A FORTY YEAR WAIT

There was a particular doll in the 1976 Barbie catalogue (see bottom-left photo)  I noticed as a kid way back when, who looked like none of the Free Movers, Malibus and Quick Curls that dominated that particular issue....I wanted her so badly from the minute I saw her and searched for this brunette beauty high and low- in every department store and toy store I could find back then, to no avail. Decades passed, and when I started collecting seriously a few years ago, I discovered that she was  a 'hybrid' most probably created in the photo studio, using a Mexico armed body with an old side-glancing Living Barbie head (which was Kinda odd that they would use such an obsolete head on a new fashion in the 1976 catalogue, but there ya go!) A few years ago, I attempted to create my own version of this doll, but didn't have a spare body with the correct hands and the right outfit. I recently got a very decent 'Quick Curl' Barbie for a song (and another brunette Living head, courtesy of my friend Dean Reen- Thanks Deany! :D ) and just last week FINALLY scored this 1976 Best Buy outfit she wore in the catalog, in amazing condition, as you can see (It usually is pretty tattered if you find it nowadays, especially the mesh on the legs and the ruffled jacket.) The outfit is a bit too 'Tizzy Trophy Wife' for my tastes, but just  had to complete the whole childhood wish fulfilment thing! So now I finally have the doll I really wanted, just as she looked in the catalogue - FORTY years later!

RAINY DAYS AND FRIDAYS

I know it's supposed to be 'Rainy Days And Mondays', but it's Friday here and it HAS been raining on and off, so it was a perfect excuse to get my JUST arrived Chris (Tutti's best friend!) in her very cute rain gear:- 'PUDDLE JUMPERS' from 1966/67! Skipper is showing her around in her very groovy 'FLOWER SHOWER', also from 1967. The raincoats are among my favourite outfits for all the Barbie family, so maybe Barbie, Francie and some of their friends will don theirs soon...

And below is how they are displayed in my Barbie/Stacey 'Sleep 'N Keep' case from 1969, with my Titian Living Barbie (In a PAK fashion 'sharp shift') and Live Action Ken in 'Big Business', along with talking Stacey in 'Fancy Dancy'.

Who wore it best?

Finally got an outfit I have wanted for years! - The 1967 Sear's exclusive 'Velvet-teens' ... (Nothing as groovy as a velvet pantsuit and a ruffled blouse! Reminds me of Marianne Faithfull, and - on a cheesier note!- even Susan Dey from the Partridge Family... Even a bit of Austin Powers!) but couldn't decide on who should wear it. The outfit was photographed in the Sear's wishbook on a similar blonde TNT to my one on the right, (See the actual 1967 wishbook page below!) but I think TNT Stacey looks just as 'smashing' in it.  What do you think?

Autumn Leaves

One of the funkiest, (furriest!) and most far-out looks from Barbie's Mod era would have to be 'Fur Sighted' from 1970. For something so 'funky',  it's so well constructed and fabricated, and exquisitely detailed... This was always on my wishlist right from the beginning, and I never thought I would have both the orange and red versions, (I've read that the red version is harder to find than the orange one.) Note that the tufts of fur on the red outfit are a little darker than on the orange one. I also love that textured crepe they used for these outfits, as it looks so sophisticated, but LOVE that metallic 'zig-zag' patterned top the most (that's identical to both outfit variations.) Speaking of being identical-  I recently got a gorgeous Titian nape curls Talker, and was amazed to see that she was actually the 'twin' to the brunette version I got years ago (Their heads are virtually identical; - exactly the same shape, size, skin tone and make-up on both! Even though they both look a little different in these shots.)                                                        
I was pruning the trees in my yard as they had gone crazy due to all the rain and was about to throw away all these beautiful golden leaves, but then thought I just had to use them in a shot. Then I remembered that I hadn't really photographed these outfits yet, so here they are, glowing in the early winter sunshine. (Autumn came late here!)

Rainy Days And Fridays ...

I know it's supposed to be 'Rainy Days And Mondays', but it's Friday here and it HAS been raining on and off, so it was a perfect excuse to get my JUST arrived Chris (Tutti's best friend!) in her very cute rain gear:- 'PUDDLE JUMPERS' from 1966/67! Skipper is showing her around in her very groovy 'FLOWER SHOWER', also from 1967. The raincoats are among my favourite outfits for all the Barbie family, so maybe Barbie, Francie and some of their friends will don theirs soon...

