The first Barbie doll was produced by Mattel in 1959. Barbie was exhibited at the New York toy fair in that year. Since then millions have been produced and distributed in many countries.

Barbie doll collecting has become a popular hobby and Mattel's estimate is that there are over 100,000 Barbie collectors. The majority of these collectors are women with an average age of 40 and they buy an average of 20 Barbies per annum.

Barbie changed considerably in appearance over the years. The first Barbie wore a zebra striped one piece swimsuit. Her hair was dressed in a pigtail at the back. On the bottom of right foot she was marked Made in Japan and the copyright date 1958 was on her back. If you are lucky enough to find one of these dolls,in excellent condition,you have a treasure for which a collector will pay several thousand dollars.

Barbie dolls made between 1959 and 1972 are considered to be vintage dolls. Dolls made after 1972 are considered to be modern.

Mattel made special edition dolls later which are sought after by their own collectors. To be collectible these later dolls must be mint and in the original box. Several series of these were made in varying quantities.

The Pink Label collectible Barbies had no limit to the quantity produced. The Silver Label dolls were made in a limited edition of up to 50,000 and were sold worldwide. Gold Label Barbies were made in an edition of up to 25,000. The top series is the Platinum Label dolls which were limited to production of 1000.

These dolls are much sought after by collectors. They must be in mint condition,in the original box,to have any value as a collectors doll.

Barbie doll collecting is popular in countries all over the world. Pre 1972 vintage Barbies are the most collected and many are still to be found in such locations as garage sales,flea markets,thrift stores and auctions.

Most people know little or nothing about old Barbie dolls or their value. As a result there are many of them still around waiting for a collector to come along and find them. Searching for old Barbies can be almost obsessive and can get a keen collector out to be an early bird at garage sales and flea markets.

It's all worth the trouble when you buy that early Barbie for a song and carry her home in triumph to take her place in your collection.

Want to know more about old Barbie dolls? Want to know where you can find thousands of Barbies and accessories for as little as $1 and up? Check this out: www.collectbarbiedolls.com John Mowatt collects Barbie dolls and writes about them.

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