Barbie was 50 years old in 2009. Oh boy! Don't you wish we all looked as young as she does at 52? Well, she did have quite a bit of plastic surgery over her lifetime. In fact she had a total body replacement.
Barbie was first sold in 1959 by Mattel, and many millions of Barbie dolls, as well as accessories, have been sold around the globe since that year. March 9th 1959 Barbie's debut was at the New York Toy Fair and that is her official birthday.
She wore a one piece black and white zebra stripe swimsuit withhigh heel open toe shoes and hoop earrings and sported snazzy white sunglasses which had blue lenses. She came with either blonde or brunette hair which was pulled back in a ponytail and she had very much arched eyebrows and her eyes had white irises.
Unfortunately she was made from a type of plastic which fades to white over time. She was made with copper tubing inside her legs and had holes in her feet for mounting on a pedestal. She had the mark JAPAN on the base of her right foot and her body she was marked with Barbie TM Pats. Pend. Copyright MCMVIII.
Should you get unbelievably lucky and find one of these original Barbie dolls in good condition, you have found a collectors dream item which is worth quite a sum of money. The actual value will depend on the overall condition and completeness of your find. If any parts are missing or there is any damage, this will lower the value of the doll very considerably. This original doll is known to collectors as the #1 Ponytail Barbie.
The #2 Ponytail Barbie is exactly the same as #1, but without the copper tubing in the legs, or the holes in the feet of the doll. The pedestal type was changed completely, and now had extensions to hold the doll in place.
The #3 Ponytail Barbie is nearly identical to #2 but with different eyebrows, and the eyes have blue irises. She came with either brown or blue eyeliner.
The #4 Ponytail Barbie was manufactured from a different, and non fading plastic which can retain it's flesh color over time. She came with blue eyeliner.
The #5 Ponytail Barbie changed to a hollow plastic body from the solid plastic body used in earlier editions. The body markings are quite similar with the slight difference that she is now marked R Pats. Pend. instead of TM Pats. Pend. A new hair color which was named titian was added to the blonde and brunette colors.
Dolls which have this titian hair color are considerably scarcer and are as a consequence of higher value than the brunette or blonde varieties. Some dolls developed a problem with the plastic which changed to a greasy look over a period of time. The matte faced doll,if you can find one,is of more value than the greasy faced doll.
The #6 Ponytail Barbie was manufactured using a vinyl type plastic, which does not become greasy looking with time. The lips and fingernails are a pinkish red, rather than the previous bright red. She is clad in a red swimsuit and has open toe,red,shoes.
The #7 Ponytail Barbie was made with different hair colors including brunette, titian,lemon blonde and ash blonde. Her lips and the nails are coral red in color. This new Barbie edition was made in the 1962-1963 era and the markings changed to "Midge TM copyright 1962/Barbie copyright 1958 by Mattel".
Dolls which are stamped with this new mark are often classed as the #7 Ponytail Barbie but some collectors insist on including them as #6. Dolls which were made before the 1962 change-over are somewhat more difficult to find, and consequently are worth more than the new edition dolls are.
Condition is the dominant factor in putting a value on old Barbie dolls. Collectors want dolls which are clean, fully original and have no damage to them. Dolls in this condition fetch the absolute best price. If in addition the Barbie is in the original factory packaging, and also in mint condition, this constitutes a very desirable collectors Barbie doll and brings a premium price on the collectors market. Any doll which has repairs, restoration or has been repainted is worth a lot less than those which are in the faded but original condition.
Where can you locate early collectible Barbie dolls? The answer to this is almost averywhere you go, if you know what you are looking for. Most people have absolutely no idea of what an old Barbie doll appears like or even that it has collector value. Collectors find old Barbie dolls sometimes by searching in thrift shops or second hand stores, sometimes in flea markets and even in garage sales. Be sure that you take a magnifier with you to read the markings on the Barbie dolls, when you go out to hunt for them. Best of luck in your search.
Where can you buy Barbie dolls new and used? Right now you can find great deals,some with discounts,through this link to Amazon:
Barbie Dolls
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