Customer Reviews

Barbie Doll Fashion 1975-1979

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book to use as a reference for my Barbie collecting. It's great, only now I'm kicking myself over all the little odds n ends I resold on eBay because I didn't know what they were. Sigh. I should've bought this book long ago. It's well-written and packed with information on dolls and outfits, variations, store exclusives, and foreign-issue items. It also includes information on Barbie-sized dolls such as Charlie's Angels, Chantal Goya, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and a few others. If you're collecting Barbie from this period, this is a must-have book (so you won't be letting go of all those little outfit pieces!!!). Since I've bought this book, I've also ordered the other two books in this series that cover Barbie's outfits from 1959-1967 and 1968-1974.

I love this book. It's a wonderful addition to Volumn I and II. All the pictures are in beautiful color. The discriptions are detailed. I look forward to the next edition.
These books are a must have for all Vintage Barbie Collectors.

I am very stingy with 5-star ratings. I feel that most products/books/etc., have some room for improvement. This book is no exception, but I truly feel that what is here is of such value that 5 stars is appropriate. A complete visual reference of all Barbie fashions from 1975 to 1979 is a huge undertaking, and as with her two previous books, Sarah Sink Eames pulled it off extremely well. The quality of the photography could be improved slightly, but this is a minor quibble. And perhaps it is the printing/prepress that is keeping those photos from looking their best. It's not like the photos are bad, and they are remarkably consistent. The captions for the photos are informative and entertaining, without detracting from the presentation with too much "fluff". This book is an invaluable resource for a collector or for someone who sells Barbie collectibles. This era has been disparaged quite a bit over the years, and to some extent is still considered a nadir of quality and creativity in the Barbie realm. But for those of us who grew up in the 1970s playing with them, these dolls are indelibly associated with that unique and interesting period in history.

Simply put, Barbie Fashion Volume III is my favorite entry in author Eames' Barbie Fashion trilogy. Perhaps because this SuperStar era has been so quickly dismissed by other authors and collectors for decades, I have a special affinity for this era. It is great seeing the dolls and fashions of this period in this nice hardback book. I would highly recommend this book to collectors who are tired of trying to identify their late 1970s fashions through the tiny Mattel catalogs included with vintage Barbie dolls and fashions!

Unlike the first book written by Eames for Vintage Barbie clothing where all pieces are shown individually and described in detail, this book shows mostly NRFB (Never Removed From Box) examples and defines the items vaguely, i.e. "white shoes" not Superstar White Shoes or White Pilgrims (if you get my drift). The pictures are good, but I often have to get out a magnifying glass to see the accessories because they are NRFB and therefore wrapped in plastic - sometimes I can see them and sometimes not, so I often can't be sure what goes with what which is very frustrating - especially for the jewelry and shoes.

Also, what is marked on the back of Barbies during this era, i.e. the "butt markings", are also missing from descriptions. Sybil DeWein's book (now out of print) and M. Melillo's book are the only books to my knowledge to do this so this book should only be used for clothing - not doll verification.

That being said, this is the only book I know of that actually covers the "dark ages" of Barbie. It is a must-have for collectors who want to know more about this hard-to-collect and hard-to-find era.