Japanese Barbies

Yesterday we went across the border into Bellingham, WA like we do 2-3 times a month for general shopping and lunch. We hit all the usual places like JoAnn's and Target as well as some cool little specialty shops. I like shopping in the States, especially for craft supplies, because the selection is better and often the prices are way cheaper for the same products. In amidst all this I commented to K. that all I needed to find was a $5 Kenner and my list would be complete, ha ha. Well we didn't find a vintage Blythe doll but we did come across these little beauties in an antique mall:

These are actual Barbies (branded) made by Takara in Japan during the early '80s. It seems that Mattel had an agreement that lasted only a few years with Takara to produce these dolls exclusively for the Asian market. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like them. Both are still in the box and, apparently, very collectible. They must be pretty rare, too, because a quick search on Ebay found almost none to compare them to.

I love their weird anime-esque eyes..so unlike anything produced in North America. As much as I like them, though, I like Blythe dolls better so I am probably going to sell them and put the funds towards a new dolly from my wish list.

Still, though, what a bizarre and awesome find!