Antique Doll Collector

Question about this barbie antique.?

I got lucky and was able to purchase 5 Now and Then Barbies from the 50th anniversary when they had the limited 3 dollar special. I am going to sell 4 of them and keep one as a collector’s item.

I have had a lot of experience in this area which I don’t write about in my bio (short of room, and not as exciting as investing in securities).

In general if the demand is extremely high, you may try to sell some immediately to meet that demand.

A quick search on ebay shows over 600 of these up for auction with bids as low as around $3.00

http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_nkwZBarbieQ2050thQ20AnniversaryQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZR40QQ_mdoZ

(most auctions end after 7 days, so these numbers will vary as new auctions increase or decrease and as product increases or decreases.)

About every 5 years there will be another anniversary something.

The problem is that if toys are manufactured in mass, the more that are out there, the less they are worth.

I can estimate that the one group who will likely make more money off the 50th Barbie than anyone else is……

(drum roll please……)

Mattel.

Now before you run back to Wal-Mart and return the dolls, here is what I might do ASSUMING:

1. The boxes/ packaging you have appears flawless. No dings, dents, scratches, marks (including fingernail), tears, bends, etc, anywhere, and pref no prices or retail store stickers on the box (or signs of a removed sticker).

2. You plan on holding these things for the next 25-50+ years.

If you answered yes to the above 2 questions, you might want to have the items professionally graded and encased in acrylic. Grading gives a certified authenticity that one has a real product (proof to a buyer); is 3rd party scored (graded) for quality of the box, and item inside. The higher the grade, the potentially more value to a collector.

In my 11 years experience (since 1998) in this industry, ungraded items will ALWAYS sell less than a professionally graded item.

Grading will cost you far more than you paid for the item.

If you search ebay for “vintage barbie” very few will fetch a $100. I saw a 1962 Barbie with box looks like it may be in “unplayed with condition,” and it was offered at about $99.00

Is it worth holding on to something that was massed produced in 2009, and waiting until 2059 to make MAYBE $100 bucks using past valuation history as a guide and projecting future values. BTW, “there are no guarantees that it will be worth anything in the future.”

Barbies are NOT aggressively sought after by collectors.

It’s a girls toy. In general, Girls tend to open and play with toys. Boys tend to collect.

Look: Google there words: (as of 03-16-09 search)
“Barbie” – 68.8 million web pages
“G.I. Joe” – 8.54 million web pages

“star trek” – 43.7 million web pages
“star wars” – 101 million web pages

What do you think is selling more of in the 3rd market?

Whatever you do, if you plan to sell them, grade them, or keep as is as collectibles, NEVER open the box for ANY reason. Uou will lose on average in my experience 90-99% of its collector value.

Good Luck!

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