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!