One of the most popular dolls in history is the Barbie doll. With half a century of history, there is quite bit to know about this vintage collectible. She turned 50 in the year 2009 and is still going strong. Her introduction to the world came at the New York toy fair. Making her debut in 1959, she just barely qualifies as a child of the fifties.
The Barbie doll’s creator, Ruth Handler, decided to name the doll in honor of her daughter. That first Barbie, which is oh so collectible today, could be found with hair that was either brown or blonde. She wore a fashionable swimsuit (a modest one piece) in a zebra stripe design, along with stylish high heels.
Anyone who has been around a while or has an interest in collectible Barbies, knows that she has had many careers in her time. She has done everything from traveling to space to being a teen model. The Mattel company has done well marketing Barbie dolls to a variety of audiences. Over one billion dollars are spent every year on Barbie dolls and accessories. Collectors can be found around the globe, and many spend considerable amounts of money building up their vintage Barbie doll collections.
People who collected the now vintage dolls when they were younger, might want to take a look at how much their dolls are worth on the collectibles market. There are many serious collectors who do their best to search out hard to find Barbie dolls and accessories. Some of these collectors will spend hundreds of dollars on vintage doll clothes if they are in good condition. Anyone with vintage Barbie items would do well to take the time to compare what they own to what sells on sites like eBay. They might just be in for a pleasant surprise.