Bedtime stories

"Would you like a bedtime story, Tutti?" Marlo (looking dreamy in 'Night Clouds' from 1968) asks her baby sister, who is busy brushing her hair.

Yes, my Barbie 'Family' is now complete, with Barbie, cousin Francie, little sis Skipper and now, baby sister Tutti, released in 1966 and available in the US throughout the Mod era... (available in Europe and Canada for years afterward, up until 1980.) This one is in near-mint condition and was bought from a dear friend, (Thanks for selling her to me, Deany! :) ) She was part of the fab playset, 'Night-Night, Sleep Tight!' and is in her original sleepwear, complete with still sewn-on slippers. Her friend 'Chris' will soon be joining her! My new platinum haired 'standard' Barbie looks on (the head was another purchase from Dean!) while she wears Julia's 'Pink Fantasy'. Sweet dreams, Tutti! ...

1968 Stripes!

Two big trends from 1968: - the gorgeous-coat-over-dress look in matching fancy fabrics, and STRIPES, especially when they're enriched with streaks of gold, (and is it any wonder that stripes are big again for this Spring/Summer? They always look right...) Here's two favourite outfits from that year, worn by my two newest and favourite blondes. Marlo TNT is rocking a minty version of 'Dancing Stripes'... LOVE the quirky details of this outfit, like the gold shoulder straps on the dress and that fabulous froth of hot pink lace at the hem. While TNT Stacey is jazzing it up in 'All That Jazz', complete with her sparkly tights and orange bowed flats. (I'm obsessed with the bow flat shoes and have them in lots of colours! Canada's Eatons catalogue from 1968 also featured Stacey in this outfit. See below ) This one is dedicated to my close fellow collector friend, Dean, who adores any outfit with those tiny gold ball buttons!

Also please enjoy this TV ad  that showcased some other 1968 Barbie fashions - (one of my favourite years when it comes to Barbie... Love the 'photo-shoot' theme of this ad!) :

A flash of MOD lightning ...

By 1969, the 'Mod' movement was in full swing ... colours were never brighter, shapes were never slicker, textures were never shinier and patterns, whether they were Op Art or 'Pop', were FAR-OUT! Francie was the grooviest Mod chick in the Barbie family, so she took full advantage of these swingin' new styles... One of the most Mod out of them all (and one I ALWAYS wanted to get!) was 'Pink Lightning' from that year, which was repeated in 1970. Consisting of a wonderful textured knit romper in the hottest pink with gold chain and green diamante detail, over hot pink hose and ankle boots, topped off with a fab car coat colourblocked in hot pink and orange 'pleather' lined in pink, and finished with a cool Carnaby Street cap and crazy, kooky 'bubble' sunglasses, (The original were pink and green, but these hot pink ones work just as well, I think,) TNT Francie loves wearing this as it makes her the hottest and hippest Modster around! (I added the little pink circle bag, which was a gift from a dear fellow collector friend. Thanks again, Ingrid!)  Needless to say, this was a really fun shoot, and Francie, as always, was the perfect Mod model! What's your favourite Francie outfit?

Francie's FUR-OUT!

We all know that Francie’s outfits were always bright, swingin’ and MOD … however, there was one outfit from 1967 that still had a whiff of the early 60’s ‘Couture’ elegance of Barbie’s wardrobe; - ‘Fur Out’.  It has all those elegant Couture details, such as a deep cherry red satin lining in the coat and a wonderful black textured vinyl made to look like pony skin on the waist and on those very groovy spats or ‘go-go gaiters’ as they were called in the 1967 Sear’s Wish book. They have the tiniest black seed pearls for buttons and I don’t know whether any young child would have had the patience to put those on  as they are REALLY difficult to! (It took me three goes, even with tweezers! Small fingers would have just as much trouble, I would expect.)  It was also one outfit that I had always wanted to get, but never thought I would, as while the coat is not that hard to find, the other pieces usually are, and it’s almost impossible to find the complete outfit all in one go. I managed to find one set with nearly all the pieces - even the ‘leather’ mittens and the HTF  black buckled flats! (Notice she’s not wearing them in the Sear’s catalogue photo… must have been too hard to put on!) – Here is everything except for the cord belt, which I easily made with suede cording. My new Minty Francie is all set for Winter in her new favourite outfit. Take a look at some more of Francie's groovy, kicky wardrobe from 1967 in the TV ad below:

Here's Francie!

