Midge was introduced into the Barbie world in 1963 wearing a two-piece swimsuit. See figure 1 below. She was Barbie’s best friend and the same size as Barbie so that she was able to share all her clothes. She had the following markings on her:
Midge T.M.
©1962
Barbie®
©1958
A bendable leg version was introduced in 1965 (Figure 2 below). She wore a turquoise one-piece swimsuit with multi-colored stripes and had the following markings:
©1958
Mattel, Inc.
U.S. Patented
U.S. Pat.Pend
Made In Japan
Figure 1: Straight Leg Midge (1963-1967)
Figure 2: Bendable Leg Midge (1965-1967)
Molded Head Midge that was packaged with 3 wigs
Midge disappeared in the mod era and was only re-introduced in 1988 with California Dream Midge (a playline doll), though two vintage reproduction dolls were made specifically for collectors in 1993 and 1998. The dolls sold in this time period usually had red hair, often with freckles, and her eye color was usually blue. Also in the period, Wedding Day Midge was sold, with the groom being Alan Sherwood, who had been marketed as Midge’s boyfriend in the vintage years. Midge and Alan had three children introduced named Ryan, Nikki, and Cassandra. They also had twins who were never introduced. This was known as the Happy Family line, and in the set, Midge was sold “pregnant” with Nikki as a newborn baby. The Happy Family product became the subject of controversy when some parents disliked the “pregnant” Midge toy because they believed that Midge was too young to have children.
Midge was known as Viky in Brazil.
In 2013 Mattel decided to revamp Midge’s history, reintroducing her as a best friend of Barbie’s and part of the Life in the Dreamhouse series. She was unmarried, without children, and had no connection to Alan. Mattel updated her features and gave this version rooted eyelashes.
Life in the Dreamhouse Midge
I have 2 favorites amongst the modern Midge dolls. The first is Dance Moves Midge from 1994. Pictured below is the doll from my collection. Her box is not perfect but the Midge herself is a beauty!
The next is Jewel Haired Mermaid Midge and the last is Dreamhouse Midge pictured above Dance Moves Midge.
Nuts About Dolls 