These Are Going To Be Under My Tree....

[magkelly]

See the ash blond and the dark brunette TNT Barbies on this page?

http://dollrestoration.com/mod_era_barbies.htm

Well, add a vintage TNT Skipper, a vintage brunette Ken, a Malibu head, and a "World of Barbie" case and that's what I basically just got me on auction. I am so totally killing the plastic this week but I could not resist this. I've been watching this lot all week. My whole life I have wanted one of these TNT dolls, a real one, and there were two of them in this lot, albeit one of them is only a head and needs some serious restoration work. The ash blond looks good except I think her lashes need a bit of work, but the brunette has been scalped and has no lashes at all. Ken's flocking is a bit thin and both he and Skipper need some paint touch up but mostly they look pretty good for dolls that are older than I am. I think I can put the blond on the brunette's body and come out with one whole vintage doll in decent shape. But I'll have to restore the brunette and find her a modern repro body or something.

The Malibu head is going to replace the one I've been holding onto since I was a kid. She's unfortunately developed major paint loss on her forehead and some green spots lately and it's time I guess. The body is still good so I guess it's okay getting a new head. Ken, I'm going to take all his hair off and totally reflock him as a redhead I think. I have the brunette repro of him so I'm going to have some fun and make me a redhead Ken. It's not like the vintage Kens are all that rare. I can pick him up just about anywhere for less than $35 usually. I was going to eventually so I would have one but I just hadn't gotten around to it as yet. Skipper looks like she's might shape up okay once I put a little work in. I think her hair looks decent, but if not I'll redo her too.

When I was growing up an older girl I knew she had Barbies from the 60's, including the TNT redhead. I totally coveted that doll. It took me years but I finally got me one of my own. She was a repro but I still love her madly. Now she's going to have to share the shelf with the rest of this crew. I already have a vintage Francie, a Midge, and a Color Magic Barbie. Now I have Ken, Skipper and at least one real TNT doll too or at least a Standard TNT if it turns out these never had lashes. Not sure, could be it was either way and I can't tell from the pics. But that's okay. Lashes or no lashes, she's still the vintage Barbie girl I've been coveting my whole life, and I didn't pay a small fortune for her either, grin.

Every time I see one of these it's going for like $200 and up lately so to get this lot for what I did, for around $45 was a total deal. I didn't expect it honestly. The TNT ash blond is somewhat rare and there's a case. TNT Skipper can usually bring a good few $$$ too so I figured this lot would go over $100-150 even with some damage to the dolls. I was very, very lucky it didn't. Probably I will sell my Color Magic now that I've got the TNT's because she's too rare not to go there and I've only been holding onto her until I could find a decent one of these that I could afford. This is more my favorite era, the TNT Mod dolls and I love this version of the Steffie face so I'm okay with letting Color Magic go for the several hundred dollars she could bring.

Pics when they get here, grin...

Here's better pics of what the Ash blond should look like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18205259@N07/4150631077/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/131278/614 ... otostream/

I'm pretty sure she is this Barbie and once had lashes. The "Summer Sand" hair color is a bit hard to find and I don't think that the Standard Barbie had that particular color. I think she was more of a brownette or a dark brunette. I think I'm seeing what might be lashes or at least the remnants thereof in the pic too. The other one I think might be the dark brunette Standard. She definitely lacks lashes though a kid could have pulled them off. It happened over time and I've seen worse. Her paint is rubbed off a lot which indicates a lot of playtime. The body she's on is covered up a lot so it's hard to tell but I'm looking at her and thinking she's on the straight leg Barbie/Midge body so she's likely a Standard. Really they look a lot alike except the TNT's have lashes and the Standard dolls didn't. I can always give them some if I want. I'm pleased to have them either way. I knew I wasn't likely to get a read Redhead TNT. Those are very pricey and I'm happy to have the repro. But the blond and a brunette will do. They'll go nicely on the shelf with the 1967 TNT Repro, I think...

Nope, I was wrong, on two counts maybe.

She could be the Standard Mod. They did come in the ash blond-brown color.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1970s-M ... 4d07beefa2

and Skipper is the original not the TNT....

[zirconmermaid]

Ah, brings back memories! I have several of those dolls in my house. Great dolliehs to find under your Christmas tree. Barbie from when she liked more colors than pink!!