Arm and Leg Molds
Please note: The information below - especially on transitional dolls - derives from my own independent research and most of it has not been published in any form before. Like all parts of this website no part of this information - neither written information nor photographs - may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without my written consent. You are entitled to use the information for your private, non-commercial use only. If you want to use the info on your book/website/etc. PLEASE CONTACT ME PRIOR TO USE!
The first Skipper dolls were sold with straight legs, which were also used on the pink skin Skippers (inclusive the Japanese Skipper dolls and the Re-Issue Skippers). You can also find them on the European TNT Skipper #8126 (but without markings on the feet). The legs used for the bendable legs Skippers (inclusive TNT Skippers) were very much identical and only differ by the markings on the feet or slight changes to the feet themselves. With the beginning of the 70s and the introduction of the Dramatic New Living Skipper, several new leg molds were used on different kinds of dolls, along with legs that look similar to the vintage bendable legs.
Skipper’s arm molds also changed over the years. The vintage dolls had hard arms with a slight bend and the small finger on their right hand was embossed. This mold was used on almost all the dolls between the beginnings and 1970 (Vintage Skipper Arms).
These arms were also used on the Sun Set Malibu Skipper (made in Japan) in 1971, on the rare European TNT Skipper dolls #8126 as well as on the first Funtime Skippers and on some of the 1975 Sun Set Malibu Skippers that were produced in Korea. All of these dolls had the "Vintage bendable legs".
In 1972, with the introduction of the TNT Skipper Europe #8519 – whose body looks very much like the pink skin Skipper bodies of the 60s – a new mold appeared, where the small finger was not embossed any more, and the hand was now rotated forward. The doll had straight legs.
The material used was very flexible. The arms showed melt marks from the form on the outer side. These arms can also be found on the dressed TNT Skippers #8126, which also share the same torso and – made of a harder, non-shiny material – on some of the TNT Skippers #8126 (German Skipper Arms). These dolls came with the "Vintage bendable legs".
"German Skipper arms" (to the left and in the middle) and "Vintage Skipper arms" to the right
When the production moved to Korea, this arm mold was still in use, but the material changed to a harder, shinier plastic (Shiny Skipper Arms). These arms can be found on some of the Funtime and Partytime dolls made in Korea and on the Malibu Skippers made in Korea. These dolls were produced with the new, shiny bendable legs, which weigh less than the vintage bendable legs and appear skinnier.
Then again the mold changed slightly. Now, the forearm was bent forward and the angle between body and hands was larger. All the Partytime Skipper and Malibu Skipper dolls marked Philippines have these “Philippines Arms”. Philippines arms tend to loosen at the shoulders.
Left photo: "Vintage Skipper arms". TNT Skipper #8126 and Malibu Skipper Japan. Both with "Vintage bendable legs"
Right photo: "Philippines arms" and ‘"shiny bendable legs" (Malibu Skipper Philippines) vs. "Vintage Skipper arms" and "vintage bendable legs" (Malibu Skipper Japan)
In the following years, the arms underwent further changes, and some later Skipper dolls do have arms that resemble the vintage ones very much (for example Sea Lovin’ Skipper from 1985 or Tropical Skipper from 1986).
On the next page, you can find a list of all the Skipper dolls issued from the beginnings until 1988, when the last Skipper doll with the vintage head mold was released. (Boxes are usually dated one year earlier). Arm and leg molds are only mentioned if they are helpful to identify a doll.
I still need to find out how to upload my file, so this page is still under construction!
