Name: Baby Face Dolls – So Funny Natalie, So Shy Sherri, and So Surprised Suzie
Made by and When: Galoob, 1990-1991
Material: String-jointed vinyl
Marks: (Heads)
(So Funny Natalie) ©1990 L.G.T.I. / #5 CHINA
(So Shy Sherri) ©1990 L.G.T.I. / #9 CHINA
(So surprised Suzie) ©1990 L.G.T.I. / #2 CHINA
(Backs) ©1990 L.G.T.I. / China
Height: 13 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Dark brown rooted hair is styled differently. Their brown stationary eyes have applied upper eyelashes. Their faces express the adjectives in their names. So Funny Natalie has a wide-open mouth with four upper teeth, six lower teeth, and a molded tongue. So Shy Sherri has a closed-mouth smile. So Surprised Suzie has an open mouth with a molded tongue and two lower teeth.
Clothes: All dolls wear their original clothes, plastic diapers, white knit socks, and shoes. So Funny Natalie wears a heart-shaped necklace and a pink sun visor. So Shy Sherri wears a cloth-covered headband that matches the fabric of the dress. So Surprised Suzie wears a red sun visor. The diapers have Velcro closures on the sides. Natalie and Suzie’s diapers have a Baby Face print. Sherri’s white diaper is unprinted.
Other: Created by toy inventor, Mel Birnkrant, who in the article, “Introducing Baby Face Dolls Changing the Face of the Doll Industry Forever” wrote, “she called the doll industry’s attention to ‘facial expressions’ and they are here to stay!”
Baby Face dolls are string jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. They can stand and pose in several different adorable poses. The outstretched hands have separate fingers. All dolls have different number-assigned head sculpts. Each doll has a Baby Face necklace and heart-shaped pendant, which reveals a positive secret message when the center of the heart is pressed. Originally designed for children and only on the market for two years, Baby Face dolls attracted a large number of adult collectors and became the top-selling dolls during that time, rivaled only by Cabbage Patch Kids, according to the BabyFaceDolls.com website.
Gallery




See an extensive Baby Face gallery here.
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