HOW BABY FACE WAS BORN...

28. Success for Baby Face but Not For Galoob

Hi Cyndy,

Thanks so much for your Kind words and another irresistible E-mail! Both "DeeDee" and her web site are Adorable! She IS a real live Baby Face! Many people live an entire life time, without ever being lucky enough to find anything, that truly excites them! To find something to be passionate about at such an early age, and to actively and energetically pursue that thing, is not only a gift and a blessing, but I believe, it is a sign of unique Intelligence! I'm pleased and flattered that Baby Face could be one of the first, of many things that, I'm sure will capture Maryjo's imagination in the exciting years that lie ahead her!

I've often wondered how a youngster today, could even begin to decide what "speaks" to them. They are bombarded with so much, that's here for a day and replaced with something newer, bigger, better the next! And there are so Many Choices!

I'm not sure I should have looked at any web sites yet, It's very disconcerting in a way! I saw things I did and forgot I did. Well, back to the story…

By 1991, Galoob was in a real mess! Their bread and butter line of Micro Machines was slowing up, And even though Baby Face was "Successful", She was not successful enough, to turn the company around, all by herself! I had bought some Galoob stock several years before at $14 a share. It was all downhill from there and I waited and waited, hoping to sell it if it ever got back up as high as $12 and now, in spite of BF it was down to $2 a share!

Any toy company "worth it's salt", with a doll as successful as Baby Face would have known how to maintain that success! Look what Mattel did with Barbie! Playmates introduced the bland and visually uninteresting, Water Babies the same year as Baby Face, and they're still just as bland, and they're also Still Around, today!

Galoob's thinking focused on only one area "Feature"! What NEW Feature, that, hopefully wouldn't "cost" anything, could they add to Baby Face? Rather than thinking in terms of adding different themes and hair play and other marketing approaches as Mattel, successfully did with Barbie for years, the guys at Galoob who had never had a viable girls property before, wanted a Feature that was really Novel and Dramatic! Boys will be Boys!

Meanwhile, the humble little Magic Diaper Babies were selling like wildfire in Europe! The were packaged in closed bags, so one couldn't see which one was inside, and they had become a Hot collectable! Sue continued to sculpt more and more, series, finally adding baby mermaids, baby ponies, and even baby dinosaurs! Like the babies and pets they were All wearing white diapers that changed color when dipped in cold water! Pink for girls, Blue for boys!

Good night! and Best Regards, Mel

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