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Barbie Dolls
Barbie will be 50 years old in 2009. Wow I really wish we all looked that young at 50. Well she has had a lot of plastic surgery over the years. She even had a total body replacement.
Barbie was introduced in 1959 by Mattel and millions of Barbies have been sold all over the world since then. On March 9th 1959 Barbie was shown at the New York Toy Fair and that date became her official birthday. She was dressed in a one piece black and white zebra striped swimsuit,high heel open toe shoes,hoop earrings and wore white sunglasses with blue lenses. She had blonde or brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail and she had strongly arched eyebrows and white irises. She was made from a kind of plastic which has faded to white over the years. She had copper tubing in her legs and holes in the feet to mount on a pedestal. She was marked JAPAN on the bottom of her right foot and on her body she was marked Barbie TM Pats. Pend. Copyright MCMVIII.
If you are lucky enough find one of these Barbies in good condition you have a collectors dream which is worth a lot of money. The exact value depends on the condition and completeness of the doll. Missing parts or any damage will lower the value considerably. This doll is known as the #1 Ponytail Barbie.
The #2 Ponytail Barbie is identical to the #1 except that there is no copper tubing in the legs or holes in the feet. The pedestal was changed and had extensions to hold the doll.
The #3 Ponytail Barbie is the same as #2 but has different eyebrows and blue irises. She has brown or blue eyeliner makeup.
The #4 Ponytail Barbie is made from a non fading type of plastic which retains it's flesh color. She has blue eyeliner makeup.
The #5 Ponytail Barbie was made with a hollow plastic body rather than the solid type found in earlier editions. The markings are similar with the difference that she is marked R Pats. Pend. rather than TM Pats. Pend. A new hair color known as titian was added to the line,and dolls with this titian hair color are scarcer and therefore worth more than the brunette or blonde dolls. Some of these dolls had a problem with the plastic which developed a greasy look as it aged. The regular matte faced doll,if you find one,has more value than a greasy faced doll.
The #6 Ponytail Barbie was made from a new vinyl plaastic which does not develop the greasy appearance as it ages. Her 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 nails are now coral red. This new edition was brought out in the 1962-1963 period and the markings became Midge TM copyright 1962/Barbie copyright 1958 by Mattel. Dolls which carry this new mark are as a rule called the #7 Ponytail Barbie but some collectors still include them as #6. Dolls made before the 1962 change are more difficult to find and therefore are worth more than the new edition.
Condition is by far the most important factor in valuing early Barbie dolls. Collectors look for dolls which are clean,totally original and with no damage.Such a doll fetches the very best price. If the doll is in its original packaging,and isin mint condition,this is a highly desirable collectors doll and will fetch a premium price. Dolls which have been repaired,restored or repainted are worth less than those left in the faded original condition.
Where should you look early collectible Barbie dolls? The answer is almost everywhere,if you know what to look for. The great majority of people have no idea of what an old Barbie doll looks like or that it has value. You may find old Barbie dolls at times by searching in thrift or second hand stores,fleamarkets and garage sales. Be sure to have with you a magnifier to read the markings on the Barbies when you are out there hunting for them. Good Luck.
Want to buy Barbie Dolls? You can get great prices through this link to Amazon: Barbie Dolls
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