Francie arrived on the scene in 1966, and was always considered the 'test' for Barbie's subsequent 'Mod' revolution that started a year later and that lasted into the early 70's. Noticing that there were seismic changes going on in fashion, music and general pop culture at the time (which must have been so exciting!) Mattel realised that they had to update their top 'Teenage fashion model' to better reflect the changing times, but also didn't know how far they should go, as Barbie was still a huge success at that time. It was a test that worked, as Francie  (with her 'real eyelashes' that Barbie started flaunting the following year...she even came with her own eyelash brush!) was an instant smash hit, staying in the Barbie family for another ten years, until she spluttered to a 'baggie' encased stop in 1976. Even though she has been revived in recent years as a perky and cute 'Silkstone', through some uneven repros ... and also this year, as every Francie fan on the planet awaits the 50th Anniversary version.(Hopefully not too long to wait now... I contacted Bill Greening recently about it and he told me probably by the late US Summer. Let's hope so! ) Interestingly, Francie remained the initial test doll for quite a few Barbies, including the 1971 Barbie with Growin' Pretty Hair and the highly sought after 'Hair Happenin's' (Mattel really didn't like the letter 'G' it seems!)  Barbie, also from 1971.The Francie versions were released a year earlier.

While Barbie did get a 'Mod' makeover, she was still relatively demure throughout the late 60's, whereas Francie's wardrobe was definitely sharper, groovier, 'kickier' and way more MOD. In the first TV ad introducing her, they pegged her age at 15, and all the print ads touted her 'young, slim teenage figure' which was a world away from Barbie's 50's film starlet hourglass curves.


The earlier Francie styles had a very perky prettiness to them, and got wilder and more colourful with the years. I decided to treat myself to a minty version of the 1967 TNT brunette Francie (to me, the ultimate incarnation of Francie, though I like ALL types that were created!) I was thrilled to get her in an equally minty version of 'It's a Date' from 1966... (It always looked very Marlo Thomas in 'That Girl' to me. See her wear it in her debut TV commercial below!) And stay tuned for this groovy gal in some other Mod era outfits on this blog soon...

LP PARTY with the TNTs

"It's great you installed that second clothes rack!" exclaimed Go Go Co-Co TNT to Miss Summer Sand, as she listens to all the latest albums in her 1968 'Trailblazers' outfit. (Album covers courtesy of a fellow collector friend - Thanks again, Ingrid!)

TNT ('Twist 'N Turn') Barbie made her debut in 1967 and was the first face and body mold change for Barbie since she was first introduced in 1959. Fashion and music were changing rapidly, and a new generation were no longer looking to 1950's movie stars, icons like Jackie Kennedy, or the Paris Haute Couture as an influence. They had their own freewheeling look, inspired by what was coming out of London, in places like Carnaby Street and The Kings Road. On the back of the stunning success of Francie, Barbie's 'MODern' cousin, Mattel realised that an update was due for their top 'teenage fashion model' and so the TNT was born, with a 'groovy outdoor' look, as described in the dealer catalogues and TV advertisements introducing her. (See the TV ad for yourself below! - Yes, that is a young 'Marcia Brady' playing the little girl, a regular fixture in Barbie ads from the late 60's!) For the first time, those molded ridges hooding her eyes were replaced with  REAL rooted eyelashes (which mirrored the sweeping worldwide beauty trend for heavy, thick false eyelashes) and Barbie got a more youthful face sculpt with an upturned nose, big doe eyes and a 'rosebud' pout, a pinker 'peaches and cream' flesh tone, groovy long, straight hair with bangs (in far-out shades such as Sunkissed blonde, Chocolate Bon-Bon, and the Summer Sand and Go Go Co-Co shades you see here,)  and a cute ribboned bow at the top of her head. Along with the lifelike 'bendable legs' that had been introduced a few years prior, she also had that new 'Twist 'N Turn' waist, so she could do all the latest teenage dances. A trade-in program was also introduced in May 1967, which allowed  an owner of the older version to trade her in with $1.50 to get the new 'TNT' Barbie. It was reported that around 1,250,000  dolls were traded during the first month alone!

I have all of the four basic hair colours of this TNT gal, but now REALLY want a platinum blonde and a Titian (redhead) gal, which are much rarer and harder to find. A collector's work is never done!

