Barbie’s Seventies Travelogue, the Appendix: What to Pack

Katherin Johnson Barbie, redressed in the vintage Apple Print Sheath but wearing her own black heels with ankle straps and pearl earrings, sits on a stack of white plastic luggage. In the background is a phone booth (Pos'n Tammy's phone booth if you're familiar). Peeking around the corner of the phone booth is a grey-and-white toy tuxedo cat with orange eyes. This is a Barbie cat from, I think, the 80s, and will be referred to as Kiki for succinctness through the rest of this post's alt texts. The floor of the scene is gold-and-white zigzag pattern, while red curtains fill the background. This is my interpretation of the Black Lodge fron Twin Peaks but for Barbie, which isn't really relevant to this post's topic, I just like it and had to use something. All pics in this post are set in the Black Lodge unless otherwise specified.

In this series so far we’ve detailed how, during the Seventies, an array of vacation spots popped up for Barbie’s enjoyment. We’ve also seen how she gets from place to place, by land, air, or water. At this point she’s got all she needs, except… Barbie, you’re not packed!

But what to pack?

This latest entry in our Seventies Travelogue is an appendix and not a chapter proper because Barbie could pack her bags right from the beginning, with Winter Holiday’s overnight bag and Commuter Set’s hat box, both 1959, quickly followed by her American Airlines flight bag in 1961.

Commuter Set reproduction Barbie with blonde ponytail, bead necklace, red feathery crescent hat, white satin blouse, white gloves, and navy jersey Chanel-style suit stands holding a red cardboard hat box with the Barbie signature in white on the front. Next to her is a small wood table (Mattel Modern) holding the plaid overnight bag with black trim from Winter Holiday. On the floor before them sits the American Airlines flight bad, unzipped. Kiki's head and tail emerge from the AA bag.

Either bag is serviceable for a quick getaway, but for lengthy journeys she’ll need more capacity than this; and a stylish traveler like Barbie would never be caught toting around a hodgepodge assortment of bags as seen above.

What she really needed was a matching luggage set, such as the one sold for Penny Brite in 1965. The 8″ Penny was supposed to be 6 years old or something, but that didn’t stop her from having a car which came complete with an adorable line of baggage. The much-taller Barbie probably couldn’t operate Penny’s vehicle very easily, but the luggage actually fits pretty well; even the purse strap is pretty much the right length.

Midge wears Sorority Meeting: a brown sheath, matching knit brown vest with off-white trim, white open-toed heels, and brown felt hat with off-white trim. Over her shoulder hangs a hard plastic off-white purse adorned with a molded sunburst. In front of her is the wood table holding an off-white hard plastic suitcase, also with a sunburst emblazoned on the front. Beside the table is the blue chair from Barbie's Dream House. A hard plastic off-white hat box with sunburst sits upright on the chair. Kiki stretches atop the chair back.

Penny’s play sets had a more Populuxe feel than Barbie’s, all boomerangs, amoeboids, and candy colors. Some of her sets were recolored and put back in production for Dawn in the Seventies, and possibly on another occasion as well, but I believe this is the lone instance of the luggage with its atomic sunbursts. I just adore this set. It may be my favorite Barbie-compatible luggage set. However, other Barbie rivals also offered worthy baggage alternatives in this timeframe. Another fave is Tammy’s hat box, which came in white or black with different ensembles, always trimmed in red.

Color illustration of Tammy's Travel Along (left) and Model Miss (right). Tammy, with blonde flip haircut, models the two fashions. Travel along is a grey checked belted dress with patch pockets, white closed-toed shoes with bows, a pair of red-framed glasses Tammy holds in her hand, a red scarf tied over her head, a pair of heart charms hanging from her belt, plus a black hatbox on a strap with a red band around the outside. Model Miss is a bright blue swing coat with white stripe down the front housing a row of blue buttons, white trim at the wrists, a matching hat that's basically a hairband from ear to ear with white puffs at the two ends, a red shoulder bag, red closed-toed shoes, and the hat box but in white with red trim.

What you don’t see illustrated above is the smart little red swoosh on one side of the cases, as aerodynamic as it is midcentury-slick.

