Collecting Vintage Barbie Dolls

Barbie Doll collectors have been waiting some time for the new changes in the Barbie Collectibles line. The time has finally come. Barbie Collectibles has a Collector Advisory Panel. It was by listening to collectors, the input of this panel and doll dealers that Barbie Collectibles has renewed the collection. The collectors wanted the Barbie Collectibles to stay limited in production. This is somewhat due to the overproduction and market overflow that took place not long ago, bringing down the value of many dolls. Keeping the dolls limited in production, yet still reasonably obtainable for a collector promote the excitement of collecting. Along with new collector friendly packaging and an overhauling of their Barbie limited edition marketing programs, the changes are what collectors have been waiting for. Let's take a glimpse into the big changes in the Barbie Collectibles coming up.

One of the changes over the years, and Mattel continues to update is packaging. Collectors know that to retain the value and even appreciate in value over time the Barbie Collectible must never be removed from the box, or NRFB. This poses a problem for a proud collector who wants to display their collections. Most collectors look for boxes that do not hide the item they have invested in, but rather display it. Mattel has responded to this need for better packaging. The new Barbie Collectibles are in boxes that make it easy to display the beauty of the doll without, and NRFB. This is an added benefit for dealers as well. The clear plastic window box was the packaging for most modern collectible Barbie dolls. If you display the doll in this box, you can only view it through the plastic window. If you try to remove the doll the box is often damaged.

The next change was in the name of Barbie Collectibles product line. Beginning with the Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie doll, which came out in 2004, and is still the currently featured doll, the new look and logo for Barbie Collectibles was revealed. Barbie Collectibles became Barbie Collector. Mattel changed the product line, web space and log to a new modern "Collector" image.

The major change Barbie Collector made from Barbie Collectibles is in the way the structure the value of the dolls. In the past there were Limited Edition dolls and Collector Edition dolls. Mattel has now moved to a new four-tiered structure to organize the dolls released by Barbie Collector. This change will help collectors when they purchase a doll to determine value. This will also aid retailers in marketing strategies. There is a color-coded system with each color level having its own per-doll production range, retail strategy, and new packaging. The packaging both tells a collector which color tier the doll belongs to, as well as lets the collector display the doll beautifully without having to de-box the doll.

The first tier is pink, and then the additional tiers add other colors representing even higher standards like silver, gold, and platinum. The Pink Label will include fun, keepsake dolls such as the Dolls of the World. Pink Label dolls will come packaged in a box with a clear acetate front trimmed in pink, which makes a nice display for NRFB. The Pink Label dolls will not be limited production dolls.

The second tier is the Silver Label. This tier includes the Birthday Wishes dolls. Each doll is limited to no more than 50,000 pieces created worldwide, and comes packaged in a silver-trimmed "reveal" package, known as a "new version of the "cake box package," which features a closed box with a beautiful doll photo or other artwork on the cover. Remove the lid to reveal the doll, protected behind a layer of acetate. Just slide the top portion of the lid onto the packaging back to create an easel-type display, ideal for NRFB collectors. These boxes make NRFB collecting worth it.

The third tier is the even more limited edition, Gold Label. Each doll in the Gold Label tier is limited to no more than 25,000 pieces created worldwide. Gold Label dolls include such popular collector series as the Barbie Fashion Model Collection Model. These dolls come in a "cake box" type package just like the Silver Label dolls.

The last tier is the very limited Platinum Label. These dolls are produced in editions of less than 1,000 worldwide, and the tier includes premium one-of-a-kind dolls available at select events (like a Bob Mackie OOAK (one-of-a-kind) Barbie doll created for Dream Halloween).

All Mattel authorized specialty retailers will have the opportunity to carry the full range of dolls from Pink to Gold. A new logo, "Barbie Collector", new, sleek packaging and a 4-tier structure for all Barbie Collector dolls is grabbing the Barbie Collector's attention.

They were looking for a more exciting Barbie collection and Mattel is responding.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

Are you a devoted Barbie doll collector who is ready to move from avid buyer to savvy seller status? Do you have a trunk full of Barbies that you want to part with in order to make room for some other collectible items you yourself would not mind having? Are you ready to jump in just for the fun of it? Whatever your motivation to sell Barbies might be, one thing is for certain: your audience is online! Swap meets are great, estate sales are like Easter and Christmas rolled into one - you never know what you find, and yard sales might attract some collectors, but generally speaking, if you want to get serious about selling your Barbies, you will need to do so online.

