My Favorite Vintage Barbie Doll - 1967 Twist 'N Turn

I never played with Barbie a lot as a child but I did have a few. My Barbie dolls were from the mid to late 1970's time period so they are not considered vintage Barbie dolls today. But I still have them and they are still in great shape. It wasn't until about 12 years ago that I began collecting Barbie dolls and fell in love with them. There are different types of Barbie collectors. There are those who only collect the vintage Barbie dolls (1959 - 1970), those who only collect the latest designers (Bob Mackie), and those who collect both. There are some Barbie collectors who collect whatever they can get their hands on but I believe most collectors, at least the ones I have had interactions with, have a "method to their madness" when it comes to collecting.

My husband has an antique toy business so we get around the vintage Barbie doll quite frequently at toy shows. There are a high percentage of collectors who strictly purchase and collect the vintage Barbie doll and accessories. I am a collector who tends to purchase whatever I like, vintage or not. My favorite vintage Barbie doll in my collection is the 1967 Twist 'N Turn Barbie. The Twist 'N Turn Barbie was big news in the Barbie world back in 1967 because of the new twist 'n turn waist and Barbie got a new face that year also. The first Barbie came out in 1959 so during those eight years, hairstyles and makeup had changed quite drastically and Mattel knew they needed to keep up with the times and so did Barbie. A new head was designed that year that was used on the Twist 'N Turn and Barbie had a new appearance. This is why the Twist 'N Turn is a highly collectible doll today and probably will remain so for many years. This doll was a huge turning point in doll history.

Before the Twist 'N Turn was released, the vintage Barbie doll was really not posable. The Twist 'N Turn waist gave more young girls something to do with their Barbie besides just change her clothes. To celebrate the birth of the Twist 'N Turn, Mattel had an official Trade In program to introduce the modernized new Barbie. What buyers would have to do is trade in an old doll and add $1.50 and they would get one of the new Twist 'N Turn dolls. This promotion began in May of 1967 and just in that month alone, 1,250,000 dolls were traded in. The trade-in dolls were donated to charity.

The 1967 Twist 'N Turn Barbie was available mainly in four colors but there are variations. These colors were Summer Sand, Sun Kissed, Go Go Co-Co and Chocolate Bon-Bon. The doll had rooted eyelashes, pink skin and bendable knees. She came with a clear plastic posing stand and was dressed in a salmon vinyl bikini with a white net cover suit.

I have a Titan (redhead) 1967 Twist 'N Turn in my collection that is rare. The last time we had it appraised it was valued at $1,000.00. If I were to sell her on the secondary market I would probably get between $500 - $600 for her. The Twist 'N Turns in the other hair colors, depending on condition, could range in price anywhere from $80 - $300. There is a lot that goes into consideration when pricing a vintage Barbie doll. For example, if the doll is still with the original box, still has her original outfit, shoes, accessories and she still looks pretty new, a collector will pay top dollar for her. When the box is gone, as it is in most cases, the book value automatically gets cut in half. Then if clothes and accessories are missing or soiled, the value decreases even more. If the dolls hair has been cut, which a lot of young girls do, if the legs or arms have been chewed on (yes, I have seen many vintage Barbie dolls with chewed off hands and feet), the value is even less.

EBay is a popular resource these days for vintage Barbie dolls but I never recommend using this resource to purchase something so collectible. Doll shows and collectible toy shows are your best outlets to purchase the vintage Barbie doll because you can pick it up, hold it, inspect it closely and you can deal with the seller. When you go to a doll show or toy show, the dealers have the prices set higher so that they can wager with the buyers. Your best dealers have their prices set at a "starting price" and will typically work with the buyer.

Right now is the best time to buy vintage Barbie dolls on the secondary market, as the prices are down on Barbie dolls. If you have loved Barbie for years and wish you had some of your old dolls back in your collection, there are still plenty available out there if you just look for them! I love doll collecting and there will never be anything any better in dolls than a vintage Barbie doll!