Barbie doll wiki: What is my Barbie doll worth?

I’m sure that I’m not the only collector whose enthusiasm about this question keeps within its limits. You may ask me why? The problem is that the wrong guys ask these questions. The main problem is that the questioner have no idea of what they have and sometimes the insight that the doll is not worthwhile at all.

The 1966 marking

Believe it or not but the 1966 Barbie doll marking was used for more than 40 years and the dolls with the marking on the back are not as seldom as the ones with the 1966 marking on their butt. Furthermore the mentioning of Japan on the butt is a feature that your doll is really from the 1960s. Later the production was relocated to Korea, Taiwan and many other countries in South-East Asia. At first Japan was the cheapest country in Asia for the production. That’s why Mattel produced the dolls there after WW II.

I don’t want to disgress from the 1966 topic. The 1966 shows us only one thing. The patent for the Twist and Turn Barbie body was patented in that year. Before 1966 the legs were stiff and had no joints. The same counts for the waist. Suddenly Barbie got a moveable waist. Early Barbie dolls have no joints at all.

That’s one of the biggest problems for collectors. We don’t want to be seen as cash cows. Sorry, we don’t buy everything. We have books that tell us how old your doll is. If we don’t want it, your doll is worthless. Worth is in the eye of the beholder.

What makes Barbie dolls worthwhile?

The worth of a Barbie doll is in the eye of the beholder. Rejects, Barbie dolls from the pilot production or just samples that never to any market are highly sought after. Of course Barbie dolls that were produced for foreign markets are also interesting for some collectors. Japan, Spain or countries in Middle and South America offer a wide range of products that set a collectors heart aflutter. In Japan Mattel did in the 1960s special Barbie dolls and clothes exclusively for the Japanese market. That’s why I have some Barbie books that have Japanese Barbie dolls and clothes as the main focus. There are lots of Japanese versions of the Barbie clothes that have different fabrics, details or colors. For some collectors that’s an attraction pole. The sample Barbie dolls from the pilot production for the market test were often taken home by Mattel employees. Do I need to say that there is a market among the collectors for these dolls? I guess not.

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#goldengirl Japanese exclusive Francie and her formal made from the reverse of Evening Splendor fabric. #vintagebarbie #francie #japanesefrancie #japaneseexclusive #barbie #barbiecollector #vintagestyle #vintageformal #dollphotography

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Russell Gandy (@colormagickid) am

Every collector is a hunter

Please don’t forget that there is the fact that there is a certain attractiveness for collectors. The harder the Barbie doll is to find or to get the more attractive the doll is. For me are Spanish Barbie dolls interesting. They are different from the normal European/Canadian versions. That’s what makes them interesting for me. The ones from India are not even completely recorded in any book. The South American Barbie dolls have a special make-up, much more eye-catching than the US versions. There are also dolls that are rare. Some of these rare Barbie dolls are Photo Fashion PJ or Hawaiian Superstar Barbie. I think Hawaiian Superstar Barbie was available in Europe/Canada only.

I can’t tell you anything about the sales figures of Photo Fashion PJ but I think she was not sold in limited quantity.

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Barbie & Pj fashion photo 1978 #barbie #barbiedoll #barbiesuperstar #barbiepj #barbiesteffie #barbievintage #discobarbie #70sbarbie #1978 #photographer #model #barbiestyle #barbiecollector

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Barbie lovin M ?? (@barbie_lovin_m) am

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#barbiehawaiiansuperstar#adreamdoll#dollvintagebella#barbebrunettevintage#

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The value is what somebody is willing to pay for your doll

There’s not really a right or wrong concerning the payment. One of the important factors is the demand. You probably get more money when there is a demand for your doll. When the output figures are high the price is low. It’s not advisable to push the price.