The Power of Barbie

It's likely not surprising to anyone today that Barbie dolls are one of the most popular toys for young girls. Watching the tv commercials as they announce new styles of Barbie and it even appears in movies, Barbies are a worldwide phenomenon. But honestly, is anyone surprised? Barbie fits the classic mold of letting children play house, using their dolls to imitate real life.
To mimic real life, not only are there tons of Barbie dolls available, but the amount of ways to tweak your dolls is countless. From Barbie clothes to Barbie accessories, there are tons of things that kids can use to make their Barbies unique. With different clothes, kids can make their Barbies pretend to be a nurse, a teacher, or firefighter. There are over one hundred different jobs the Barbie can do, allowing the kids to go wild. When you factor in the accessories, from homes, to cars, to pets, the Barbie can truly become an extension of the child.
Parents love the Barbie dolls as well as it allows the children to become more knowledgeable about everyday life. Barbie allows kids to use their imagination in ways that videogames do not, giving children the opportunity to build their own imaginary world in which their dolls live. Further, the Barbies help the kids learn about the world around them, from the jobs they have Barbie take on, to the difficulties of raising a family.
This notion of raising a family is actually what created the idea of Pregnant Barbie, a part of the line of Barbie Happy Family dolls. Pregnant Midge comes with a baby and an attachable belly so you can pretend the doll is pregnant. It was a great idea, one that would allow children to pretend their dolls were pregnant and really feel like they were mimicking the entire process of making a family. However, some people reacted with criticisms and accused the dolls of giving children bad thoughts. As a result, the doll was forced to be recalled.
The Pregnant Barbie recall is actually part of what makes the Barbie dolls so collectible. Some of the more uncommon dolls are now worth a good amount of money, selling for hundreds of dollars. The most rare dolls include some of the annual Holiday Barbie dolls and the Silkstone Barbie. These dolls get released in limited numbers as collector's items and cause a flurry of demand once they disappear. Because of this, the dolls have become significantly more coveted by even older people as they try and make investments out of them.
Overall, it's hard to say where Barbie will go from here. However, what is clear is that the Barbies are here to stay. Kids love them, and the demand never seems to fade.

The Five Secrets to Getting the Best Price When Buying an Antique Doll Or Collectible Barbie Doll

The absolute best way to get a great deal when buying a collectible antique doll or Barbie doll is to be armed with information. There' no substitute for knowledge when it comes to buying or investing in dolls.
There are usually only two things you, as a doll collector, are looking for when considering antique dolls:
#1. You are looking for a very specific doll. You know the designer, when and where the doll was made and you know a lot of other things about the exact doll you're looking for.
#2. You are looking for a bargain. You are looking for any antique doll or collectible doll that is available way below it's actual value.
Here's how to get the best value for both types of dolls.
You have to approach each of these situations differently. The first situation is easier, but there are still some things that many collectors overlook. You need to do your homework and find out what dolls like you are looking for are actually selling for. And you need to know what they have sold for recently.
The market may have changed.  A particular doll that was in high demand and expensive not long ago, may be a lot less expensive now (or it may be even more expensive). Either way, don't rely on your previous knowledge. Find out what the value of the doll is NOW.
By all means it's important that you don't let your emotions get in the way of logic. Of course, that's easier to say than to do. If you love antique dolls like I do, it's easy to fall in love with a doll. But remember that you will have a better chance to get the best doll at the best price, if you can remain logical and not let your emotions rule.
Of course, the condition of the doll you're looking for has a lot to do with the price. This means that there could be (and probably will be) a wide range of prices that the particular doll you're looking for will be selling for.
In the second situation where you are looking for any doll that you can get at a great price, your job is even harder. You need to know the value of many dolls in order to find bargains. Of course, you can't know the value of all dolls, but there are probably a wide range of dolls that you're interested in and have some idea about the the price range they should be selling in.
One of the best ways to find a bargain in an antique doll is to realize that a lot of people start out collecting dolls and then lose interest. Also realize that in many cases the person selling the doll wants to sell it a lot more than you want to buy the doll. Regardless of how high (or even how reasonable) the initial asking price is, make a low-ball offer and work from there.
The Internet has a wealth of information about dolls. One of the best places to find out about antique doll prices is on eBay. Be sure to check completed auctions to see what antique, collectible or Barbie dolls like the one you're looking for really sold for. You can use this information in your negotiating.
CraigsList is another good place to search for antique dolls or Barbie dolls. But remember that the prices shown on CraigsList are the asking prices and not what the doll will or did sell for.
When you're armed with all of the above information, your final step is to use the five negotiating techniques shown below and don't be in a hurry -- be the reluctant buyer.
Five  Secrets to Getting the Best Price When Buying Any Antique, Collectible, or Barbie Doll:
1.    Offer way less than you expect to have to pay.
2.    Always act shocked and surprised at the other side's first price.
3.    Say, "You've got to do better than that."
4.   Walk away (or pretend to walk away) sometime during the negotiation.
5.    Arm yourself with information.  The more you're prepared with facts and information, the better deal you can negotiate.  For example, say, "I have checked eBay and other Internet sources, and dolls like this one never sell for more than $200."
Use these techniques and you will come out with the best deal possible on an antique doll. Don't forget that there are a lot of collectible dolls out there, so always be willing to walk away from any negotiation.

