Barbie questions

[DollyKim]

I haven't had glue problems with any of my regular hair style Barbies, I don't have any complicated hair ones either.

[Anderson'sAllPurpose]

The glue leaking from the inside of the head is what you need to be worried about. The product they apply externally to style the hair can always be washed out somehow, but the glue inside will melt in hot water (or just melt anyway) so you can wash it and wash it and it'll just get worse. :/ I've had this problem with regular playline Barbies and other Mattel dolls, and it only seems to be getting more common. Unlike older Barbies, the newer heads are often rock hard from all the glue and sometimes the hair feels slightly greasy right out of the box.

If you just want an articulated Barbie body, thrift stores and the like might be a good alternative. The last wave of articulated Fashionistas I've seen in stores still had knees and wrists, but no torso joint (usually visible through tight clothing). The Style dolls have all the joints though, plus the new ones will have ankle joints too!

[Shyla]

Summer actually has amazingly soft hair. I was really surprised about that. It feels a lot nicer than I remember.

Even though she is on the cheap end of the scale, I'm certainly pleased with her. I would just like a little more mobility in my next purchase.

When i opened Neighton, I asked my hubby, When did doll hair get this nice? I don't remember it being this nice!! If his is this nice why is Twyla's so icky?

I'm not sure how the big stores in your area are, but down here they clear out a ton of toys and put them on clearance this time of year. I saw some of the Style barbies that normally go for over $20 for under $10 in a supercenter.

[quidam]

Thanks! I'll check out some of the larger stores in the area for their clearance!
I had been keeping an eye on Tuesday Morning, because any money saved is good!

[quidam]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their help! I was able to locate a lovely girl this weekend, since I knew what to look for!
She is lovely! She is one of the Style Barbies and has plenty of jointing! There isn't a torso joint, but that's okay. No one mentioned the range of motion the head would have! Wow! What a totally unexpected, yet wonderful, surprise that was!

Sadly, it seems that she probably does have a glue filled head. It wasn't squishy at all, and when I was brushing out her box hair, I found a nice glop underneath.

2 more questions:
She had 3 plastic ties stuck directly into the back of her head in the box. I cut them down as close as I could without cutting her hair, but there are still 3 little jab points back there. You can't see them but can feel them. Is there a way to remove them?

She has the "real" eyelashes. Do I have to be careful with them, or are they sturdy enough to stay on? I noticed she has some painted behind, but currently would like the real ones to stay put.

[maywong]

The "Style" Barbie with the real eyelashes. I wouldn't worry too much about those eyelashes coming out. They are rooted in.

The only way I have been able to remove the plastic ties from the head is to remove whole head and then take a small needle nose pliers or tweezer and pick them out. If you remove Barbie's head you have to watch out for the hooks on the neck post. There are a few different ways of removing the head safely.

[Samseramsamsam]

As for these pesky plastic pieces, some can be carefully ripped out with pliers. Others, I cut as close as possible and then push them into the head with pointy tweezers or a dull embroidery needle.

[quidam]

Thanks!
I think I'll try poking them into the head with tweezers first.
Ripping them out sounds like it could possibly cause damage. (I'm good at damaging things. ) I don't want to remove her head unless it's absolutely necessary. I've never removed a doll head that wasn't along the line of a bjd. I have visions of the Barbie of my childhood who accidentally lost her head and I had to shove it back on. She ended up looking like a football player due to her lack of neck.

And I'm very happy to hear that those eyelashes won't come out! I assumed that since they were made for kid's play that would probably be the case, but didn't want to to rip them off if they were just glued on!

[Anderson'sAllPurpose]

Glad you found a doll you like. Trying to rip the tabs out probably isn't worth the risk even if you heat the head, so just cut them short and push them in like suggested.