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Lilli had been
sold with dozens of different fashions. Early fashions are noted for their
particular seductive design. Originally this doll had been produced as
an advertisement gag for adults. But only one Year later the manufacturers
realized that a totally different target-group became interested in this
doll. But Lilli earned her biggest success as a playdoll. Therefore the
selection was altered and the clothing supply-selection, enlarged. Each
fashion was offered for sale seperately. There are known to exist over
80 different Lilli fashions, she came as: Tennis player, dancer, ice-skater,
flight attendant, nurse, Hula-girl, Hungarian, finally with different Dirndl-dresses,
with jeans, in fur - coats and in elegant evening gowns.
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The collector
recognizes the originals dresses by their snap fasteners. These are - unlike
the ones of Barbie; who are sewn from the inside to the dresses - crimped
from the in - and outside of the fabric. Thus from the outside there is
always a round metal button with a hole in it center visible, and depending
the fashions color it is painted in that same color. Whereas the inside
part of the snap fastener is marked with the name:
PRYM. - the family
business company with this same name ist he one of the oldest in Germany:
founded 1530
and today a world marketing leader for such snap fastener systems.
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Bild-Lilli was
made by the Hausser company; which is known to collectors by its „Elastolin-figures"
hence the trade mark: Hausser-Elastolin, and manufactured from polistyrene
hard plastic. The individual limbs of the doll were jointed to the body
with rubber bands.
The head was
held in place on a slant joint from chin to neck by an eybolt below the
rubber. The hair was attached by a hemispheric top, screwed onto the skull.
Typical hairstyle was the ponytail and a curls onto cheek and the forehead.
The face was painted, the eyebrows were molded and earrings were provided.
The doll was assembled and dressed by the company 3M in Mönchröden.
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On the back was
a molded on marking, reading „Elastolin-Hausser“.
The doll has
small holes in the feet or the shoes. Thus it can be fitted into the pin
that protrudes from the stand base plate.
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Lilli’s stand
had been constructed in the same manner as the earliest Barbie stands that
had obviously been copied from this one. The 30cm. dolls were sold in Germany
for approx. 12.00 DM and the 19cm. dolls for 7.50 DM. It had been exported
to almost all western countries with the inscription Lilli, whereas only
for the German market her name was specified to: Bild-Lilli. In Germany
she was so popular that in 1957 a movie had been realized with the title:
"Lilli – ein Mädchen aus der Grosstadt" with a cast of popular local
actors. The dolls huge popularity also brought up imitators that manufactured
copies already in the fifties, but these dolls were rarely marked – only
some have the print Hongkong on their backs.
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The best known
copy though became world famous under her later name: Barbie.
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Babs:
"Hong Kong Lilli"
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In the late1950's
the Marx Toy Company of Hong-Kong licenced the Bild-Lilli design to produce
a similar 11.5 inch doll that also had a range of separate outfits, This
doll was produced from the 50's into the 1960's.and is quite similar to
Bild-Lilli, but of cheaper plastic. This Marx doll is popularly referred
to as "Hong Kong Lilly" or "Hong Kong Lilli". The construction is very
similar to Bild-Lilli. Later,Fab-Lu Ltd., (Luften Ltd.-also known as Farber-Luft,
Ltd) marketed a plastic fashion doll called Babs, based on Bild-Lilli,
she was sold with a range of outfits and had a boyfriend and a younger
sister, she made an inexpensive alternative to Barbie in the 60's. Babs
mold and wig construction are similar to Bild-Lilli, making her more of
a Bild Lilli clone, rather than a Barbie clone If you search for Bild-Lilli
on eBay you may find some of the Hong Kong Lilly's or Babs dolls, listed
as "Bild Lilli", these "Bild-Lilli type" dolls typically sell for under
$200 dollars. An original Bild-Lilli in good condition is rare and rivals
the No 1 Barbie in price range, so instead of splashing out on an original,
some avid Bild-Lilli fans are known to repaint the cheaper Hong-Kong Lilli
doll, (or even Barbie dolls), to resemble an original Bild-Lilli. However,
an original Marx Lilli doll, or Babs, is highly collectible in her own
right and her place in doll history is recognised by collectors of fashion
dolls.
