Twist 'n Turn Skipper Europe #8126 1973 + 1974
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#8126 TNT Skipper Europe is fabricated only in small numbers. Some of these dolls are on the market in 1973. Most of them are sold in 1974. This Skipper doll is very hard to find and is probably often mistaken for a Funtime Skipper, because she has exactly the same markings:
© 1967 Mattel, Inc.
U.S. Pat'd
U.S. Pats. Pend
Made in Korea
"Made in Korea" is marked on her butt as well as on her waistline.
Unlike the TNT Skipper Europe #8519 sold in 1972, this Skipper doll comes with the vintage Skipper arms. She has a TNT waist and bendable legs which resemble the legs of the vintage BL Skippers. Her head rim forms one line with her neck. The head is very squishy and tends to discolor or fade. Her lips are of a light peach color. These features are important because they help to identify this doll. You can find more information on this subject in the chapters “Arm and Leg Molds”.
These htf dolls are originally being sold in orange cardboard boxes stating "Skipper with Twist 'n Turn Waist and Bendable Legs" - dressed in a (very rare) blue two piece swimsuit.
Page 2 of the German 1974 Barbie Booklet
Swimsuit variations (some of them probably faded)
On an Italian booklet from the 70s, a strange doll is shown with the #8126: She looks like she has a Living Skipper head with combed out hair - and Living Skipper arms - as well as the body and legs of the "real" #8126 Skipper doll. Her blue two piece swimsuit also differs from the one actually sold. My guess is, that they didn't have the original doll available when taking the photographs for the booklet, and assembled a doll and sewed a single bikini. I've actually never seen a doll like that except on that pic, and I'm sure only one of these existed:
In the Italian booklet from 1973, you can find a photograph of another "strange" Skipper (with no # mentioned) dressed in a 1973/74 fashion. She also seems to have a Living Skipper head with combed out hair (and legs), but to me it looks like she has different arms:
You can find another, extremely rare doll dressed in the same swimsuit like the one of Skipper #8126, but this doll comes in the orange blister card of the German/European Skipper #8519. This Skipper has the body, legs and arms of Skipper #8519 and the head of Skipper #8126. You can see a picture of this doll - nrfb - in the Christie's auction catalogue "The Letje Raebel and Marina Collection" from 2006.
There are some dressed dolls sold on blister cards which also have the stock #8126. These dolls are probably all transitional dolls made with body parts of the #8126 and the #8519 Skipper: