Art Design: Perhaps because Barbie has been around for 46 years and has made so many similar sets; the names of Barbie sets sometimes do not seem to have much to do with their content. Like this 12" Barbie "Happy Family Neighborhood Midge, Nikki, & Baby." It could be called "Supermarket Set," but then when I googled Barbie and supermarket or shopping, a lot of other Supermarket and Grocery shopping sets popped up. Anyhow, this set is about Midge, Nikki, and the Baby going grocery shopping. The window box & backing card have some great girl colors and themes. Just looking at the box made me want to go grocery shopping.
Headsculpt: Most of the Barbies look pretty similar, though I have noticed that sometimes Mattel will slightly change the lips or the eyes. This set features Midge, who is a friend of Barbie since around 1959 or so. Midge is actually cuter than Barbie, her face looks more intense and does not have the traditional Barbie blank stare. The little girl, Nikki is just incredibly cute, and her little pigtails are a great touch. The baby boy looks like he is screaming for his Mommy's milk, and his little clenched fists accentuate the hungry look on his face. This is a unique collectible lad!
Body articulation: Midge is a standard Barbie with a dolly level of articulation. Nikki and the baby boy can move their arms and legs up and down and their heads can turn also.
Outfits: Barbie has a nice jacket, and Nikki also has a quality made, soft cotton windbreaker with a nice hood. The tailoring on most Barbie clothes is excellent. The baby harness is another plus for this set. The rest of the clothes are standard Barbie gear. Midge is wearing green rubber tennis shoes that are nice and uncommon.
Supermarket Gear: The shopping cart is perfect. The store shelf is average, but the set delivers cartons of milk, candy bars, egg cartons, Charmin, grocery bags, cereal, and more. This set has a lot of cool gear with excellent graphics for anyone who likes 1:6 scale items.
Overall: This set packs a lot of punch for the price, which is between $19.99 and $29.99 depending on where you buy it. Toys R Us, KB Toys, and online dealers have this set. It is similar to several other Barbie supermarket playsets, though each set has its unique items.
Grade: A
