A treasure trove of rare vintage Barbie illustrations lies hidden deep within Joe Blitman’s website, Joe’s List: 67 jumbo trading cards produced by the Dynamic Toy company in 1962. These cards are scarce, but Joe and co. have kindly scanned and uploaded examples of almost all that were manufactured. (I believe–the numbering starts at 141, so it’s not crystal clear.)
The cards were issued as two sets: Barbie cards, numbered 141-175, and Barbie+Ken cards, numbered 176-210. The backs of the cards contain advice or little vignettes, sometimes related to the illustration, sometimes not. Depicted on card 186, above, is Barbie showing Ken how she’s paired the Silken Flame cocktail dress with a daring red slip; on the flipside, the reader is advised to “be yourself.” Card 194 describes how Ken’s artistic passion is ignited when he sees a painting of a clown, and card 206 weaves another fascinating tale:
…He insists that men make the best cooks, anyhow. “Do you know of any restaurant or hotel with a lady chef?”
It’s fun because Ken refutes a sexist stereotype with other sexism.
Joe Blitman’s scans include all the vignettes and advice blurbs, in addition to the illustrations.
The cards offer a unique glimpse into Barbie’s day-to-day existence, whether she’s primping at the hall mirror before stepping out in Red Flare, as in card #166, or noting a flyer for a fashion show while wearing Sorority Meeting, as in card #158. Sometimes the cards also raise questions. Did Barbie really don After Five for a daytime stroll in the park, as seen on card #154? Or get decked out in Sheath Sensation to sit around playing solitaire as in #143? In the latter case I speculate that that good-for-nothing Ken fellow stood her up–but the blurb on the back of that particular card gives no insight.
It’s not too surprising that Joe shares an incomplete set of cards–if recent eBay sales are any indication, you could spend literal hundreds of dollars getting your last three of these rarities. However, examples of the cards missing from Joe’s set can be found elsewhere with just a bit of searching. I love this one of Barbie in Evening Splendor:
Mattel has also reproduced these cards… sort of. The illustrations have been used for convention-exclusive charm sets and charm bracelets a couple of times. These occasionally show up on eBay, far more accessibly priced than the originals.
That’s enough rambling from me. You can browse Joe’s entire collection of Barbie jumbo trading cards here, and his collection of Barbie+Ken cards here.
Where to next? Read about gift set art, 1960-70; browse our books for vintage Barbie fans; journey through the Many Abodes of Barbie; or head on up to the Table of Contents to see other possibilities.
Silken Flame 
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