Holiday Barbie 2012 Edition - Beautiful Christmas Gift For Your Daughter

Christmas time has to be probably the most awaited period within the year for the reason that many presents arrives, flowing in from friends and relations. While you were just a little girl, the single most appealing gifts on your own wish list should have been the Barbie Christmas doll and for good causes as well. Prior to the introduction of the Barbie girl doll 50 years back, little ones had fun with dolls that looks like infants. Its creators, Mattel, decided that young girls also wished to play with dolls which was similar to grownups and, as a consequence, could be played in numerous fashion roles.
The newest add-on on the Barbie series is the 2010 Holiday Barbie collection. You have the options of a Caucasian or an African-American model of the Barbie holiday doll. You should have not be troubled too much pertaining to selecting better outfit because both put on exactly the same gowns with the primary variation being their skin color as well as face features.
African-American Barbie Holiday doll shows a beautiful lady with light brown eyes and black curly hair. In the other hand, the Caucasian version shows the familiar blond hair and blue eyes. Additionally, you will notice that the make-up of each one is different with the primary purpose is to showcase the attributes of each girl doll. The Caucasian model comes with dark eyeliner, dark eyelashes, light brown eye shadow and light mauve lipstick, which results in an All-American look. The African-American model features sterling silver eye shadow, deep mauve lipstick and black eye liner, which attract attention to her exotic qualities.
Now, why don't we return to the sole important thing which will make the Holiday Barbie Doll 2010 a collector's item; the gown. Your eyes will instantly be attracted to the arctic white-colored ballroom-style gown constructed from utter fabrics arranged in tiers. You will find some thing so princess-like about it that will quickly reminded you about Cinderella and her famed tale. Moreover, you certainly will adore the way the gold and red patterns around the bodice combine in a classic with a contemporary touch kind of way a lot which means that your grandchildren 50 years from now will still consider the whole gown beautiful.

Dress Barbies For Success

There is absolutely no doubt that the Mattel barbie doll is the single most popular doll ever made. Barbie has been a huge hit with little girls and so many others for decades now, and her popularity is still being felt today. It's little wonder why, with all the various Barbie accessories and dress Barbies available, it has made for hours and hours of fun.
Barbies Personalities
Over the past 45 plus years, there have been more variations of Barbies doll than you can remember. She has had many different outfits made for her during this time. From an astronaut to a nurse, Barbie has seen it all. Girls dress Barbies in every fashion and form imaginable. Does anyone remember Barbies pictures in the late 50's? Barbies dress was originally a swimsuit. She certainly has come a long way and seen a great many changes since then. We have seen Barbie as president, nurse, rock star, fashion model (which was her original design) and over 80 other careers in between. If you can name it, Barbie has most likely been it.
Barbie Controversy
While every form of dress barbies have been put out, the one Barbie that is likely the most controversial was released in 1992. That is when Mattel made a military Barbie during the period of time that the U.S. was involved in operation Desert Storm. The entire military dress barbies had to clear Pentagon approval before being sold to the public. The Pentagon wanted to be sure that the uniforms she wore were as real life as they could be.
Other models of Barbies that have been released over the years have included Olympic Barbie, College Barbie, and we can't forget a married Barbie. You do remember Ken, right? Not only has barbies dress been numerous, but she has had her share of pets. At last count Barbie has had 21 dogs, 12 horses and a zebra among many others.
Barbies Future
Collectible Barbies are the rage now with all types of models out. There has never been another doll that has been this commercialized and so well planned out in toy history. It's anyone's guess as to how long this can continue, but with over 40 years under her belt, I wouldn't bet against another 40 more.