Blonde Casey wears a red minidress/jacket with white trim and a double row of white buttons with a matching red hat plus a pair of white closed-toed heels. She sits in the blue chair, holding Tammy's hat box. A red V-shaped swoosh or boomerang decorates the front of the hat box. The wooden table, behind her, holds the black version of the hat box sitting upright, showing the same red swoosh. Kiki sits behind the second hatbox and looks back over her shoulder toward Casey.

Tressy, too, had a hat box. From the outside it’s not much to look at, but the lined interior and mirror help it attain new heights of hat box sophistication.

Two shots of Tressy's hat box taken from an eBay listing. At left, the box lies open in two pieces. The interior is lined with red-and-black plaid and one side holds a small circular bit of mirror. In the second image the hat box is closed. On the outside, it is blue with two blue straps, and the word Tressy in black script on the front.

You might argue this piece is not a good fit for Barbie since it’s so prominently labeled “Tressy” on the front, but it’s canon that Tressy’s friends borrow her personalized hat box and even her passport.

The Grand Dame of mid-Sixties off-Brand Barbie luggage is the Samsonite Sillhouette line from Payton, marketed for “teenage” dolls in general.

Photograph from Theriault's catalog of two miniature Samsonite Silhouette luggage sets. Left is one for "popular teenage boy & girl dolls." It contains eight total pieces, four in teal, four in white.In each color are a large suitcase, two smaller suitcases, and a train case. The white set appeared in the first image in the post. Characters that somewhat resemble Barbie and Ken are illustrated on the packaging. Right is packaging for a set of four pieces, now in red. The illustration shows a blonde flip-haired character in a striped suit, surrounded by teal luggage pieces, next to a sign that says BUS STOP. Some of the text reads, "Miss Teen; luggage that sets the pace for luxury! Luggage opens and closes."

This image is from Theriault’s, who give the date for both as 1963. These four-piece sets were the first to give Barbie ample packing space for weeklong trips or longer. (Even I can admit that the Penny Brite suitcase is a little slim, and that plus a hat box and purse still doesn’t amount to much carrying capacity.) The train case, a classic shape but a fresh innovation in Barbie’s sphere, even has a removable tray like the real ones did.

Reproduction brunette side-part American girl, with her blue headband, wears the yellow, green and blue -checked dress from the Color Magic Fashion Designer set and turquoise open-toed heels. She sits on the plaid sofa from Barbie's first Dream House, and next to her sits a teal plastic train case, its lid ajar, and the removable shallow tray partially slid out to the side toward Barbie's hand. Sitting catty-corner is the blue chair with an open teal plastic suit case in which Kiki reclines. Between sofa and chair sits the wood table, not really visible, stacked with two other teal plastic suitcases, one larger than the other.

One other, earlier Samsonite offering also deserves notice. This one, found in My Merry sets dated 1958, actually predates Barbie. The My Merry Guest Closet, an accessory set possibly geared for Alexander-style dolls, included a classic tan suitcase stamped Samsonite and adorned with a little travel sticker. The My Merry Overnight Closet had the same case but with two stickers. No shade to the Silhouettes, but this earlier, well-worn case is my favorite for Ken or anyone who’s feeling hard-boiled.

Back at the phone booth. A nineties Ken with brown hair wears Rally day: a red cap and tan jacket, plus a pair of black slacks and black shoes. He stands in the open doorway of the phone booth, turned halfway toward the insde. In his near hand is a boxy tan suitcase with two little stickers, one at the top left corner and one at the bottom right, that are a little colorful but inscrutable. Faintly, the word "Samsonite" is stamped into the center of the case. Atop the booth sits Kiki, posed as if ready to pounce or at least swat Ken's head as he passes beneath.

(Apologies for this Nineties fellow–you can see I’m no Ken collector.)

Anyway, back in the mid-Sixties, one other major category of fashion-doll-appropriate baggage appeared by 1965.

Christie with oxidized hair wears the white jacket, gold belt and white pilgim shoes of White 'n' With It. She sits at one end of the plaid sofa and is surrounded by soft-walled vinyl bags with two handles, zippers, white piped trim, and airline logos, most printed in white. They are for: Air France, in a frosty pink; B.O.A.C., in glossy red; Pan Am, in sky blue; AZlitalia, in dark green; SAS (Scandinavian Air) with blue test on a sheen-y white; Airr Iberia on lavender; and TWA on the same green as Alitalia. An additional red bag we can't read sits sideways off the end of the couch, and one more unreadable red bag lies open on its side, unzipped. Kiki is halfway out of this bag, arms stretched to the right but head turned gazing to our left. She looks spirited. Just between us, One of the red bags is a second BOAC and the oher was one of the less-glamorous domestic airlines, so I didn't try to make them clear in the shot.

