Charles's Pages about Doll Stuff - www.dollstuff.net

This doll actually looks like this.

So does this one.

I mentioned before that the early catalog photographs for the new smaller-bodied Teresa® and Nikki® dolls show them with pre-existing heads - the 2003 Summer® head for Teresa and the enlarged 1990 Asha® head for Nikki - rather than the new sculpts the production dolls use.

However, that's not the case with the new basic ballerinas: The Hispanic and black versions do have the Summer and Asha heads. I wonder if they'll change to the new sculpts at some point? (Edit: They didn't.) Also, the shelf labels at Target called them "Teresa" and "Christie®", but the dolls (unfortunately) are both "officially" identified as "Barbie" on the packaging. ()

Another weird thing: I got two of the white Ballerina dolls (one to keep and one to paint), and they had different shoes from each other. One had matte ballet slippers with bows on top; the other had glossy slippers without bows. That's strange, since I bought both of them at the same time (from the same store), they're both made in the same country (Indonesia), and they'd just recently been put out.

BTW, the tiaras these dolls wear on their ponytails are also child-size rings. The box doesn't actually mention this with words - there's just an illustration on the back showing a hand wearing a ring. Also, the dolls have rooted center parts under their ponytails. ( ) Just be careful not to de-thatch the part if you take their hair down!

Side note: I keep getting "new body" dolls with leg problems. One of my Beach Glam™ Barbie dolls had a slice in her knee - and the vinyl at the knee on these legs is very thin, so you could see the armature inside. Also, the Ballerina doll I took out of the box has a big knot on one of her hips, and the leg is loose in the socket. (No, it's not a "feature".) I've never had a doll with a funky dislodged knot-hip or a cut on the leg, and I've opened...a lot of dolls. Both of these dolls were made Indonesia, by the way.

Speaking of which - the Indonesian dolls still have sticky legs. They're like the sticky side of a piece of tape. Doesn't it seem like that should be an issue?