NEW FASHIONS

Some of my gals, (including my latest favourite- my old TNT P.J. who just got a 'facelift' courtesy of a factory mint head I just scored!) modelling some new fashions they just got, in the 'Sleep 'N Keep' case... Titian Living is wearing the 'Sharp Shift' Pak fashion with some groovy lemon-y accessories and TNT P.J. is wearing a funky outfit  that I have ALWAYS wanted- 'In Stitches' from 1971, in NM condition.  Living Skipper  is wearing my favourite 'Drizzle Sizzle' from 1969 (I prefer it with some orange-pink rain boots rather than the original clear ones... and also added some pink tights) and blonde Living Barbie is in another favourite outfit:- 'Wild 'N Wintery' also from 1971... as is Talking Stacey, in 'Fancy Dancy' from 1968 (complete with the tights!)  and auburn Marlo is wearing 'Fur Sighted' from 1970 (and I JUST scored the coveted red version of that, so  who shall wear it? I'm thinking a brunette Marlo or my blonde nape curls talker, with her red lips?)

KNIT HITS!

The Mod era was all about super-bright striped and patterned knits and two of the brightest are worn here by Casey (In 'Mini-Chex' complete with shoulder bag- and dig those groovy striped socks!) and Francie (in 'The Combo', both from 1968)  as they plan a party in the Francie Mod house, released in 1966. (More on that later!)

Here is the blonde TNT Francie from 1969 (also known as the 'short flip TNT' by collectors,) with hair still in her factory set and original headband, which is VERY rare to find out-of-box.

Casey was Francie's eccentric, fun-loving friend, released a year later, in 1967. She had a groovy 'Vidal Sassoon' bob and one dangly earring, as well as a perky smiling face. Available until the end of 1970, she is highly valued by collectors, and quite hard to find in decent condition, (common afflictions are a paling or yellowing of the head and arms, and the dreaded 'green ear' from oxidisation of the metal post of the earring being kept in for years. As you can see here, this gal is in perfect 'near mint' condition!) Here is the shorter, black and white version of the TV ad that introduced her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBemIs2izHI

SKIPPER AND FRANCIE GO EXPLORING

'C'mon Skip! It's such a beautiful Autumn day... let's go out,' Francie exclaims, so Skipper puts on her new outfit; 'Chilly Chums' (from 1969 - with yellow ankle boots as they go so much better over the stockings than the original shoes do,) which coordinates so well with Francie's groovy 'Somethin' Else', (also from 1969/70- I added the lemon yellow tights from 'Snakeskin Charmers' and the pink ankle boots,) and they have a fun day out in the Autumn sunshine. I wonder what they will do and who they will meet along the way?

Skipper was introduced as Barbie's little sis in 1964, and this little poppet is the brunette 1968 TNT (Twist 'N Turn) doll with rooted eyelashes. As you can see, she also has a bit of a sweet tooth to match her very sweet face. I have several Skippers that you will see as this blog progresses. Francie was Barbie's 'MODern' cousin, introduced in 1966. (More history on her later!) This is the 1969 TNT brunette version, quite hard to find in decent condition. I also have the blonde version that I will show soon.

LET'S START AT THE END!

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I'm a Barbie and friends collector, specialising in the Mod era (1967 to about 1972-3, though I have some gals and guys from the mid 70's too!) and this is a peek into my collection. Please enjoy, stay a while and comment! I'd love to see your collection, too! 

 Even though my collection starts before 1967, let's first take a trip back to 1973, when gingham checks were considered acceptable evening attire and hair was funky!!! Mod Hair Ken and Quick Curl Barbie were always shown together in the catalogs and wish books that year (and they even made a TV commercial together! Take a look at that nice little slice of Barbie TV history below. Love how Ken turns into the 'Bad Guy' just with the addition of some funky '70's porn star' facial hair!!)

 I actually coveted my older cousin's ones when I was much younger, but they were both long gone by the time I was playing with Barbie myself. They were the first dolls on my list when I started collecting, but I quickly moved onto to earlier Mod, so never got them till now and both for a pretty low price, so I'm glad I waited! The seller didn't tell me that Barbie still has her HAIR STRING attached at the back of her head to keep her curls back from her face, as well as the hair beads (but only on one side unfortunately) so she was a bargain for only about $25 with her original dress!!! I had to re-curl her hair with her curling wand, which also came with her, and thinks she now looks good as new! Ken also came with his wrist tag and a mint and untouched felt card with all his 'porn star' moustaches, sideburns and beards still intact. I'm waiting for a close friend who is also a doll collector with a wonderful collection to come over so we can crack it open and give him some funky facial hair! Funny to think that Barbie was described as wearing an 'evening gown' which, to today's eyes. looks more like she should be working at the Darrell Lea Chocolate shop! I'll always have a special place in my heart for the early 70's so I'm so glad I finally got these two.