Yet can simply anyone build a website and expect eager collectors to flock to them in droves? Is it enough to have some photos of Barbie scanned and uploaded to throw open the virtual gates and make money hand over fist? Is there some etiquette involved when it comes to selling your doll treasures? As a matter of fact, there is. Here is a great guide to selling your Barbies online.

First and foremost, pick your audience. Are you catering to the vintage Barbie market or the modern Barbie market? If you only have a few vintage dolls you want to sell, but a large number of modern dolls, it will be better to gear to the modern market, but have a separate section on your website for the vintage dolls. Make sure that there is a clear distinction drawn between the two, otherwise collectors may not see you as serious or knowledgeable enough to differentiate the various styles and may move on to the next seller.

Secondly, will you want to sell your modern Pink Box Barbies - which are simply the kinds of dolls sold to parents of little girls who want them as playthings - or will you sell Collectible Barbie Dolls, which are essentially marketed with the collector in mind?

Are you planning to sell your dolls in or out of their respective boxes? As an ethical seller, you will need to be scrupulously honest about whether or not a doll has ever been removed from its original box. The term "NRFB" - never removed from box - should mean that human hands have never touched indeed this doll. Selling a doll NRFB means that you may be able to demand top dollar for this item, whereas you will not be able to demand the same amount of money for a doll, which has been removed from the box.

Know your doll's book value, but do not always expect to also get this amount for your dolls! There are many factors that go into a successful, such as condition, NRFB, and so on, but you will also need to keep in mind supply and demand. If for some reason the market is being flooded with number three Ponytail Barbies, you will not be able to demand as much money as you would if you were the only one selling them.

Know your doll's market value. This goes hand in hand with the book value. While the book value might be the wishful thought, the market value is the harsh reality. Since in addition to operating a website you will probably also want to have a strong presence on the major auction sites - EBay comes to mind - you need to look at comparable products that are being sold. To remain competitive, either your product needs to outshine the competition or you will need to undercut their prices.

Be familiar with the Mandeville grading system that ranges from C-1 to C-10.

If you make any restorative efforts on your dolls, such as to remove green ear on your 1960s vintage dolls, you will need to disclose not only what you did, but also whether or not you were successful in accomplishing your goal. If your efforts in any way damaged the doll, you will need to disclose this as well.

As you can easily discern, selling your Barbies online can be a lot of fun and also quite a rewarding career. Start out slowly and know your product!

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

If you collect modern Barbie Dolls, you have thousands of choices. First you need to learn a bit about the Barbie Collectible business. In the past Barbie Collectibles were sold as Limited Edition or Collectors Edition product lines. In 2004 Mattel created a "tier structure" to identify Barbie dolls that will be collectible. The structure is as follows:

Platinum: Platinum Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 1000.

Gold: Gold Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 25,000 worldwide.

Silver: Silver Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 50,000.

Pink label: Pink Label Barbie dolls are collector's items that do not have a production quota. Items like the Dolls of the World collection are Pink Label.

While there is definitely something to be said for dolls that have not been removed from their boxes, Barbie was originally made to be enjoyed. Many people do hope to turn a profit by collecting Barbie dolls; there are still many others that are having fun with her. Buy the Barbie dolls and accessories that you like. If you want to leave them in the box, that is fine. If you want to take them out and comb their hair, then that is fine, too. You can't collect them all so you need a strategy. How can you make sense out of the thousands of Barbie dolls issued in the last 30 years--pink box, porcelain, celebrity, fashion, and more? Here are a few suggestions on ways you can rationally build a wonderful Barbie collection.

1. Pink Box or Collectible? First, you have to ask yourself if you want to collect pink box Barbie dolls. Some collectors collect both,. Pink Box dolls have the benefit of being inexpensive, and are often chosen by collectors who like to customize or play hard with their dolls. Collectible dolls are often chosen by NRFB, which is Never Removed From Box, collectors.

2. Collecting Barbie by Themes Another way to make sense of the Barbie Doll world is to base your collection on a theme. Popular themes include Celebrity Barbie (Barbie as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde; Barbie as I Love Lucy), Movies (Gone With The Wind, James Bond, My Fair Lady), Vintage Reproductions, Historical (dolls such as The Great Eras Barbies), Bob Mackie Dolls, or Fantasy. Themed collections can span both Pink Box and Collectible Barbies.

3. NRFB or Removed from Box? Most collectors who collect Barbie collect boxed Barbies. If you are not a NRFB collector then you may be able to find better deals out there. Many bargains can be had on Barbies that have been removed from their boxes. eBay offers both sides of the spectrum, from high end collector dolls to dolls removed from boxes.

