Rainbow Brite dolls

Checklist and picture guide for the vintage Rainbow Brite dolls

For info regarding the difference between 1983 or 2003 dolls, check here

• QUICK SUMMARY of ALL dolls released: There were a total of 20 dolls, (not counting Stormy) 30 individual sprites, 2 plush pets, 2 versions each of Starlite and Lurky, and 2 hard-body horses.  Of the dolls, there were 3 different sizes world-wide (and a baby-doll).           
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• There were also a LOT of toys and accessories for the Rainbow Brite line, enough to require their own guide!  If you are interested in a detailed list, check out rainbowbrite.net, which is a good source of info. Otherwise, look below for a check list of the just the dolls plush and sprites, and some other obscure collector info.

RAINBOW BRITE DOLLS 

LARGE  18" Dolls 

Made by Mattel, copyright Hallmark Cards, 1983. 

Dolls usually sell for $50-$100 MIB

1. 18" Rainbow Brite -
2. 18" Patty O'Green -
3. 18" Shy Violet
4. 15" Baby Brite (Baby Doll)

MEDIUM/Lrg 15/16" Dolls  (emotions dolls)

These 4 were Made by Emotions division of Mattel, (not released in boxes).  Copyright 1983 Hallmark cards.  All fairly rare, especially with wrist hang-tag.  Will sell for $65 + with wrist tag and in good condition.  

1. Rainbow Brite
2. Patty O Green
3. Canary Yellow
4. Red Butler

SMALL 11" DOLLS w/ SPRITES

Made by Mattel.  Copyright Hallmark Cards, 1983.  All released with little 3.5" "hand sprites" that attached to the doll's hand with velcro.  The little sprites are easily lost, so can be somewhat difficult to find. 

1. Rainbow Brite & Twink  ($45-$100 MIB)
2. Indigo & Hammy ($75-$125 MIB)
3. Patty O'Green & Lucky  ($35-$55 MIB)
4. Red Butler & Romeo  ($35-$45 MIB)
5. Shy Violet & IQ  ($55-$100 MIB)
6. Lala Orange & O.J.  ($75-$100 MIB)
7. Canary Yellow and Spark  ($35 - $45 MIB)
8. Buddy Blue & Champ ($90 - $150 MIB)
9. MURKY with a stormcloud  ($35 - $45 MIB)

DRESS-UP DOLLS (and dress-up horses) -11" dolls, Barbie-sized horses

Made by Mattel in 1985, copyright Hallmark Cards, 1983.  This was the last season of Rainbow Brite.  Dress-up dolls did not come with Sprites, but had completely removable outfits, and peach colored bodies.  They are really cute, but pretty rare.  Moonglow was only sold in Germany. Stormy was not produced, although you can see the prototype on the back of the dress-up boxes- and in the 1986 Toy Fair catalog. 

Moonie has only been sold MIB a couple of times, so as a result, it is impossible to guess her price.  The last time she was on ebay, she sold for about 2K.  Starlite MIB is also extremely rare.  The last time he was on ebay, he sold for $500 MIB.  Tickled Pink and Dress-Up rainbow are easier to find.

1. Rainbow Brite  ($85 - $150 MIB)
2. Tickled Pink     ($150 - $200 MIB)
3. Moonglow (limited release -Germany) ($2,000+ MIB, $200+ out of box if complete, $75-100 incomplete (missing shoes).
4. Stormy  - not released anywhere (Please contact me if you have a prototype!)
5. Starlite horse (limited release -US)  $500+ MIB
6. Sunriser horse (limited release -US)  $100 - $250 MIB

THE PLUSH

PETS & FRIENDS

Made by Mattel or Emotions division of Mattel, copyright Hallmark cards 1983.

1. 11" Starlite  ($45 - $100 MIB)
2. 10" Starlite (Emotions)($45-100MIB -but watch out for the 9" 2003 clone)
3. 16" Lurky ($35 - $50 MIB)
4. 10" Lurky (Emotions)  ($25-$50 MIB)
5. Kitty Brite ($100+ MIB)
6. Puppy Brite (watch out for the 2003 clone) $25 MIB

LARGE SPRITES

11” BOY SPRITES (watch out for 2003 clones)

Made by Mattel, copyright Hallmark Cards, 1983.  Prices fluctuate greatly, but generally OJ & Twink are the most expensive ($25 - $45 MIB) with the rest generally going for $20 - $25 MIB.  All sprites between $3 and $20 out of box.

