Vintage Barbie Dolls Worth Money – The Barbie doll is undoubtedly one of the most monumental and influential phenomena of modern toys and children’s media. From the first Barbie in 1959 to today, children all over the world can enjoy what Barbie has to offer, successfully adapting to a contemporary context of the 21st century. And just as modern children love to play with the doll, collectors and enthusiasts of all ages value vintage Barbies as highly valuable collectibles.
Leslie Shum Kit-Ping, Barbie doll collector, displays part of his Barbie collection at his home in Sheung Shui. Image: Getty Images
Vintage Barbie Dolls Worth Money
Barbie dolls are among the most popular and iconic dolls ever made. Made for entertainment for young girls, today’s Barbies are also often sought after by collectors as highly prized collectibles around the world. Collectors are especially looking for well-preserved, vintage Barbie dolls with original packaging, outfits and accessories.
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Barbie fame began with the launch of the first doll, called Barbie Millicent Roberts, which was introduced in 1959. Since each new edition of the doll, new accessories and outfits have been added that reflect the era in which Barbies were produced.
Do you have an old box of Barbie that you would like to know more about? Do you believe you found an early model Barbie at the thrift store? Maybe you want to know if your mother’s collection of Barbies is worth something? Find out today here at Value My Stuff!
The first Barbie doll from 1959 called the Barbie Teenage Fashion Model doll is on display during the Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition media and VIP event at The Shops at Crystals on November 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Image: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition
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Before the first Barbie doll debuted in the late 1950s, there was nothing like it on the American market. The majority of dolls aimed at children are based on baby and dress-like designs. The Barbie doll is based on an adult woman and is designed for young girls to play as independent, career-driven women. Barbies quickly became a hit and only in the first year of production they sold a record amount of 350,000 dolls. To date, Mattel, the company that released the first Barbie, has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company’s largest and most profitable line.
Particularly valued among collectors are the vintage Barbie doll models that were produced between 1959 and the late 1960s. The Barbies of this period, which have red hair and bent legs, are considered the rarest and most valuable examples. The value of a Barbie doll from this period in mint condition is around $25,000 today.
Barbie was first presented to the public on March 9, 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York. It was named after creator Ruth Hendler’s daughter, who inspired her to make a doll based on a full-grown character rather than a baby. Ruth saw her daughter rolling with her toys and thought of toys that could fill the niche as nothing similar was available in the American market. She passed the toy idea on to her husband, who was then the co-founder of Mattel, an American toy company founded in 1945.
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After a quick search, Ruth found out that there is a doll with an adult body on the German market, the so-called picture Lily. The doll is based on a strip comic in Bild newspaper and was intended as a fashion doll for adults. Ruth was inspired by this doll during the creation of her first prototype of Barbie and even bought the rights to the image of Lily. The first Barbie doll was officially shown at the New York Toy Fair in 1959.
Barbie was introduced as a successful teenage fashion model from Wisconsin and was catered to the young teenage girls. First dolls were sold in two versions, brunette or blonde, and wore a striped black and white swimsuit. The original price was $3, but depending on accessories, an additional $1-$5 may be added on top. In 1961, Mattel also launched red-haired Barbies, and in the same year, Mattel released Ken (named after Ruth Handler’s son), a male fashion doll model. The first African American and Hispanic Barbie dolls were introduced in the 1980s.
Despite Barbie’s initial success, many parents were concerned about the mature appearance of Barbie’s body, but Ruth Handler saw it as important to give young girls a distinctly mature role model to look up to and aspire to. She was a doll that represented a modern, well-rounded woman who could be anything from a mother to a doctor to an astronaut.
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Barbie irrevocably changed the modern toy industry and influenced the education of many young girls who were able to play with a doll that received over 180 career choices. In addition, over the years, a number of collectors have launched limited edition Barbies that are sought after by collectors and people around the world.
Vintage dark brunette barbie with different hairstyles. From left: Hair Fair Barbie, Twist n’ Turn Barbie, “Marlo Flip”, Living Barbie, Talking Barbie with side bangs, Talking Barbie with nape curls. Image: RomitaGirl67 / License: CC BY 2.0
One of the first factors to address when determining the value of your Barbie is its condition. Of course, collectors will be willing to pay a lot more money for a doll that is in mint condition compared to a doll of the same model that is damaged and beyond repair. The doll will be especially valuable if it is in the original box and comes with all its original accessories. On the other hand, if the item is missing parts or has suffered damage such as chipped or matted hair, chipped paint, scratches or anything else that compromises its original appearance, the value will decrease significantly.
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The next attribute of your doll to consider is the level of rarity. Even if a doll is in perfect condition, if the supply exceeds the demand in the market, it will likely be worth very little. Except for rare collector models, your Barbie’s age will most likely factor into determining its rarity; The older your doll is, the rarer it will be.
Oddly enough, the most expensive Barbie ever sold is not a vintage one. It was a model made in collaboration between Mattel and a designer Stefano Canturi in 2010. The doll has a special set of diamond jewelry designed by Canturi and a little black dress. The doll is worth $302,500, second in line is the De Beers 40th Anniversary Barbie from 1999, worth $85,000, the third most expensive Barbie is the original doll from 1959, worth $27,450.
Once the above factors have been assessed, the next quintessential step to take is to determine the year and model of the doll. While older dolls tend to be rarer and thus more expensive, there are still many younger collectible models that are worth much more than you might expect. For example, some rare collectible Barbies are the 2014 Karl Lagerfeld Barbie, the 2001 Aqua Queen of the Prom Barbie, the 2003 City Smart Silkstone Barbie, and many more.
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It can often be helpful to compare your Barbie with what dolls of the same model have sold for in the past. Price guides can be a useful tool for doing this, as they provide comprehensive lists of what Barbies have sold for in the past because they are in good condition. Many of the exclusive Barbie price guides are available on platforms such as Amazon, such as
One of the most important factors is learning how to understand Mattel markings and other details that can help identify a truly rare example of Barbie:
Usually the Barbie doll is marked on the right side hip. This mark indicates the date the doll was first patented or copyrighted. Any other markings found on other parts of Barbie’s body were used to assemble the doll rather than to confirm the production date.
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Usually, vintage Barbies have holes in the feet in the models. If your Barbie also has a stamp with “Made in Japan” or “Japan” it means that it was made between 1959-1972, because the models were manufactured there. All subsequent models were made in Mexico or the Far East, Hong Kong or Taiwan and are not considered vintage.
Earlier Barbies had separated fingers, while after 1968 the fingers were not completely separated. The hands can vary from doll to doll, so check exactly how they are made and what material they are made of.
Hair style and a hair color can make or break the price of your doll. It is important to compare and recognize the hair pigment of your Barbie. Is it blonde, platinum, color magic, brunette or any other variation. It is important to also see if you have an original hairstyle, especially if your model has side bangs or braids. Many collectors re-root Barbie’s hair when it becomes frizzy,
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