Barbie Special Edition Values

This article was written originally in 2006 for a doll newsletter that I was writing at that time.
I am downsizing my doll collection and I wanted to do a 2020 price comparison. So I thought
I would do an update.  Prices are a wide range, so I did an approximate average.

Doll Prices. Oh how times have changed. I was thumbing through an
old doll magazine from 1995 and happened upon an advertisement from a
doll dealer selling Barbie dolls. The dolls listed were the Holiday
Barbies and a few Mackies (dolls designed by Bob Mackie, the fashion
designer). The following is a listing of the prices then being
charged for these dolls in the ad. I went to ebay and found the
closest auction to ending to compare prices being realized today. I
know that on ebay prices can vary widely, but it is also showing a
price you can readily receive for your doll. I have also listed in
comparison the current (2006) ebay prices. All dolls are like new and mint
in box.

Holiday Barbies Ebay
prices
Prices in 1995 ad.                    1995                                       2006                                   2020 
December 2006
1988 Holiday Barbie              725.00                                     150.00.                                70.00                               

1989 Holiday Barbie              225.00.                                      10.99 (no bids)                  31.99                                                                                      
1990 Holiday Barbie (White) 150.00.                                       49.00.                                26.99

1990 Holiday Barbie (Black)    75.00.                                       26.00

1991 Holiday Barbie (White)  175.00                                        24.00.                               11.99

1991 Holiday Barbie (Black)   150.00                                       10.00

1992 Holiday Barbie (White)  125.00                                        16.00                                 12.94 

1993 Holiday Barbie (White)  100.00                                        10.00 (no bids).                  20.00
                             
1993 Holiday Barbie (Black)     95.00.                                        8.99.                                   
                                   
1994 Holiday Barbie (white)     100.00                                       12.00.                                10.95

1994 Holiday Barbie (Black)   100.00                                         12.99



A popular Barbie was the dolls designed by fashion designer Bob Mackie.

Mackie Gold Barbie                 750.00.                                         80.00.                                46.00

Mackie Bride Barbie.               950.00.                                        152.00.                              179.00

Mackie Neptune.                      995.00                                         102.00.                              149.00

Not all doll prices have fallen as dramatically.   Dolls such as the Ideal Toni, Miss Revlon, Ginny, Crissy,
antique dolls and other dolls like these still maintain a good doll
value, but still less than 10 years ago. The flood of dolls from
China I feel was to blame for lessening of doll values and also the
fact they had become over-valued by the price guides to more than the
market could bear.

Identifying Vintage Barbie

This is a hard subject to understand and even harder to explain.  My good friend a doll dealer and I were talking and I asked her why she didn't sell a lot of Barbies.  She said to identify most Barbies would make you crazy. 
I collected vintage Barbie for many years. I did not buy them new, but at garage sales, thrift stores etc.  I did buy a lot of later special editions new until I realized the beautifully gowned and styled dolls were sewn to the box.  When you take her out of the box she looks not much better than a regular Barbie.  No wonder they tell you they are  only valuable if never removed from box.  Well I am a doll collector, not a box collector.
No, I do not have a #1, 2 or 3.  The oldest Barbie I have is from as best as I can tell is about 1968 - 1970. A Mexico manufactured doll. Most of my collection is  up to 1985.  I do have the 1962 issue of Midge and Alan.  But they are other people.  There are a few Barbies that have distinctive faces  and the originals only made a few years such as Malibu Barbie.
Well you say You have several old ones with the year 1966 .  There are billions with that date.  1966 is the year that body was patented.  The year dates on Barbie have nothing to do with the date of issue. 
It took me lots of time to identify my collection, both Barbie and her clothes.  Over the years I purchased many books and I studied them and I was able to identify an issue range of the dolls.  I looked at many pictures and was able to identify the vintage clothes.  I will go into the clothes later. 
If the vintage did not have a specific face and limited years of issue, the only way to know the age was country the doll was manufactured in.
The following will tell you the years Barbie was made in that country.
1958 - 1971   Japan.  If you Barbie has Japan that means she is 62  to 49 years old in 2020.    Sometimes there are clues to be more specific.  That is where the Barbie identification books are needed.
1968 - 1970.        Mexico
1970 - 1982.        Hong Kong
1972 - 1 978.       Korea
1974 - 1987.        Taiwan
1978 - 1988.        Philippines
1986 -  present     China
1992 -  present     IndonesiaMattel also has a facility Malaysia.