1. Twink (white)
2. Spark (yellow)
3. Lucky (green)
4. Romeo (red)

11” GIRL SPRITES

Made by Mattel in 1984, copyright Hallmark Cards, 1983.  Somewhat more difficult to find than the boy sprites.  Generally $35 - $55 MIB, $10 - $25 loose.

1. Spritzie (light blue)
2. Merrily (yellow)
3. Flutter (light green)
4. Posie (purple)
5. Glee (lavender)
6. Deelite (pink)

Small Sprites

 BABY SPRITES (Germany release only- very rare) 

1. Itsy
2. Bitsy
3. Eensie
4. Teensie

Sprites MIB (mint in ball) are extremely rare and go for $60 - $100+   Baby Sprites that are loose (and still have their diapers) go for $20 - $95.

6" HAT-FUL SPRITES

1. Twink
2. Spark
3. Lucky
4. Romeo
5. Champ

6" Emotions Sprites:

(look for plastic emotions hang tag)

1. Twink
2. Spark
3. Lucky
4. Romeo
5. Champ (not pictured)

6" Taco-Bell (kids-meal) Sprites

(these guys squeak when you shake them and the right hand is a clip):

1. Twink
2. Spark
3. Champ
4. Romeo

SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION

* Limited Release dolls and Variation info

Dress-Up MOONGLOW

Moonglow was made ONLY in Germany as a test-market doll, (called Sandra Silbermond in Germany) and the Rainbow Brite series was discontinued shortly after.  She was never released in the U.S. or or anywhere else, and as a result, is rare and always expensive.  There are only about 4 known MIB dolls in existance. (that have ever been sold on ebay) and they always go for VERY high (much higher than a loose doll, even if mint). 

For curiosity's sake (and for searching on ebay.de) Rainbow Brite doll names in Germany/Deutchland

• Rainbow Brite  - Regina Regenbogen
• Stormy - Stormy?
• Shy Violet - Viola Veilchenscheu
• Starlite - Sternschnuppe
• Lala Orange - Maria Mandarina
• Buddy Blue - Bubi Blauschuh
• Indigo - Nina Nachtigall
• Patty O' Green - Katrin Kleeblatt
• Canary Yellow - Sabine Sonnenstrahl
• Tickled Pink - Penny Popperpink
• Moonglow - Sandra Silbermond
• Twink - WeiBwirbel
• Murky Dismal - Grummel Griesgram
• Baby Sprites - babywichte

Rainbow Brite in Italy (info thanks to Sailor_Jupitor and Janlourainbowbrite!- Authentic Italian Rainbow Brite fans from Italy, reporting first hand!)  Rainbow Brite was also very popular in Italy, although it appears that some dolls were never released there.  Janlourainbowbrite, who collected Rainbow Brite dolls during that time, remembers that Italy never received:  Lala Orange, Violet, Buddy Blue, the 18" Patty or Violet, and all of the Emotions dolls/pets/sprites, the hard body horses, Dress-up RBB, Kitty Brite, OJ boy sprite, the girl sprites, and the sailmobile or sprite cycle. 

The name of Rainbow Brite in Italy was Iridella- here are some of the names of the other characters (just in case you are searching on Ebay.it) :

• Rainbow Brite & Twink Sprite = Iridella & Folletto Bianco
• Red Buttler & Romeo Sprite = Red Rosso & Folletto Rosso
• Lala Orange & OJ Sprite = Lala Arancio & Folletto Arancione
• Canary Yellow & Spark = Canary Gialla & Folleto Giallo
• Patty O'Green= Patty Verde & Folletto Verde
• Buddy Blue= Buddy Blu & Folletto Blu)
• Indigo= Indachella & Folleto Indaco
• Shy Violet= Violetta (this could mean little violet) & Folletto Viola
• Tickled Pink= Rosellina or Raggio Rosa 
• Moonglo= Raggio di Luna(ray of moon)
• Stormy = Tempestella (little storm)
• Starlite = Stella Bianca
• Sunriser = Aurora
• Starlite= Stella Bianca (white star)
• Twink= Folletto
• Bianco (white sprite)
• Murky Dismal= Murky Cupo (cupo is dark/obscure,but intended in a sinister way
• Lurky Dismal(?)= Lurky Guffo (no translation for this word)

