Dolls and Doll-related Items for Sale

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Mattel's Teen Trends Courtney

In 2005, Mattel introduced the Teen Trends line of dolls. They were 17" dolls, each with her own personality, which was reflected in her fairly detailed clothing. I picked up Courtney, the preppie doll. My family was never rich, but I did try to dress preppie in high school during the mid-80s. The other dolls produced were Gabby, Deondra and Kianna. According to Wikipedia, there was also a doll named Rayna who was brought out a couple of years later. The joints at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees are all strung. Courtney can look a little bit up and down, and also side to side. Each doll originally came in a thick cardboard wardrobe case, with room for the doll, space to hang her clothes, and a little drawer for her extras. Individual outfits, each tailored for a specific doll, were also sold.

If the dolls didn't all have the same face mold, it was at least very similar. Courtney has dirty blond hair, light brown eyes, and pink full lips with a slight smile.


She wears silver ball stud earrings and a nice necklace for an inexpensive play doll. She also wears a short-sleeved polo shirt and a denim jacket with a lot of detail. The jacket does not close, though.


She can't stand up by herself; her knee joints are rather floppy. I don't think that's a result of string deterioration, since the lower legs don't hang loose. It just seems like the knee joint doesn't fit together sturdily.


And with the legs I discovered a problem with this particular doll: she has developed the dreaded sticky leg syndrome. When I touch her lower legs or arms, a tacky residue is left on my fingers. This may also be what stained Courtney's otherwise awesome preppie khakis.


The belt on Courtney's pants looks like a man's tie. Mattel did something similar with one of the Fashion Fever outfits which I recently picked up. Unfortunately, I broke the stiff plastic chain belt that the Fashion Fever tie was woven through, and the pants didn't fit my Fashion Fever doll, nor the J-dolls. So you won't see a picture of that now. Here's Courtney's pants, though.


Courtney's outfit finishes off with sandals that highly resemble Dr. Scholl's Originals, which were all the rage during part of the 80s, and maybe the late 70s. It's all kind of blurry now, and I may be getting them mixed up a bit date-wise with Candie's. Those were rather similar, slip-ons with a wide strap and wooden base, but often with a high, chunky heel.


Courtney's other flaw, besides the sticky plastic, is her hair. It's an uneven mess that feels very much like the straw that it resembles.


This is especially confusing since one of the things the doll seems to be meant for was hair play. Courtney came with the hair items below: three rubber hair rollers, a soft suede-covered headband, a clip, and a decorated hairband. I've never tried using the rollers on Courtney's hair, and the headband doesn't fit particularly well.





I had been considering getting a friend for Courtney, until I discovered her stained clothes and tacky limbs. Now I'm not even sure what I should do with Courtney herself. I've read that baby powder helps with the stickiness, but only temporarily. What should I do with my poor preppie girl?

9 comments:

  1. Hi Barb, I have a Gabby, I love the faces of these dolls. Courtney has a lovely outfit and shoes! Sorry to read about the sticky legs. My Gabby had straw-like hair too, but after I washed it carefully and put conditioner on it for a few hours, it now is soft and much better looking. I hope you find a solution for the stickiness!

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    1. I will definitely try to condition her hair, if I can get her legs cleaned off. I think that needs to come first.

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  2. I've had some luck clearing tackiness by soaking the limbs in warm soapy water - maybe that could work on Courtney?

    I have Kianna and Deondra, and luckily neither of them have had the tacky legs (*knock wood* They're in storage now, so hopefully nothing has changed in the past year). I'm almost ridiculously fond of this line - I really like them as a mid-step between playline and collector dolls, and really love the extra clothing options that they put out, so I'd vote for taking the risk and getting her a friend! :)

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    1. I really do love Courtney; it's just that from what I was able to find online, the sticky leg situation is permanent. However, that was on vintage Barbie dolls, so the warm soapy water may do the trick. It's worth a try!

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  3. I've never heard of these dolls, they look great! You could try adding some essential oil (tea tree or peppermint) to the detergent when washing the trousers (counterintuitive, but some oils do get other oils out). Try to powder the legs and see how long it lasts. I'd say get a second doll if you have a good offer.

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  4. Thanks for the tips, BlackKitty. Hoping to tackle cleaning these things by the weekend at least.

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  5. I invite you on this new group dedicated to the Teen Trends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/102624743766880/?ref=bookmarks

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  6. I only barely remember these (it was a difficult time in my life), but Kianna was my favorite. Have you tried putting her clothes in a clean pickle jar with cold water and ice cubes? If you still have her it's worth a shot.

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    1. I am ashamed to admit that I haven't done anything with her or her clothes. I think I would try Dawn first on her pants, but I appreciate the tip.

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