/// 12 May 2009 ///
Target Exclusive Beach Party™ Barbie® and Teresa® Giftset

Last week I saw this exclusive Beach Party™ Barbie® and Teresa® Giftset at Target.

Target Exclusive Surf's Up™ Giftset (2008)

It's actually almost exactly the same as Target's exclusive giftset tie-in to last year's beach line, Surf's Up™ (shown to the left). The dolls themselves appear to be identical to them (they aren't like the regular-line dolls from either assortment), and their outfits are the same, but they're made over using different fabrics - one of which has the same variegated pink-and-yellow print as the regular-line Beach Party Barbie doll's swimsuit (which you can see here). The dolls share fabrics this time; last year, Barbie's swimsuit was mostly pink, while Teresa's was mostly blue and green.

The child-size tote bag is also the same as last year's, made over using fabric with a larger version of the pink-and-yellow print from the swimsuits.

Even the packaging is very similar to last year's - except it's flipped, with the dolls on the right and the packed-in tote bag on the left. Accordingly, the girl in the inset photo (which - you'll never believe this - is the same as last year ) is also flipped, and the tote bag she was originally holding has been digitally replaced with the new one.

This wasn't the old retro flashback I had at Target, though: They also had this Beach Party Color Change Diver™ doll...

Beach Party™ Color-Change Diver™ doll
Surf's Up™ Color-Change Diver™ doll (2008)

...which is almost identical to the Surf's Up Color-Change Diver from last year (shown to the right). In fact, it even uses the same product number, M4752. (It's very unusual for a product number to be re-used like this.)

I don't know if this version is a Target exclusive, but I haven't found it at any other stores, so it may be. However, I have seen a foreign-market version of the new doll packaged in a box with the name Riviera (which is what the Beach Party line is called outside the US).

Doll Diary 12 May 2009