Rainbow Brite in Canada was Rainbow Brite and also Azurine (from the color of his dress)- although in France, her name was Blondine- so she had two French names! (thanks to Joe/13wasberen for the info)

The HARD STARLITE

The dress-up horses (hard starlite and sunriser) were made to go with the dress-up dolls.  They look like Barbie horses that have been flocked (like so soft my little ponies)

They came with a dress-up comb, saddle and reins.  They are were released, but only in limited quantities.  Starlite is VERY rare and only appears on ebay once in a while.  Always sells for $500+  Sunriser is less rare, but generally never sells for less than $150 MIB.   

(Brazil Rainbow, Stormy, dress-up combs, Aussie lurky)

WHERE DO I FIND STORMY?  Is the inevitable question of all Rainbow Brite collectors...

Despite her cuteness, the Stormy doll was never sold in stores. The dolls you see in the Dress-up booklets and on the back of the Dress-up doll boxes were prototypes made for marketing purposes (sample dolls and for photos).  There were at least a few prototype dolls made, (it is clear that the prototype doll used in the cataloge is very different than the one on the back of the boxes) but it is unclear where these went.  Mattel was not known for keeping their prototypes, so they could be anywhere (most were destroyed). 

ANY Rainbow Brite prototype doll in any stage of production is very hard to find, and if you have one, I'd LOVE to see it or learn of its existance! 

I will even keep your id and the existence of the doll confidential if you request.

IDENTIFYING A PROTOTYPE 

Prototypes have no factory tags, and usually have hand painted features, hand-stiched clothing, and hand-rooted and trimmed hair.  Check out the dolls on the back of any box.  You'll note that they look pretty different than the doll you have.  This is because ALL of the dolls used in photo-shoots are not your standard issue dolls, but prototypes or samples made for marketing purposes only.  What happens if no store orders the line after the samples are produced?  Well there may be a few floating around, but the company will usually not order any shippments, thus the regular doll is never produced.

A Prototype doll will usually have no factory imprint (such as the mattel 1983 you usually see stamped into the back of the head) and the dolls can even be a slightly different size than the final product.  They are often hand-made by the designers.

There are a few clever custom-dolls out there now, so it may be difficult to know whether you have a prototype unless you have received one directly from a Mattel employee, or you WERE a Mattel employee lucky enough to swipe one or have one gifted to you.   

However, aside from the above clues, there is one other very obvious clue that would indicate a Stormy prototype is rea.  It is the SIZE of the yarn used in the 1980s in the U.S. for the 11” doll hair (and the dress-up dolls).  The size (width) of this yarn was actually discontinued in the late 80s, and is therefore really impossible to find.  That means that custom doll makers may be able to find a color that matches reasonably well, but then they are forced to use yarn that is either larger or smaller than the size used on the dolls, and this IS noticeable. 

Also, you can’t just dye the hair, because the hair is 100% polyester and color washes/falls right off. (as dye would off any plastic surface). 

Therefore, any custom Stormy HAS to be a re-root, and the size of the yarn will look slightly off.  But there are some SUPER cute customs out there, and I absolutely adore how they turn out :D

EMOTIONS DOLLS  (15" Dolls)

These dolls were released in Hallmark shops and a few retail stores, and were made by the Emotions division of Hallmark Cards and Mattel.  They did not come in boxes, but were loose, with wrist hang tags and a plastic “emotions” tag.  They are EXTREMELY hard to find with the original paper hang tags. 