4. Barbie as Fashion Doll Barbie is a fashion doll and an excellent way to manage your Barbie doll collection is to consider only collecting the fashion-themed dolls! Fashion-themed dolls include dolls made to represent a designer (Christian Dior Barbie, Nolan Miller Barbie) and dolls made in the traditional, vintage tradition of Barbie with clothing and accessories available separately. Currently, the favorite for Barbie fashion fans is the Silkstone collection. Another, now retired, fashion collection is the Barbie Millicent Roberts collection from the mid 1990s.

5. Do Your Own Thing! The last thing you want is to invest time and money into something you are not truly interested in. Find the collections that you really want.

Once you know the type of Barbie Collector doll you want, you can search for a deal or retail vendors on the Internet and eBay. Search by using keywords like "silkstone" or "Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie". Be sure that you are familiar with purchasing items over eBay and Ecommerce security. There are necessary steps you must take to protect yourself and assure the validity of your seller. eBay can assist you in learning how to spot a fraudulent transaction if you are a new user. You can also visit Barbie Collector via the Barbie website. Barbie doll collectors have a large community on the Internet and there are many forums providing information and resources. These suggestions only skim the surface of the possibilities for collecting. This quickie guide to collecting modern Barbie will get you started on your way in to the Barbie Collector world.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

Ask your mom or maybe grandma and the odds are pretty good that they played with paper dolls when they were growing up. Paper dolls were a favorite of the former European aristocracies, especially considering that fashions changed by the season, and sometimes even during the seasons, upcoming debutantes were able to hone their fashion sense and skills by becoming familiar with the changing fashions on paper first.

In the United States, the later paper doll often featured famous Hollywood stars, and children were able to dress the likenesses of the greatest actors and actresses of the silver screen in any number of appealing evening wear, casual daywear, or anything in between. In addition to the foregoing, department stores soon got in on the action when they discovered that giving away paper dolls and stylish outfits - generally replicas of those for sale in their very stores - increased their revenues. After all, while the little girls were playing with the dolls, the moms got to take a good look at the fashions, and seeing them so modeled in their living rooms, were often persuaded to try them on for real.

It is interesting to note that Barbie was originally designed to be a replacement for these paper dolls. As a matter of fact, the Barbie doll was the teen fashion doll of its time! Supported lore has it that Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was inspired to craft such as doll after she watched her little girl play with some paper dolls. It was not until Mrs. Handler took a vacation to Germany and saw the kind of doll she was envisioning, that the thought was transferred into reality. 1959 is considered to be the birth year of Barbie - and with her advent, she started a revolution!

Perhaps because of the initial idea that Barbie dolls were supposed to be a replacement to the paper dolls that so far were the only outlet for fashion conscious little girls. For this reason, it was quite a surprise when Barbie was suddenly available as a paper doll in 1962. What happened? The answer is a simple matter of licensing Barbie, as well as spreading out on the market. Mattel, the home of Barbie, decided that it wanted a piece of the still strong-going paper doll market by licensing the likeness of Barbie as well as her name to Western Publishing.

Western Publishing jumped on the chance to get in on the action. It is interesting to note that since 1962 the production of paper Barbie dolls went on non-stop. Even today these dolls may be had on paper; as a matter of fact, it appears that these paper dolls have experienced a recent renaissance and once again paper dolls - either alone or in fanciful sets - are seen in little girls' bedrooms. Now - as in 1962 - the dolls come with a variety of colorful accoutrements and accessories, such as purses, shoes, and gems. If you are a serious Barbie paper doll collector, you probably want to be aware of the following facts in a quick overview:

Your 1962 Barbie paper doll will probably have been printed under the name Whitman. This name was kept in place until 1984.

Concurrently with Whitman, beginning in 1980, the trade name Golden was used. This name surpassed the 1984 demise of Whitman, and continued on until 1994.

In 1988 Mattel offered another licensing deal to the dynamic duo of Linda Peck and Marilyn Gandre with the goal of creating paper doll Barbies that brought back the old time feel of the dolls. Because of the painstaking process that went into the production of the dolls, many collectors mistakenly believe them to be the most prized pieces of any collection. While they may not be as old as their 1962 predecessors, they do have a certain charm in that they bring back the original era of Barbie with her colorful dresses, classy outfits, and overall atmosphere these original dolls inspired.

1994 saw the advent of Golden Books as a new publisher for the Barbie paper dolls under the original licensing agreement with Whitman. This is also the year when Linda Peck once again was licensed by Mattel to create a new line of paper dolls. Rather than painting the dolls this time around, she - minus Marilyn Gandre - photographed a 1965 doll and used this photographic image as the basis for the new line of Barbie paper dolls.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

Stacey is to Barbie what Abbott is to Costello - a friend that has been around forever and who is an integral part and parcel of her act. There are a couple of varieties of Stacey dolls that have been issued - keeping mind that she was only in production for a relatively short time - and are still being traded by collectors.