I believe these airline-branded bags are actually a little larger than Barbie-scale; her own American Airlines bag can tuck neatly inside most of them, and they could be a lot for her to lug in one hand. However, Barbie’s posh international lifestyle requires at least one or two. At midcentury, when air travel was still the province of the privileged few, a branded airline bag–especially one from an international carrier–was a status symbol. I made sure my doll had at least a BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and Pan Am bag, those being the first airlines to routinely serve the jet-setting New York-Paris and New York-London routes.

The manufacture dates of these bags can be tricky to pin down–one forum user remembers them as freebies given to child travelers, so some may never have been advertised or labeled to sell. However, many have been found packaged for retail, and those I’ve seen carried (c) dates between 1965 and 1972, with ’65 and ’68 being common. These usually contained sets of jacks–plenty of the vintage ones you find for sale now still have their jacks–and were produced in Hong Kong for the companies Chemtoy of Illinois and Wells Manufacturing of Ohio.

Two mini airline bags packaged on colorful cardboard backs. Left is a yellow bag with white trim and green bold text reading ALLEGHENY AIRLINES. Right is a while bag with a red art deco logo for CONTINENTAL AIRLINES with a little insignia of an aircraft in an oval. Both packages contain jacks and balls. Left, the package is predominantly lime green and yellow with an image of two children playing jacks. Large text reads "59 cents, twin set Jax 'n Ball with Airline Jack Bag." Smaller text not readable in the image includes the (c) 1967, Hong Kong manufacture, and Chemtoy Co., Chemincal Sundries Co., Chicago, ILL. 60650. Right is a white bag decorated with many colorful illustrations of flight bags for other airlines. A character dresses as a flight attendant, I suppose, with blue suit jacket and beret, holds between her fingers another of the bags, this one with a CHEMTOY logo. Text reads "Little Stewardess Jax 'N Ball "Airline Bag" Purse." Smaller text lists the contents ("1 AIRLINE BAG; 1 BALL; 8 JAX'S") and similar copyright and manufacture info to the first. The card bears a price sticker for 69 cents and a store logo that may say "Grant's."
Domestic carriers? Surely, but I’d still add the 1967 Allegheny Airlines and ’68 Continental Airlines miniature bags to my collection. Both via Worthpoint.

While we may know only approximate manufacture dates, the stickler for era-appropriateness can check that their doll’s bag has the right look by reading up on the airlines and their logos. For example, BOAC merged into British Airways in 1972; and per Logopedia the Pan Am logo on my Barbie’s flight bag was used from 1958-1971. One can also consult this remarkable early-Sixties Boeing ad:

A poster illustrating 25 different flight bags that existed in real life, for humans. Whereas the bags in the previous picture were all one shape, these are all different shapes, some square, some tall rectangles, most slightly wider than they are tall, one that looks like a bowling bag. Airlines represented incluse Air France, Air India, BOAC, Braniff, El Al, Lufthansa, Pan Am, Qantas, TWA, United, and more. Text at the bottom says "To zip smmoothly and comfortable anywhere in the world," along with some smaller text, a picture of a jet aircraft, and a logo BOEING Jetlines.

As shown above, human-sized travelers had access to a much greater diversity of flight bag shapes than did Barbie-sized travelers. However, the doll-sized bag proportions were at least accommodatingly ample. Below, Stacey demonstrates how her United shoulder bag can hold an entire second outfit (the remaining pieces from her United Airlines flight attendant ensemble):

With the Barbie's Friend Ship Plane as a backdrop and black "tarmac" beneath, blonde short flip Stacey reproduction stands next to the Friend Ship's service cart, wearing the United Airlines flight attendant uniform's blue slacks and red shirt with long striped sleeves. Over her shoulder is a largish square bag with a clear fron on which the United logo can only faintly be read because of the colorful contents within: navy skirt, white shirt with "wonder bread" polka dots, and red vest. On the service cart, top shelf is the second red BOAC bag. While the one isn the previous image just said BOAC in large letters with a swoosh logo, this one says "fly BOAC" with the swoosh, then spells out British Overseas Airline Company below. Middle shelf holds the Barbie American Airlines bag, which is canvas and not vinyl like the other bags. On the ground in front of the cart is a lavender bag for Japan Air Lines and the sky blue Pan Am bag.

