by Carol Gioia

Created on: May 09, 2009   Last Updated: April 16, 2012

Mattel toy company introduced the original Barbie doll in 1959 with a price tag of $3.00. After fifty years as reigning queen of the toy industry, a vintage Barbie in mint condition will garner over $3,000. Does this piece of trivia instill in you the urge to go scurrying up to the attic, or down to the basement, in search of your grown child's abandoned Barbie doll? All Barbie's were not created equal. The dolls that inhabit "Barbie world" have vast discrepancy in their value. Knowing what to look for in the detail of your Barbie will determine whether of not you are holding onto a "Goldmine Barbie." Chances are your Barbie has the year 1966 imprinted on her torso. This does not mean your doll was manufactured in 1966; it is an indication of the year the body style was issued. Even Barbie dolls from the '80s, and '90s to the present have 1966 on them, though their value is minimal in the collectibles world. Some details to examine in order to place a collectible value on your Barbie: * The name "Barbie" is scripted on her right buttock, followed by letters. The earliest Barbie dolls had the letters tm after the name; this includes the first four versions of pony tail Barbie. Barbie R is found on pony tail versions four and five and the original bubble-cut Barbie. All of these dolls are apt to have value proportionate to their condition. * If the copyright says "Midge 1962" or "Barbie 1958," the doll has the body used from 1962 forward. This will include pony tail versions 6 and 7 and the Bubble Cut Barbie. The standard Barbie's body was changed to pink. All the Bubble Cut, pony tails and Barbie's friend, Midge retained their original tan. All these versions of Barbie are valuable if they are preserved in good condition. * "Miss Barbie" made her debut in 1964 and "American Girl Barbie" was introduced in 1965 and 1966. Their copyright says 1958 Mattel Inc. or 1958 Mattel made in Japan. These are the most popular collectibles and the better the condition, the greater the value. * In 1966 Mattel came out with "Twist and Turn Barbie" and "Malibu Barbie." They both sported a tan body which twisted at an angle from the waist. There are many Barbie dolls with twist and turn bodies, but only the originals twisted on an angle and these are the ones that command a price in the collectible market. * Francie is a highly collectible friend of Barbie. She is slimmer and shorter than her friend and her copyright says Mattel 1965. Barbie's little sister, Skipper, came out

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