In the early 90s, the dream of all girls - the Barbie doll - finally appeared in post-Soviet countries. However, the price of an overseas guest was high enough for many parents at that time. Therefore, the market for children's products was filled with numerous analogues. Among them were quite cheap clones - Jessica and Wendy dolls, as well as more expensive European dolls, of good quality and at an affordable price. So many girls became the happy owners of Sandy, Betty's dolls, German toys Karina and Petra, as well as their compatriots Steffi. The doll still does not give up its place on the shelves of toy stores, unlike others, which have long been discontinued.
Barbie doll "Steffi" is made by the German company Simba Toys, which in the conditions of the modern level of development of toys strives to make Steffi competitive. For her, they come up with fashionable images, offer new options, however, quality and price still remain at a decent level.
Body
In the first years after the appearance of Steffi, the doll was practically no different from other Barbie counterparts. The body had the same proportions. The waist of the doll could be rotated, and it was slightly slanted, the hands were slightly bent, however, it was impossible to raise or lower them. Long legs ended with small feet. The head mount was used the simplest - a ball of impressive size. Despite the simplicity of the doll’s body, the materials for its manufacture were high quality. The head was cast from hard, the limbs from soft vinyl, the torso from glossy plastic. The doll's legs were hinged and could bend.
After some time, manufacturers began to make clavicles on the body. In addition, model Steffi appeared. The doll was with a thin waist and a slender figure.
The body color of the doll at that time, when its serial production had just begun, was characteristic of the 90s. Steffi was pretty tanned. Later it becomes lighter, and modern models imitate the natural color of the skin.
Back in the 90s, Simba Toys introduced a whole line of these toys. Among them - ballerinas, riders, speakers, as well as pregnant women. The location of the "child" in the tummy was as anatomical as possible. Not all doll makers adhered to this principle.
The design of the pregnant Steffi doll was quite interesting and well thought out, so manufacturers still use it. The "baby" inside the doll was located on a special plate, and was closed with a convex lid on top. After the baby doll was removed, the plate replaced the convex lid, making the stomach flat. Thus, girls could play both “pregnant” and an ordinary doll.
Hair
The first dolls had quite lush hair. However, their quality was not always good. Most often, they resembled budget versions of Barbie. The fact is that almost immediately after the child began to play with the doll, her hair became like a washcloth, and over time it could fall out or decay. Especially often this happened if the doll was subjected to sudden changes in temperature.
Like Barbie, Steffi's hair color was fair. A little later, the collection of blondes was replenished with brunette dolls. Today, every girl can choose a doll with the hair color that she likes best, even if this color is far from natural.
Face
Despite the fact that the first Steffi's face was much like Barbie, the toy became recognizable. This is a calm smile and a pensive face. In the first models, blue eyes were drawn with a small number of shades matching the tone.
A little later, eyes and makeup became more diverse. In general, it seems that the doll’s face is “younger”.
Simba Toys has always tried to keep up to date, so the new Steffi series was released - the Steffi Girl doll. This is a German analogue of the now popular Bratz. The new doll has a standard body, but its head is much larger than the one that everyone is used to.
Accessories and clothes
Like the doll itself, her outfits were of good quality. It was both evening dresses, puffy skirts, and casual dresses - sundresses, trousers and blouses. The wardrobe of the doll is simple, but it is interesting and varied in its own way.
Separately, it must be said about the shoes worn by the Steffi doll. Customer reviews say that the shoes that came in the sets with the doll also fit other toys of its format, and even Japanese beauties with hinges. The shoes were partially stained, and its details were well worked out.
Family and friends
The Steffi line is complemented primarily by her husband. He used to be known as Danny, but modern children know him by the name of Kevin. Distinctive features of this boy doll are pink hair and a tattoo located on the torso. But, as it often happens, finding a boy doll on sale is much harder than his “wife”.
The catalogs do not mention the names of the children of the Steffi doll. The photo shows that these babies are largely reminiscent of children from the Barbie family, except that the German ones are more chubby. Very popular is the daughter of Evie, who was released in a separate series. There are as many accessories for this baby as for her “mother”: clothes, pets, winter games.