There is the 1967 "Twist and Turn Stacey." Her hair is fashionably medium length and may be either a coppery red or a blond. She has rooted eyelashes, and the reason why she is referred to, as "twist and turn" is the fact that she is one of the famous dolls with a movable waist.

"Talking Stacey" was also seen in this year and here Barbie's British friend truly shines. Her hair color is blond, although other hair colors were also available. She had a voice box and speaks six phrases very clearly.

Also on sale these days is the 1968 Stacey with the Bermuda Holidays top. The hair of the doll is usually a longer copper color, and the doll has fingernail polish.

Stacey is the classic product of the Mod era as well as the result of an upswing of interest in all things British, and as such is usually clad in bright colors and big designs. Accessories that accompany her are special shoes, which are currently one of the most coveted items on several auction sites.

What makes Stacey such a priceless addition to Barbie's circle of friends is the fact that she is a direct answer to the famous British Invasion that hit American shores between 1964 and 1966. It was the time when The Beatles first played live in the United States, when the Rolling Stones first shocked parents in the new world, and when The Yardbirds launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, as well as a young Jimmy Page.

Granted, Stacey might have come a bit closer to the end of the British Invasion than at the very beginning, but it is noteworthy that Mattel went to great lengths to help Barbie and her friends stay hip and in line with the times. The Mod lifestyle has been introduced to American, and with it came the inevitable fashions, which were a wonderful addition to Barbie in general, but her British friend Stacey in particular. The clothing is fanciful, bright, and filled with designs of the times. Accessories that were available then are also beautifully fitting for the times.

Yet just like the real life British Invasion eventually petered out, so did the anglophile feelings that for a while had gripped the attention of everyone in the United States. While Stacey was still considered to be a great friend for Barbie, her star began to sink when the 1970s hit, and when the disco era struck America with a vengeance. Suddenly her hip, British phrases and clothes were no longer on the forefront of the wish lists of little girls, and instead the same girls who could not get enough of her just a couple of years earlier, suddenly demanded disco fashions, dolls with disco haircuts, and also anything that was considered hip in the years of the disco craze.

Stacey went by the wayside, like so many others of Barbie's friends. While she may have left the scene in 1970, her admirer and now vintage collectors have never forgotten her, and if you log on to any one of the various auction sites that deal in Barbie dolls and her numerous friends, you will frequently see a large number of Stacey dolls being auctioned off. Granted, depending on the condition of the doll you may not be making a mint, but at least you will have the opportunity to sell - or if you are an aficionado - to buy this wonderful vintage doll.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

In the 1950s, a three dimensional doll began to take the place of the popular paper dolls. This marked the start toy land's leading lady, Barbie. She has lead an interesting and busy life. Much of her recent history is well known, but even a Barbie fanatic may not be familiar with her early years. This article is going to provide the background and lowdown on Barbie.

A woman named Ruth Handler is the creator of the Barbie doll. Ruth had a daughter named Barbara. Barbara enjoyed playing with paper dolls. Ruth noticed that Barbara preferred the paper dolls that looked like adults. Ruth's husband was in the toy business. She suggested to him the idea of making this three-dimensional doll that would have the appearance of an adult. Ruth's Husband was Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys.

At that time most three-dimensional dolls were infants or the size of small children. Mattel's directors did not like Ruth's idea. When Ruth was on a trip to Germany, she found an adult size doll; the Lillie Doll. The Lillie Doll was very similar to what she had been trying to get the Mattel directors to make. The directors liked the Lillie Doll and bought the rights. On March 9, 1959, Barbie, named after Ruth and Elliot Handler's daughter, made her debut. This is also Barbie's official birthday.

The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white "zebra-striped" swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail with tightly curled bangs. The dolls were sold as blonds or brunettes. In years to come Barbie dolls would be made in all sorts of hair colors and styles.

It has been said that it is Ruth Handler's thought it was "important to a little girl's self-esteem to play with a doll that had breasts", believing it would allow them role-play and to imagine their future lives as adult women. Mattel asserts that Barbie's exaggerated proportions are necessary to allow clothes to fit properly on such a small scale. Of course, many object to these unrealistic proportions as being contributory to the stress of the perfect body image young women feel. Some time in the late 1990s, there was enough attention called to Barbie's figure that Mattel responded by altering her measurements. Mattel decided to widen Barbie's waist to a more natural proportion.

