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March 2nd, 2010 admin No comments

Vintage Japan

Collect Barbie Dolls for a Profitable Hobby

The New York toy fair hosted the introduction of a phenomenon in 1959. This was when Barbie dolls were introduced to the world. They are still made at the present time and many millions have been sold all over the globe. Barbie doll collecting is a very popular hobby as a result and Mattel estimates that there are over 100,000 people who collect Barbie dolls. Most of these are female and

are on average 40 years old. They tend to buy about 20 barbie dolls each every year.

Barbie underwent many changes in appearance over the years. The first Barbie had a ponytail hairstyle and wore a zebra striped one piece swimsuit. She was copyright dated 1958 on the back and on the bottom of the right foot was marked Made In Japan. This is the rarest Barbie and if you locate one in really nice condition it is quite valuable.

Vintage Barbie dolls are considered by collectors to be those made between 1959 and 1972. Dolls made after this time are modern dolls in collectors terms. Mattel made special edition dolls in the later years which have their own collector following. To be a real collectors item these later Barbies must be in the original box and in mint condition. There were several series of these which were made in varying quantities.

The Pink Label collectible Barbies were made with no limit to the quantity. The Silver Label dolls were a limited edition of up to 50,000 and were distributed worldwide. Gold Label Barbie dolls were made in an edition of up to 25,000. The top tier is the Platinum Label dolls which were limited to 1000 dolls. These label edition dolls are much sought after by collectors. They must be in mint condition in the original box to have value as a collectors item.

Barbie doll collecting is popular in many countries around the world. Pre 1972 vintage Barbies are the most sought after and many are still to be found in garage sales,flea markets,thrift stores and such like places. Most people know nothing about vintage Barbie dolls or their values. As a result there are lots of them still out there waiting for the right collector to come along and find them. The thrill of the hunt can be almost obsessive and can get an avid collector out of bed to be an early bird at garage sales or flea markets. It's all worth it when that early Barbie is purchased for a song and carried home triumphantly to join her sisters in a collection.

About the Author

Want to find thousands of Barbie dolls and accessories with prices starting at $1 and up? This is even cheaper than garage sales. There are lots of Barbie clothes and accessories also which can be had for a song. Check this out: http://www.collectbarbiedolls.com