Bild-Lilli Clones: Babs, "Hong Kong Lilli"

In the 1950's the Marx Toy Company of Hong-Kong licenced the Bild-Lilli design to produce a similar 11.5 inch doll that also had a range of separate outfits, This doll was produced from the 50's into the 1960's.and is quite similar to Bild-Lilli, but of cheaper plastic. This Marx doll is popularly referred to as "Hong Kong Lilly" or "Hong Kong Lilli". The construction is very similar to Bild-Lilli. Later,Fab-Lu Ltd., (Luften Ltd.-also known as Farber-Luft, Ltd) marketed a plastic fashion doll called Babs,, based on Bild-Lilli, she was sold with a range of outfits and had a boyfriend and a younger sister, she made an inexpensive alternative to Barbie in the 60's. Babs mold and wig construction are similar to Bild-Lilli, making her more of a Bild Lilli clone, rather than a Barbie clone

Fab-Lu Ltd., (Luften Ltd.-also known as Farber-Luft, Ltd) manufactured a doll based on Bild-Lilli (Bild Lilli Doll by O.M. Hausser/Elastolin, Neustadt, Germany - 1952 ), Marketed as a teenage fashion doll in hard plastic, she was sold with a range of outfits and had a boyfriend and a younger sister, she made an inexpensive alternative to Barbie in the 60's. Babs mold and wig construction are similar to Bild-Lilli, making her more of a Bild Lilli clone, rather than a Barbie clone.

If you search for Bild-Lilli on eBay you may find some of the Hong Kong Lilly's or Babs dolls, listed as "Bild Lilli", these "Bild-Lilli type" dolls typically sell for under $200 dollars. An original Bild-Lilli in good condition is rare and rivals the No 1 Barbie in price range, so instead of splashing out on an original, some avid Bild-Lilli fans are known to repaint the cheaper Hong-Kong Lilli doll, (or even Barbie dolls), to resemble an original Bild-Lilli. However, an original Marx Lilli doll, or Babs, is highly collectible in her own right and her place in doll history is recognised by collectors of fashion dolls. For the average collector on a limited budget, a still affordable version of a Bild-Lilli is the doll from the Marx Toy Company made in Hong-Kong commonly referred to as "Hong Kong Lilly" or "Hong Kong Lilli". Marx had a licence to manufacture the doll in 50's-60's. The construction is very similar to Bild-Lilli. Both Bild-Lilli and Hong Kong Lilly dolls are made of frail hard plastic. Another version known as Babs was manufactured by the Fab-Lu company. The original German 11 1/2" Bild-Lilli's are coated all over with a layer of paint unlike the unpainted plain plastic clones and there are differences seen in the painting of the features and hair colors etc, but otherwise the Hong-Kong Lilly is a good example of the type, still in an affordable price range. .