Along with the idea of a real adult like doll came a fictional life for Barbie. Barbie's life has continued over the years along with her sales. She is sort of like a sitcom or cartoon character in that she never gets any older. Her full name is actually Barbara Millicent Roberts. Barbie has a group of friends and a family, including a divorce in recent years that hit the tabloids like every other famous name. Her long time love is Ken. She has added Skipper, twins Tutti and Todd (They were discontinued in 1971, it is one of Barbie's darker secrets.), Stacie, Kelly, and baby Krissy. Ken and Barbie started their romance in 1961. It was in 2004 when they separated stating, "they feel they need to spend some quality time apart." Rumor has it is because he never wanted to get married in the first place.

Barbie has many friends and attended high school. There is not much talk of college.

Hopefully she had more education than high school, with all the jobs she has occupied. Barbie started out being a fashion model, but then she was used to promote gender equality in the workplace. Not to mention that the advertisers did not want to loose the sales of newly independent working mothers. Barbie's career horizons grew and diversified. Some of the professions under her belt include: Olympic athlete-of several different sports, doctor, nurse, rock star, firefighter, and more.

Today, not only does Barbie keep up with some of the hottest professions, but also just as always, she stays atop the best fashions. Some of Hollywood's top fashion designers have made her dresses. Her collectable dolls have become priceless items. Barbie has even appeared in international news and kept herself involved in worldly events.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/

While Barbie is the prime example of the lily-white teenage fashion icon with the impossible body image and the wardrobe to die for, over time she became a bit more conscious of her surroundings. She suddenly realized that there were other ethnicities around her that did not necessarily buy into the white stereotype. Mattel took a clue from the demographics of the United States population and understood the need for Barbie to receive some friends that would be more reflective of the way America really looks.

This ensured that little girls of all ethnicities would be able to purchase a teenage fashion doll to which they could relate on a racial level, but also to permit them to have the kind of interracial playtimes with Barbie and friends that most everyone in America desires. Thus, Barbie became assimilated into the melting pot that characterizes so much of the United States. Here are some examples of Barbie and the ethnic influence - the different looks of this beloved doll.

There is the Hispanic Barbie doll. Originally a simple doll cast from the Barbie mold but with slightly darker features, the real Hispanic Barbie saw the light of day in 1983 when a new mold was cast that actually had Hispanic features. Some of the names associated with Hispanic Barbie dolls are Twirly Curls "Ricitos" Barbie, "Sun Gold Malibu Barbie, Dream Glow Barbie, Tropical Barbie, Summit Barbie and also Mexican and Spanish Barbie. Teresa was probably the most authentic Hispanic friend of Barbie's.

The Asian Barbie doll is also part and parcel of the ethnic variety. She debuted in the late 1970s with a darker skin tone, and slanted eyes to underscore her Asian features. Names that are often associated with the Asian line of Barbie dolls are Hawaiian Barbie, Hong Kong Barbie, Japanese Barbie, Korean Barbie, Malaysian Barbie and also Barbie's friend "Beach Fun Miko."

1980 was the year when Barbie finally received an African American friend! Black Barbie was the first dark skinned Barbie to be gracing the store shelves - even though in 1967 "Colored Francine" came out, yet had to be pulled off the shelves because of racial problems in the various communities. Other names associated with this racial line of dolls were Magic Curl Barbie, Great Shape Barbie, Day to Night Barbie, Magic Moves Barbie, Jewel Secret Barbie, Superstar Moves Barbie, Western fun Barbie, Nigerian Barbie, Jamaican Barbie, and many, many others.

Native American dolls also came on the market eventually. In 1982, Mattel began this new line with an "Eskimo Barbie." "Native American Barbie: saw the light of day in 1993, and since then a large number of names are associated with this product line. There are Pow Wow Barbie, Arctic Barbie, American Indian Barbie, Blue Feather, and also Little Cloud.

As was the case with many of the Barbie dolls, at first the ethnic dolls would be crafted using the same molds as the other dolls, but the plastic compounds used to make them were darkened to hint at the other ethnicity. After a while, Mattel decided to create ethnic molds to give their dolls more distinct facial features. Collectors now very often specialize in collecting certain ethnic dolls, and some of the original offerings are considered rarities. For example, if you can find a Colored Francine doll anywhere, you will probably be sitting on a goldmine!

Another aspect that appeals enormously to collectors is the fact that the ethnics Barbies come with their own various costumes that are beautiful and really only work on the ethnic dolls; after all, it would be a bit odd for your average Caucasian Barbie to wear a Catalan or Inuit outfit.

For a great selection of Barbie dolls, vintage Barbie Dolls and Barbie accessories, please visit http://barbie.thegreatbigshop.com/