What are Baby Face Dolls?
Birnkrant started out by designing three of his round-faced girls. He then put together a music video that starred his Baby Face Dolls in different clothing and poses. When Kiscom Incorporated showed the video to Galoob Toys at the 1990 New York Toy Fair, then-president David Galoob, (son of the original owners), instantly fell in love with the dolls.
And who wouldn’t? The Baby Face Dolls- true to their name- all have round faces with large, acrylic glass eyes and long eyelashes. No matter if they are smiling, pouting, or looking innocent or sorry, their faces show a tremendous amount of emotion and personality. Each of the Baby Face Dolls are vinyl and jointed so you can move them into any pose you like.
Galoob Toys started manufacturing the little darlings, and Mel Birnkrant continued to design more of the dolls. Each doll sold for $20 to $30 each, so they were affordable to buy for gifts, or, to start a collection with.
For the next year, vinyl Baby Face Dolls filled store shelves in the United States, as well as abroad. BarbieâÂ?¢ was the only doll that year to reach higher sales than Birnkrant’s round-faced cuties.
Adults seemed to snatch up the dolls as an investment more than little girls wanted to play with them. But, nonetheless, David Galoob’s company manufactured a total of 36 different types of Baby Face Dolls along with a slew of accessories for them. These trappings included clothing, slippers, glasses, sleeping bags, and much more.
Some of the vinyl Baby Face Dolls were named (in no particular order):
1. So Sweet Sandy
2. So Suprised Suzie
3. So Happy Heidi
4.So Loving Laura
5. So Funny Natalie
6. So Sorry Sarah
7. So Innocent Cynthia:
8. So Delightful DeeDee
9. So Shy Sherri
10. So Playful Penny:
11. So Sorry Robyn
12. So Innocent Charlene
13. So Shy Sheila.
14. So Cute Carmen
15. So Tender Tina.
16. So Caring Karen
Then, as quickly as production had started at Galoob Toys, turnout of the vinyl Baby Face Dolls suddenly ceased. Collectors were stunned. The toy industry was shocked. Anyone would wonder why a company that was enjoying high sales on a specific product would suddenly stop production and “kill off” the Baby Face Dolls.
Since no true facts ever emerged from David Galoob and his toy company, speculation ruled. It was thought that maybe the low cost of the dolls didn’t allow enough profit for the company. Another thought was that since the dolls didn’t have a television presence like Barbie or Rainbow Brite did, that fact cut their popularity short. Some others felt that when retail chains like Childrens Palace and Lionel Kiddie City closed their doors, that loss severly impacted Galoob Toys.
Whatever the reason for their early demise, vinyl Baby Face Dolls and their accessories are now collector’s items. The dolls, which are mainly Caucasian, also consist of a few African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. “So Caring Karen” is just one of the dolls that is considered to be “rare” and hard to find. A “So Silly Sally” Baby Face Doll reportedly sold for a bit over $300 in 1999.