Vintage Barbie Dolls - Identifying Vintage Ponytail Barbies

Barbie was first released by Mattel in 1959 and since the earliest Barbie doll had her hair pulled back in a Ponytail, she is referred to as the Ponytail Barbie by vintage Barbie collectors. There are six different incarnations of the Ponytail Barbie and so she is referred to by her number, i.e. #1 Ponytail Barbie or #2 Ponytail, etc. What follows is a brief guide to identifying each one as the differences between them are usually subtle, but hugely significant to value.
#1 Ponytail Barbie
The #1 Ponytail Barbie can be either blonde or brunette. More blonde dolls were made so the brunette is more valuable. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail and she has curled bangs. Her irises are white and her lips are red and she also severely arched eyebrows. Pointy, actually. She is also peering off to the side.
Constructed from heavy vinyl plastic, she has a solid torso and holes in the bottom of her feet and copper tubing in her legs so she can be fitted to her pedestal. The bottom of her right foot also says "Japan" on it.
Due to the nature of the plastic she was made from, she is usually faded to a very white color. Her original outfit consists of a black/white zebra striped swimsuit, open toed black high heels (with holes in them!), white sunglasses (blue lenses) and golden hoop earrings.
#1 Ponytail Barbie is also marked: Barbie (TM) Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc.
#2 Ponytail Barbie
The #2 Ponytail Barbie is actually exactly the same as the #1 Barbie except she no longer has holes in her feet and no copper tubing. Her new pedestal has arms to hold her in place. She bears the same mark as above.
#3 Ponytail Barbie
#3 Barbie is like the #2 except she now has blue irises and softer eyebrows. She may have either brown or blue eyeliner.
#4 Ponytail Barbie
The #4 Barbie now comes in a new type of plastic and generally keeps her flesh-colored tone over the years. She also only comes wearing blue eyeliner.
#5 Ponytail Barbie
The big changes to the #5 Barbie are that her torso is now hollow and she bears a new mark: Barbie ® Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc. Note the ® instead of the (TM).
In addition. #5 also is available in a new hair color, Titian. Barbie's hair is also a bit stiffer now. The Titian #5 Barbie is very hard to find and the most collectible. Unfortunately, #5 Barbies are prone to greasy faces due to some problems Mattel was having with the vinyl. A greasy appearance will reduce value as the problem isn't universal and there are some dolls still showing lovely matte faces to be found.
#6 Ponytail Barbie
#6 has a new outfit, a red jersey swimsuit and red open-toed heels. Her lips are now watermelon colored instead of red. Her fingernail polish matches her lips. The vinyl problems were fixed so she won't have a greasy face anymore either.
Is she a number 6 or number 7?
Some time in 1963, there was a major change to Barbie.
Sometimes the Barbie with the new mark is referred to as the #7 Barbie by collectors and sometimes she is referred to as the #6. If you are considering adding one of these dolls to your collection, the important thing is to know that Barbie had a bit of a makeover between 1962 and 1963 and the 1962 doll was only manufactured for one year so she may be more collectible.
On a final note, there are lots of artists doing restorations and repaints of vintage Barbie dolls. Like any antique, any vintage Barbie that has been altered from her original condition will be far less valuable even if the repaint restores her beauty. If you are bidding on an auction for a Barbie doll and you have questions about any possible restoration work done to her, don't be afraid to question the seller.