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Schwabinchen
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Is is almost
unknown that Barbie had more successors, Barbie’s sister,so to speak. Reinhard
Beuthin, Lillis mental father worked in Munich during the sixties for the
local evening news. There he published another cartoon called: "Schwabinchen"
and the 3M-doll factory created a new doll.
Schwabinchen
is of smaller size and manufactured with only little quality compared to
her foreunner, she also lacks its flair and charisma.
For the collector
only her clothing is of interest. Often some surplus Lilli-clothes were
used, which had to be shortened fort his purpose.
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The famous cartoon
artist-drawer Reinhard Beuthin, who created the character, Bild-Lilli for
the newspaper: Bild-Zeitung, would leave his Editors in 1961 and travels
to Munich. There he worked for another paper and almost immediately creates
a new character: "SCHWABINCHEN", she was a pretty girl appearing in a time
when the suburb of Schwabing in Munich became popular for artists and entertainment.
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In contrast to
Lilli, the character SCHWABINCHEN was a brunette but she shared that cheeky,
sexy appearance with Lilli.
The public liked
these cartoon adventures of this new character immediately. This
success encouraged the 3M doll manufacturer to create a doll after her.
The 3M company, whose initials mean: „Martha Maar in Moenchroeden" had
worked jointly with the manufacturerer „ Hausser“ for the production of
Lilli, and mainly produced their clothing- Martha Maar, had been the responsible
creator for this new doll and therefore was allowed to copiy the drawings
of Reinhard Beuthin.
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When the 3M-company
decided to produce the SCHWABINCHEN – doll, they did not get the permission
to use the Lilli doll molds therefore she asked a talented, but unknown
model craft designer for help. SCHWABINCHEN was entirely different compared
to Lilli, she was less pretty and her body did not have the same proportions;
her arms and also the head seemed rather mispropotioned.
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SCHWABINCHEN
stands 26 cm tall, hollow plastic was used for her legs, solid hard plastic
for the body and her arms, while the head was made from soft vinyl. Her
feet were bent and with the size and the attachment of her legs it allowed
the doll to achieve a perfect sitting position. Her hands are very fine
with individual fingers. On her back she has a marking of the 3M-company.
The makeup is painted sufficiently distinct and the eyes show an almond
shape. The rooted hair is anchored from inside the head and she is sold
as a brunette, blonde or a redhead with an either short or long hairstyle.
Although a mistake often apprears due to the cut open scalp for the anchoring
of the hairstyle it becomes visible despite the hairdo and many have left
the production unnoticed by the manufacturer and the dealers with this
defect.
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She had a vast
wardrobe which were made to measure. Because the company also made the
clothing for Lilli the designers could use the unsold Lilli clothes after
resizing them. This explains why many of her dresses are directly inspired
by by Lilli’s wardrobe, and today it is therefore rather difficult to see
the difference between one or the other, only the length allows to find
this out. Her shoes are made from plastic decorated with a flower on top
and if you take a close look at this flower you may discover that it ist
he same flower that had been used for Lilli’s earrings.
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SCHWABINCHEN
has been sold in a round clear-plastic tube but smaller that the one used
for Lilli and on the outside the following had beedn printed in gold letters:
"SCHWABINCHEN EINE 3M PUPPE". Her very special stand could not be used
for any other doll.
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This doll had
been sold as a curiosity in Sweden with the name: Betty. Produced
only between 1962 and 1964, and in much smaller quantities compared to
Bild-Lilli, it is hard to find today, and for this reason it became very
much sought after by collectors.
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Later the manufacturing
license had been sold to a Dutch company in Holland with the name; «T
POPPENRIJK» and they were using the same molds to create a doll which
they sold with the name: «WILLY WILDEBRAS». This one had no
more markings on her back but was otherwise identical to SCHWABINCHEN,
except that the plastic material was of a different quality. Even new dresses
had been realized for this doll, but without a brand name and this makes
a specific identification very difficult, this doll had been sold until
1975.
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