Also, MOST if not ALL of these dolls will have SOME VDS (mold/spotting) due to the material used in the vinyl for these dolls.  This can look like anything from a faint brown freckle to dark black dots depending on severity and how advanced it is.  Dolls that have been living in a basement can be completely covered.  (Any vinyl doll can get this to some degree if stored in a damp area for a long time, such as a basement, but THESE dolls are particularly suseptible).

It can be very difficult to see this kind of mark in the pics on an ebay auction, so ask your seller to check carefully.  They may just say the doll is dirty, but mold does NOT wash off.   Don't give up though!  If your doll only has a couple spots, you can treat with Remove-zit to stop or kill the mold in it's tracks.  If you do not stop the VDS, the spots will eventually cover the entire doll and can even move to other vinyl dolls (like your strawberry shortcake dolls or my little ponies).

BABY SPRITES

Each baby sprite came in a clear-colored plastic ball.  The sprites are bi-color with a diaper and have really adorable faces.  These guys are rare even loose, and EXTREMELY rare Mint in Ball.  I believe  they were released only in Germany, as this is where most seem to come from, and the only MIB sprites have been sold on the German ebay.  (Ebay.de)  They are wildly expensive MIB. ($100-$200)

11" Doll VARIATONS:

The “Star Shoes” Rainbow Brite, Patty O Green and Red Butler come in a version with plain colored shoes, or shoes that are printed to look like tennis shoes.  Collectors started calling these “star shoe” editions.  They are not hard to find.

Other variations: 

1.   “red bottom” version of Rainbow Brite (looks like she is wearing red underpants) (slightly less common than blue bottom) -both 18" & 11" dolls 
2. the size of Rainbow Brite’s star is either large or small, and Buddy Blue comes with gold or silver braid on his shorts.
3. The Gift Set Rainbow packaged with Starlite (doll is identical, packaging is farily rare)
4. Gift Set Rainbow packaged with "free nightgown and slippers" (somewhat htf)
5. Country variations There are at least 8 different box editions (US, European, Italian, Canadian, Mexican, Brazilian & Japanese * rare). 

18" Rainbow Brite Doll Variations  (Rainbow Brite was released just about everywhere- however, Patty & Shy- and some of the color kids and other characters were not)

1. U.S. version (red pants v. blue pants edition, thick v. thin hair edition, large star v. small star)
2. General Euro edition (box printed in 4 languages- English/German/French/Italian);
3. Canadian edition (box printed in English & French)

VERY RARE VERSIONS

1. Japanese version (very rare); Japanese language print only 
2. Mexican version (dolls are very rare mib- tags will say hecho en mexico); 
3. Brazil version (made by Estrela, not Mattel (dolls came in a white box made by Estrela and printed in Portuguese only).

Brazil dolls*
The Brazil dolls are not just in a different box, they are REALLY different.  Due to Brazil's various import regulations, the dolls were made by Estrela instead of Mattel.  As a result, the dolls have the same colors as the Mattel dolls released everywhere else, but were made from completely different fabrics. The dolls (11" and 18" only) have thick course YELLOW yarn hair, y(not orange), and the dress and body is made from felt and lame instead of polyester.  Brazil Rainbow also has a gold Estrela necklace.  Her face mold is the same and the basic design is the same, but it is obvious when she is in your hands that she was made by a different toy company.  She actually looks to be a better quality doll than the Mattel version!  I LOVE her. 

Baby Brite Variations
Baby Brite actually came in two different packages 

1. Packaged with a bottle and a “bonus” diaper, and
2. Packaged with  just a bottle.

Baby Brite also has two clearly different hair colors;

1. Very light pink hair
2. Bright pink hair.  (This variation has nothing to do with which country she was released in, but is based on where and when the doll was made.  Neither color is more or less rare, in fact, Baby Brite is just about the least-rare doll out there.)

***PS-- if this guide has been useful, please rate it "helpful" but if you didn't find the information you were looking for, please let me know and I will do my best to update! (Keep in mind that although I would LOVE to include more and better pics, but ebay limits these guides to 10 pics of the above size... sad eh?)

Also, if you have information that I have not included in this review, I would be very grateful if you would let me know- I love finding out new information regarding my favorite dolls and meeting other collectors :D