as the #5 Barbie. Many #6 Barbies have a slightly wider face mold. Also a lot of them have smaller factory painted lips than previous dolls. The 1962 and earlier Barbies will be Barbie ® Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc but the 1963 and onward dolls say Midge/Barbie as this is the year that Midge is introduced. They also have a larger neck knob.The butt markings for 1963 dolls are Midge T.M./©1962/Barbie®/©1958/by/Mattel, Inc.
1964-1965 Same as the 1963 doll marking but with the word "patented" added to the last line of the marking. Marking: Midge T.M./©1962/Barbie®/©1958/by/Mattel, Inc./Patented.
1964 Swirl Ponytail Barbie #0850
Mattel came up with a new look for the ponytail Barbie in 1964. No more short curly bangs. The bangs are long and swept across the forehead, along the right side of her head and join into the ponytail at the back. Hair and lip color was available in many different colors. Most often a coral lip color is found. Also, now a platinum blonde with white lipstick. She came with the red helenca swimsuit, pearl earrings, red open-toe shoes and a black wire stand. The first swirls had the same markings as the 1963 dolls, later issues had the word "patented" added at the bottom.
1959 #1
1959 #1
1959 #2
1959 #1
1959 #2
1959 #1