5 Tips for Selling Collectible Barbies on eBay

Collectible Barbie dolls can be a great seller on eBay, especially eBay USA. Many Barbie dolls are limited in number and can be quite valuable. Barbie collectors are located all over the world and don't mind paying the international shipping fees required to have the doll shipped to them. Here are a few tips for selling collectible Barbie dolls on eBay.
The first step when selling anything on eBay is to do the research and determine the asking price. eBay is its own little universe and you must use eBay data to determine an item's value in the eBay marketplace. An item's value is determined by what someone will pay for it, not what you think it is worth. Look up the particular Barbie on eBay using a few relevant keywords. eBay titles are written by each individual seller, so if you use too many keywords, you may not get enough data in your search results. For example, if you have a Bob Mackie Goddess of the Sun Barbie, your search terms should be "Bob Mackie Goddess Barbie." When doing the search, choose "completed listings." You aren't going to pay much attention to what someone is asking for the Barbie, you want to know what a buyer actually paid for it. Historical data is where you focus when doing research on eBay pricing. You will also need to check current listings to see what other sellers are asking for the same item. To make sales on eBay, you must be competitive.
After you find a comparable item that actually sold, the next step is to create a keyword rich title. eBay searches work somewhat like Google searches, matching on keywords. Your objective is to rank high in searches so your title must be optimized. Using the example above, a properly optimized title would be, "NEW Bob Mackie Goddess of the Sun Barbie NRFB 1995." NRFB is an abbreviation for "never removed from box." Many Barbie collectors will search for NRFB and the year the Barbie was released. eBay only allows 55 characters for the title, so you want to maximize that space with the correct keywords that will lead buyers to your item.
The next important component of selling Barbies (or anything) on eBay, is to provide clear photos. When selling anything three dimensional, experts advise showing at least three photos. Remember that your buyer cannot pick up and examine the product you are selling. Good pictures will sell your item. Many eBay shoppers don't even read the descriptions; their eyes automatically gravitate towards the photos. If you are selling NRFB collectible Barbies, you want to show photos of the front and back of the box, the doll's face, the doll's clothing, and a price tag if there is one. If you are selling a NRFB Barbie, do not take her out of the box to take the photo! This will devalue the Barbie and you can't sell it as NRFB.
After you have done the pricing research, written the title, and taken the photos, you will need to write a keyword rich description. Make sure the description is at least 200 words long and includes the name of the particular Barbie at least three times. This will help your listing appear more keyword loaded and your listing will place higher in search results.
Include international shipping options on your listing. Barbie collectors live all over the world and they will pay the shipping costs, as long as the price is fair and reasonable. Most Barbies will weigh less than four pounds when packaged so they can be shipped First Class International through the United States Postal Service. Average cost to ship a collectible Barbie anywhere in the world from the USA is less than twenty dollars.
By following these five tips, you should find success when selling your collectible Barbie on eBay. Take your time, follow the steps, and wait for the right buyer. Your Barbie may not sell within a week, but that is ok. The right buyer will find your listing and your Barbie will soon be on her way to her new home.

Barbie Games - A Popular Source of Entertainment

Barbie dolls have a unique history which speaks of the doll's marvelous success and popularity worldwide. These dolls have managed to capture the hearts of millions, not specifically children but belonging to all age groups. Barbie or more distinctively Barbara Millicent Roberts was introduced to the world on March 9, 1959 and was the brain child of Ruth Handler the wife of the cofounder of Mattel. The idea sparked off the creation of this fashion doll which now dwells in pink costumes and beautiful pink houses. However, with time Barbie has evolved into something more than a mere plastic doll.
With the advent of internet, Barbie games started to take the world of online gaming by a storm and managed to attract millions of players worldwide. With Barbie games, players now have a chance to play with these dolls online. In actual as a lot of young girls are highly influenced by Barbie, the games focus on Barbie not only as fashion doll but with a multitude of careers. An interesting fact worth mentioning is the recent career path that this doll has chosen i.e. a computer engineer. Yes, that's true. You will now see Barbie sporting casual black leggings, a pair of pink glasses and a neatly tailored vest over a T-shirt that has been printed with a computer code; a string of binary 0s and 1s that, when translated, spells "Barbie."
Barbie games come in numerous varieties, each type suiting different age groups. You may either opt for Barbie dress up games where you are provided with an assortment of fashionable clothing and accessories to dress up Barbie as you wish or you can teach your kids how to cook by playing Barbie cooking games. This is an excellent mode of teaching young girls the basics of cooking while also serving as an enjoyable pastime.
Let your child's imagination exercise and grow with these entertaining games.
Apart from the above mentioned types, there is also another type called the Barbie adventure games mostly based on the numerous Barbie movies where you and your child can step into a whole new world of fantasy. These games boast an excellent user interface and high quality graphics that make the gaming experience more fun.
Furthermore, with Barbie games you can easily be at peace that none of the games hold any adult content that might prove to b unsuitable for your little girl.
Barbie games can be found in numerous formats. You will find Barbie in video games, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books and whole lot of other games. However the most common format used nowadays is that of online Barbie games. These games are free and are easily available on a number of dedicated websites on the World Wide Web; be it any time of the day.