Clear-fronted bags like Stacey’s square shoulder one, along with other clear-fronted ones having the more common oblong shape and handles, originally held Liddle Kiddles knockoffs, roughly dating them to 1967-68, give or take.

Back in Mattel world, 1968 brought Barbie a brand new hat box with the fabulous, Sears-exclusive Travel In Style gift set, which is rare. Luckily the box was also sold as part of the Tour-Ins accessory pak, which is common.

Oxidized Julia wears the Junior Designer turquoise sheath with turquoise open-toed heels. She stands next to the blue chair. In her hand and supported by the back of the chair is a green plastic hat box with white, green and blue stripes and sticker-like details that say "Rome," "London," and "Paris." Kiki stands on the chair, her front paws against the back of the chair, like she's reaching toward the hat box. Both Kiki and Julia have their heads turned back toward the camera as if they've been interrupted.

Francie, too, had hat boxes. The one from the Clear Out ensemble, shown below left via That Toy Girl on eBay, is the most common and is doll-agnostic. The hatboxes for Tweed-Somes (shown below right via bartalk on eBay) and Partners in Print are Francie-branded and are rare, along with their outfits.

Images from eBay. Left is a red plastic hat box with white, red and blue stripes and sticker-look details that say "Rome," "London," and "Paris." Right is a green plastic hat box with white, green and pink stripes and the word "Francie" scrawled along the top right.

During the Seventies, Mattel again provided Barbie with a mismatched assortment of small luggage pieces. The gold-colored case that came with the Friend Ship, shown below left, may be just about large enough to tote a paperback novel and pack of cigarettes–and what else do Ken and Barbie really need in their carry-on? The brown Busy Barbie case, below right, is covered with stickers suggesting international travel, like the My Merry Samsonite suitcase Ken toted before. However, the Busy case is exactly the same size as an earlier Skipper/Tutti piece regarded by many as a lunchbox. The aluminum-look Star ‘Vette suitcase, below center, appears to have more generous proportions but is practically two-dimensional.

Vintage blonde Stacey wears Mainly for Rain, a red, green and blue houndstooth long coat with blue trim and buttons, matching hat, and high blue boots. She is seated--on what, we can't see--behind a 1970s plastic coffee table of pink with a white oval top. Before her are three "suitcases." The silver-look plastic suitcase stands upright, partly balanced by her hand. It has a pink, yellow and orange stripe down the middle somewhat reminiscent of a luggage strap, but wider. This looks like a fine suitcase or at least briefcase size for Stacey, from this angle. On its side lies the gold- or mustard-colored case from the Friend Ship, which, in Stacey scale, is about the size of a dictionary. Standing next to it is a brown case, about the size of a lunch box, with stickers for four locations including Tokyo and Spain. Unlike the foregoing hat boxes, these are actual stickers with color illustrations. Kiki stands on the table and rubs her cheek against the corner of the brown case.

Once again, competitors had enough space for all Barbie’s stuff in matching luggage sets. Miner Industries offered a four-piece Samsonite-style set, similar to the Samsonite Silhouettes but with a hat box, metal-look latches and hardware, and mirrors embedded in the hat box and train case lids.

One Modern Circle Melody, with mod Barbie's face mold, teal short flip hair, and a purple mini dress and green scarf from Scooby Doo's Daphne, looks like she's walking through the frame. Teal plastic luggage sits nearby, some open, some standing upright. These pieces are a brighter hue than the earlier Samsonite Silhouettes, and they have the appearance of metal closures and handle attachments. On the floor, a train case sits slightly open with jewelry visible in a compartmented top tray. A hat box sits wide open, a circular mirror visible in its lid, full of open-toed shoes of carious hues (I panicked and couldn't think of any good hats for this scene). A large suitcase sits upright, closed. On the small brown suitcase a slightly smaller suitcase sits open, a bit of magenta material within, and Kiki also within, kneading the material.

