Mattel first launched the Barbie brand in the late 1950s, first with Barbie herself and soon with her boyfriend, Ken, and friends like Midge, Skipper, Skooter, and Allan. Some of Barbie’s family and friend dolls share her body size and therefore could share her clothing, while other dolls have their own lines of clothing. Mattel introduced Talking P.J., the first P.J. doll, in 1969. Talking P.J. is the same size as Barbie, so outfits could be worn by both dolls. Talking P.J. packaging states, “New ’n Groovy Talking P.J. / Bendable Legs! Real Eyelashes! I Talk! Pull Talking Ring.” Talking P.J. is dressed in a distinctive orange and pink floral dress with long sleeves, and she came with light purple sunglasses. 

Mattel developed other P.J. models over the years. In 1970, Mattel came out with Twist n’ Turn P.J., which has the same head as the previous P.J. doll. However, she rotates at the waist. The following year, Mattel introduced a line of Live Action Barbie dolls, including the Live Action P.J. The Live Action dolls could “pose more than ever before,” and the Live Action P.J. On Stage doll came with a “motorized stage with action control” and a double-sided record, microphone, and guitar. 

Mattel continued to sell P.J. dolls, often at the same time newly themed Barbie dolls were introduced, such as Gold Medal P.J., which was sold at the same time as Gold Medal Barbie. Other 1970s P.J. dolls include Free Moving P.J. and The Sun Set Malibu P.J., plus several others like Quick Curl P.J. and Fashion Photo P.J. Several additional versions of P.J. dolls were released in the 1980s. 

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P.J. dolls are identified by their close similarity to Barbie dolls, with some notable differences. P.J. is the same size as Barbie but has a different head. The P.J. dolls share the same head mold as either Midge or Steffie dolls. For instance, Live Action P.J. has a Midge head, while Free Moving P.J. has Steffie’s head.

The first P.J. doll, the 1969 Talking P.J., has bendable legs, brown eyes, rooted eyelashes, and very straight blonde hair. Her hair is sectioned into two ponytails, each wrapped in a beaded hairband. Talking P.J. also has bangs, while some later P.J. dolls do not have bangs. Many P.J. dolls have the same double-ponytail style. Talking P.J. has a pull ring on the back of her neck to make her talk and a grid of holes on the back of her torso for sound. Non-talking P.J. dolls have solid backs with no holes.

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The first P.J. doll produced by Mattel was Talking P.J. The doll was marked “© 1967 / Mattel, Inc. / U.S. & Foreign / Pats. Pend. / Mexico.” Later dolls have copyright marks with similar content but different copyright years and places of manufacture. Original P.J. clothing is marked with a tag that reads “PJ ™ / © 1969 Mattel, Inc / Hong Kong” in uppercase letters. Some clothing is marked “Japan” instead of Hong Kong.

Collectors may find some dolls with their original wrist tags and packaging. The boxes for the P.J. dolls include the original Mattel logo. “Mattel, Inc. Toymakers” is printed in white letters in a circular fashion inside a black serrated seal. A large uppercase letter “M” is in the middle of the seal. A later version of Mattel’s trademark serrated seal logo mark features “Mattel” printed in uppercase white letters in an upward diagonal direction. 

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In the WorthPoint Library

The Barbie Doll Years 1959-1995 by Patrick C. Olds.

The Story of Barbie Doll, 2nd Edition by Kitturah B. Westenhouser.

Books and Periodicals

Barbie The First 30 Years: 1959 through 1989 and beyond by Stefanie Deutsch and Bettina Dorfmann.

The Collectors Encyclopedia of Barbie Dolls and Collectibles by Sibyl DeWein and Joan Ashabraner.

Web Resources

Identifying Vintage Barbie PJ Dolls 1969-1976 www.dollreference.com.

P.J. 1969-1976 www.myvintagebarbies.com.

P.J. Dolls www.fashion-doll-guide.com.