Beach Dolls

The concept of a beach/pool doll

These are good budget dolls. What do most people wear to the beach? Not much. These are a good way to market dolls. They throw in a few beach accessories like sunglasses, a towel, or some kind of drink. These dolls don’t even need shoes.

Cabbage Patch Kids Splashin’ Kids

Most of my Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were not really the traditional ones. Since I was younger; I got/wanted the gimmicky dolls like the toddler dolls and the growing hair dolls. Some of them I asked for and some were random gifts. But the Splashin’ Kid I asked Santa for. I loved this doll. You could take her in the pool or the bathtub. She had a plastic body and hair that was not yarn. She came dressed in a bathrobe some dolls came in swimwear. Eventually she got moldy and we had to throw her out.

Hawaiian Fun Barbie

This was the Barbie all my friends had; her or one of her friends from this line. I did have a doll from this line as a child, but it was a Ken doll. With his neon yellow tank top with a swordfish iron-on and those wild print shorts. A few years ago I found a MIB Hawaiian Fun Barbie on Esty and bought it for myself. I miss the days of fashion dolls with easy to open packaging. Not all those little plastic jibbers everywhere leaving holes in the doll and their clothes. She is so fun to play with. Compared to the modern beach budget Barbies who come with painted on clothes. She has accessories too; a brush, the hula skirt, and sunglasses.  Box tag line: “Beach n’ sun by day hulas n parties by moonlight!”

Sun Sensation Barbie

This Barbie is really tan for a Barbie. She came with a small red lipstick for you in the same shade as the one she wore. All the female dolls in this series wore shiny swimwear. Why did Ken and Steven have to wear those mesh tops? That was a thing in the early 90s where the beach Barbies came with a cosmetic item. Only Barbie came with the lipstick. None of the other female dolls did. I like this tagline on the box: “Makin’ a Splash! Barbie and her friends outdazzle them all at the hottest resorts and pool parties!”

Bratzillaz Midnight Beach 

A newer doll on this list. Maybe I should explain who the Bratzillaz were. They were the witchy cousins to the Bratz characters, but in reality MGA’s attempt to cash in on Monster High’s success. This series had glow-in-the-dark bodies. It was a nice variation of the concept of tanning.

1977 Malibu PJ

I got this as a hand-me-down doll from my cousin who is 10 years older than me. The doll was really beat up; chewed toes, chewed up arm, and a bad haircut. The doll has a really nice face in the Steffi  head mold and purple eyes. Someday I hope to buy one in better condition.