Original material girls
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday July 8, 2009
What is now the most popular doll in history received a lukewarm reception when first shown at the 1959 New York Toy Fair.Barbie named after Mattel founder Ruth Handler's daughter, Barbara was seen as a strange concept at the time. Dolls were traditionally modelled after babies. Here was an adult figure aimed at teenagers."Why would anyone buy her?" was the general response.At her 1959 debut, Barbie wore a modest black and white swimsuit and hooped earrings. She carried a pair of white sunglasses. These days, the original version is known as the "ponytail swirl" by collectors, a reference to her hairstyle. She is differentiated from later versions by two small holes in her feet from which she was perched on a stand.Her current value depends on her condition, packaging and accessories but a mint example in the original box, preferably never opened, could fetch $50,000, especially in this 50th year of her life.Barbie's life can be defined by changes in her appearance. Landmark events include her Jackie Kennedy phase, the "American Girl" period (when she adopted a pageboy hairstyle and first appeared with bendable legs) and her mid-'60s Mod period, when she first had the patented Twist 'N Turn waist.She developed bendable wrists, elbows and ankles in the early '70s, when she also gained a California suntan. In 1977, Superstar Barbie evolved, with a wide open-mouth smile.Perhaps the most important change was Mattel's gradual recognition that their teenage doll was now being collected by the same people who first bought her 20 years earlier. The first porcelain "collector doll" appeared in 1986. Since then, a series of limited-edition and theme dolls has been produced for a predominantly adult market both men and women. Pink, black, gold and platinum editions, in order of rarity, are regularly released and instantly snapped up. As new, these can range from $50 to $5000 for some platinum versions, produced solely for collectors' clubs.On its "investing in Barbie" webpage, Mattel says it does not guarantee any product will increase in value but advises collectors to: "Stay informed, read books and magazines, talk to fellow collectors, go to shows and join a local club."For the record, "vintage Barbie" is defined as pre-1972 and "modern Barbie" is post-'72.Barbie's friends and relatives are generally harder to find and if never removed from their box, are potentially more valuable than the leading lady. These include Ken, who first appeared as her boyfriend in 1961; her sister, Skipper (1964); her other sister, Tutti (1966); and her brother, Todd (1966). The rarest of the early Kens is the "Brownette", a reference to his hair colour.And one of the rarest of all Barbie dolls is not related to her at all.The first African-American celebrity spin-off was based on Julia from the TV show of the same name played by Diahann Carroll from 1968 to 1971. Julia was the same shape as Barbie and was able to wear the same clothes. There was also a Twiggy version. Both are now in the "name your price" category, especially if Julia is the super-rare talking version with an automated voice activated by a pull string. Very few are thought to exist, let alone speak.More recent Barbies are also proving hard to find. Those in demand are Hard Rock Cafe Barbie or theme dolls, such as Barbie as a Pan Am stewardess. An original Malibu Barbie from 1972 that's still in the box can fetch about $200, while Spa Barbie is another rarity and is worth about $120 if the spa is included.There's also a thriving online market in original clothing, accessories and cars.One common trap is to see the date "1966" on the back of a Barbie and assume this is the year of manufacture. Not necessarily; that was the year of the Twist 'N Turn patent. A better sign is the pale appearance of the vinyl body, which is usually a sign of age. Very early Barbies also tend to develop "green ear", a stain from the oxidisation of her metal earrings.MY COLLECTIONTim Simpson, 23, is one of a surprising number of men who collect Barbie dolls - although not all of them admit it. He has about 400 at home and a 55-litre tub of clothes. The fashions are just as important as the dolls.He started collecting at 15 when he saw a large quantity of dolls in an op shop and bought the lot on impulse.Now he buys online or swaps with friends and sells surplus stock through a friend's eBay shop.Although he has several rare "investment" Barbies from the 1970s, his personal favourites are the ones he would have liked to buy as a child but couldn't."I played with Lego as a kid," he says. He collects that as well.His dream doll would not be a Barbie but her best friend, Skipper, mint and boxed, which is considered a particularly good investment by collectors.Tim is a member of the ABC Doll Club (abcdoll.org), an unofficial Australia-wide club for Barbie enthusiasts that holds an annual convention. A big hit at this year's show were the customised dolls, including one dressed as Abby from NCIS.$50Several reproductions of the original 1959 Barbie have been released, this one in 2009 to mark its 50th year. If this was an original, you could add two or three zeroes to the price, depending on condition.$150Hard Rock Cafe Barbie is considered a modern classic. This is a modern reproduction. Originals can still be found but are increasingly scarce.$200Malibu Barbie dates from 1971-72, so it's on the limit of the vintage Barbie category. Ones in the original box would fetch double the price.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald