Twenty years ago, in 2002, Mattel released an Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll. Mattel’s eight-inch-tall Anne Shirley doll was part of their “When I Read, I Dream” Timeless Treasures Collection.
Which dolls were part of Mattel's “When I Read, I Dream” collection?
This collection included the following four dolls based on storybook heroines:
- Anne from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables
- Heidi inspired by Johanna Spyri’s Heidi
- Fern from E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web
- Jo inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
How did Mattel describe their Anne of Green Gables recreation?
The back of the doll's box introduces the collection and Anne Shirley:
"When I Read, I Dream™ collector dolls celebrate the friends we make between the pages of best-loved books. Meet Anne Shirley, the lively and talkative little girl from Green Gables of Prince Edward Island.
The spirited Anne is always full of surprises, not only for her adoptive parents, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, but also for delighted readers of the L.M. Montgomery classic.
She is re-created here in a Victorian-style peach-and-green print dress, boater hat and, of course, her 'life-long sorrow'—her signature red hair. Standing at the Green Gables gate, she looks ready for adventure, perhaps a drift downriver in a leaky boat or a trembling walk through the 'Haunted Wood'!"
Mattel's Technical Product Details webpage for the doll (Product# 50726) describes it as follows:
"When I Read I Dream™ collector dolls celebrate the friends we make between the pages of best-loved books. Anne is re-created here in a Victorian-style outfit in soft shades of peach and celadon green. Her dress has a peach sailor-like collar accented with a celadon bow and a crisply pleated peach linen skirt. Atop her head is a boater hat trimmed with a green ribbon. Off-white tights and white shoes add finishing touches. Anne is beautifully detailed, right down to her green eyes and, of course, her “life-long sorrow”—her signature red hair."
The Barbie Collectibles Website provides the following description of the Anne Shirley doll:
"From the beloved children's story Anne of Green Gables comes this darling 8" doll. Anne wears a delightful peach and green sailor-style dress accented with a green bow, and a pleated peach linen skirt. Her ensemble also includes off-white tights and matching shoes, and a straw-like boater hat accented with a green ribbon. Her darling red hair and sparkling green eyes make this doll perfectly precious!"
According to Planet of the Dolls, the doll’s body was based on that of Barbie’s little sister Stacie from the 1990s.
Is the Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll still available?
Mattel's Anne of Green Gables Barbie doll is no longer available in retail stores, but you can still find it on ebay and other resale websites.
Created April 27, 2022.
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