Miner’s set was advertised from 1975-77. In 1978 Shillman’s Mini-Mod line introduced its own Samsonite-inspired set of three pieces, this time in pink, with more metal-look hardware and tiny airline logo stickers. Compared to official Payton Samsonite, these sets are rare today.

On a stark white vinyl backdrop, Proudly Pink Silkstone Barbie, wearing a blue-and-white Seventies Glamour Group minidress with wide blue belt and Seventies calf-length pak boots, sprawls on the floor next to a hard plastic green sofa that is 90s Barbie but actually kinda child-sized relative to Barbie. Behind her is a large Samsonite-style suitcase in bright pink with metallic painted accents along the top edge where the case closes and locks and where the handle attaches. On the front of the suitcase, centered near the top, is a sticker with a blue Pan Am logo. On the small couch sits a slightly smaller suitcase of the very same design, but with a United logo sticker in red and blue. Next to that a pink plastic hat box lies open, with the same metal  appearancce and the site of the hinged handle and molded locks. The lid of the hat box is open at a 90 degree angle and Kiki sits inside, fitting nicely. It looks like a good size for her to curl up comfortable inside, though now she sits erect. She looks back over her shoulder at Barbie, who reaches out to pet her.

Upon the retirement of their pink suitcases, Shillman/Mini-Mod debuted a long-overdue set of soft-sided luggage in 1980.

Two boxed sets of MS Shillman "Mini-Mod" luggage. Left is the set of three pink pieces (hat box, small suitcase, large suitcase) with metal-look details. Although I believe all originally had stickers, only one faces out from the package: A small Pan Am logo on the top center of the largest case. The cardboard backing features a color illustration of a woman with three pieces of metal-detailed purple luggage. She wears a yellow skirt-suit and has yellow sunglasses perched atop wavy brunette hair. Text reads "De-luxe Mini-Mod Fashion Doll Luggage Set" (plus more that is too small to distinguish). Right is a set of soft-walled (cloth) luggage in white with brown straps, the white fabric printed with little clubs and rosettes and the initials "MS" intertwining. There is one cylindrical duffel bag, one open-topped rectangular shoulder bag, and one larger suitcase-shaped bag. In addition to brown leather-look straps they have metal accents like a button closure on the duffel and some silvery circles on the strap of the suitcase bag that suggest adjustable strap length. The box shows a photograph of a Mini-Mod doll with straight blonde hair, wearing a blue coat, with the shoulder bag on her shoulder and the other two at her feet. Test says "Mini-mod Designer luggage set, 3 pieces, matching soft-side signature luggage for all dolls. High fashion styled. Tote bag - overnighter - barrel bag."

Though strictly speaking an Eighties product, this marked and monogrammed Vuitton-style set is ideal for late-Seventies Barbie’s chic Superstar life.

On a stark white vinyl backdrop, 1980 Black Barbie in a late-Seventies Best Buy orange jumpsuit with gold accents stands next to the diminutive hard plastic couch. Over her arm is a sizeable cloth suitcase in white festooned with little logos and monograms and with leather straps and piping. On the couch, nearly dwarfing the couch, is a cylindrical duffel. On the floor before the couch a rectangular tote lies on its side. Kiki's hind legs and tail are visible sticking out from the tote as if she is playing.

Stretching even further into the post-Seventies future, the ’90s Barbie Millicent Roberts line for adult collectors was chock full of callbacks to memorable early Barbie offerings. The Jet Set baggage particularly evokes the Winter Holiday overnight bag, although its brown leather-look trim is a mismatch for the black-trimmed original, held in Barbie’s right hand below.

Brunette ponytail Barbie reproduction wears Winter Holiday: striped hoodie with half-length sleeves, black footed leggings, and platform shoes with white uppers. She sits in the blue chair with her feet on the matching ottoman (how else? this doll's legs don't bend). In one hand she holds her Winter Holiday overnight bag, about the size of a bowling bag in red plaid with black accents. At her side is a large soft-sided red plaid bag, not quite the same plaid, with brown leather-look straps and pouches and gold-toned buttons and whatnot. The brown leather, if I'm perfectly frank, is not that appealing. The bag has both short handles and long shoulder strap. The small brown table is toward the back and holds a smaller red plaid bag with brown leather, this one about the size and design of the one Barbie holds, plus a red hat box with rope handle and plaid printed on the front. Where is Kiki? She skipped this scene.

