The Barbie Doll Collector, all grown up!

What to know when you no longer want to brush her hair and change her outfit.

1. Set your budget! For ten Collector's Edition Barbies, plan on spending close to $1000. This price could be considerably less if you aren't looking for the most desirable dolls and much more if you want pristine, vintage ones.
   
   
2. Purchase a Barbie doll identification guide like Barbie Doll Collector's Handbook. Search for Barbie Doll Collector's handbooks available in e-bay!
   
   
   
   
   
3. Decide what kind of dolls you are interested in. Do you only want Barbies from the 60's?
         
   Do you want to center your collection around a theme like "Career Barbie," "University Barbie"? This decision may affect the number of dolls you are able to purchase based on your individual budget.
   Search for Vintage Barbie on e-bay
   
   
   
4. If your budget is small, you may want to consider purchasing current Collector Edition Barbies, which run in the $40-$150 range. Below is the Lilly Pulitzer Barbie, which is currently being sold for a very reasonable $34.98. Barbie is also producing NEW vintage reproductions for around $50.
      
   Find Lilly Pulitzer's Barbie on e-bay!
   
   
5. If you decide to collect current Barbie dolls, you will want to join The Barbie Fan Club for $19.99 per year  in order to be able to purchase exclusive dolls only available to members (currently Rhapsody in New York, below,  and The Victorian Holiday Barbie). Do note the Barbie Fan Club membership runs out on December 31 of every year regardless of when you joined in that year.
   
   
   Search for Rhapsody in New York Barbie on e-bay!
   
   
   
6. If you go vintage, you will want to purchase a "Buying Guide" like Barbie: The First 30 Years. Vintage Barbies were those produced prior to 1972.
   
   
   
   

   Search for a Barbie buying guide on e-bay!
   

   
   
7. Contact your local Barbie Club.  You can see a list by state at www.barbiecollector.com/collecting/clublocator.asp
   
   
8. Have your collection APPRAISED!  This will likely require a detailed inventory of your dolls with the name of each Barbie, date of purchase, cost of purchase, place of purchase, name of person who sold you the doll, contact information for the seller, and condition of the doll. If it is a large collection, use a computer spreadsheet, like Excel.
   
   • You can find YOUR  local doll appraiser by using www.appraisers.org/findappraiser/index.cfm
     
   
   
9. Have your doll collection INSURED! Call your insurance agent to see if you can have the collection attached to your homeowner's insurance.  If your Barbies are extremely valuable, call Lloyds of London.
   
   

I hope you found this guide valuable. If so, please let me know by clicking "yes" on the button below.   If not, please e-mail me and let me know what topic you would like to see included.  Thank you for visiting!

-Julie