Though it doesn’t complete the Winter Holiday suite, the Jet Set baggage can serve on its own as a stylish and capacious alternative for vintage Barbie’s mountain getaways.

Another nostalgic ’90s release for adult collectors was the Spiegel-exclusive Summer Sophisticate doll. To me she’s less “sophisticated” and more “Doris Day plays a wedding planner,” but she did have a nice retro hat box. Here are some of her sudsy-looking accessories, via A Little of Everything for You on eBay:

Photo from eBay listing shows the bottom part of a doll's sheath dress, pink with yellow and white stripes in a high-sheen fabric. Next to the dress is a pale greenish blue hard plastic hat box with the Barbie logo in white and a white cord handle. Other pieces are white cat eye sunglasses with blue lenses looking a little melty--less sharp than the vintage ones--along with pearlescent pinkish open-toed shoes and a pearlescent white purse with pink trim. A high-sheen pink jacket sits just on the edge of the frame and may have a flower corsage on the lapel. If not wedding planner I guess this style could be Mother of the Bride.

And here’s just the hat box in the Commuter Set context:

On a stark white cinyl backdrop, blonde ponytail Barbie reproduction wears her own repro Commuter Set suit, now with the blue-and-white checked collared shirt and no necklace. In one hand she holds a hard plastic teal/aqua hat box by its white cord. Kiki stands beside her, stretched with front paws up on her leg, gazing toward the hat box curiously or longingly.

Like so many early Mattel releases for adult collectors, Summer Sophisticate and Jet Set are both easy to find in like-new condition.

Finally, the Hallmark miniature Barbie train case and hat box ornaments are circa Y2K in manufacture, but they’re also detailed copies of real children’s luggage from the Sixties, perfect for the younger travelers in Barbie’s orbit.

On white vinyl backdrop, Black Francie reproduction stands wearing Shoppin' Spree. In one hand she holds a rectangular zippered black vinyl train case covered with screened-on images of vintage Barbie modeling her fashions before colorful rectangles. In the other she holds a sizeable hat box with a closeup of Barbie's profile and a handful of small images of Barbie in assorted fashions, also on black vinyl and closed with a zipper. At the back of the scene Kiki, wandering by, looks over curiously.

Or do they err in the less-common direction: are they a little large?

The two Hallmark cases sit unzipped on the wood-look coffee table from Barbie's first Dream house. On the right the hat box lies on its side, partway open, Kiki peeking out. To the left the train case lid is open and a white cat with green eyes and pink bow looks out (a 90s Barbie cat). The two cats have locked eyes from their separate cases. It doesn't necessarily appear friendly.

At this point, Barbie’s vacation is just about booked. So until we meet again and as Casey’s flight bag says: Bon Voyage!

The Friend Ship sits open as a backdrop with a white high-sheen floor before it. In front of the Friend ship, to the left, are a large number of suitcases lined up with their slimmer sides facing the camera. They include white Samsonite Silhouette, teal Samsonite Silhouette, tan My Merry Samsonite, the larger Penny Brite suitcase, the slim aluminum-look Star Vette case, the pink Shillman luggage and the team Miner luggage. The Japan Airlines flight bag sits before them, and stacked behind them in a part of the Friend Ship actually made to hold luggage are the soft-walled sets from Shillman and Barbie Millicent Roberts. To the other side, within the ship at the booth-style seating various hat boxes are stacked. Partially visible are the Summer Sophisticare, Tammy, Penny Brite, and Tour-Ins hat boxes. At front right on the floor are four train cases: two Miner and two Samsonite Silhouette. Front and center stands Casey in her red outfit with white trim (a Shillman ensemble that looks very similar to a real 60s flight attendant uniform). She holds out another flight bag. Although it's not evident to the viewer, this is the Air France bag turned around backwards. the back is a glossy white with the words "Bon Voyage!" printed in red scripts and illustrations of four other flight bags for different airlines at the four corners: a blue KLM bag, a red BOAC one including its little swoosh, teal SAS, and red Qantas. My one regret is there's almost no way the viewer can distinguish all that detail because I crammed so much into the scene. Anyway, near Casey's feet sits a hot pink pet carrier, its metal-look cage door front slightly ajar. Kiki is stepping out with both front paws, looking around curiously. Should be a fun flight.

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