After its tremendous launch in 1959, more and more people continued to collect Barbie dolls because of its potential future value. From young girls, teenagers up to older women who were fond of collecting dolls-especially vintage dolls-Barbie has become quite a commodity.
COLLECTING BARBIE
What begins as a mere hobby of collecting Barbie dolls can actually be a great investment if not, a career itself. Being one of the most sought-after products in the world of doll industry, a Barbie doll has definitely a great potential because of its increasing value.
Today, most of Barbie dolls created by Mattel, Inc. are Collector or Limited Editions. So if you're planning to become a Barbie collector yourself, you must remember these tips:
1. Make sure that you stay informed about the latest in the world of Barbie Collections. You can do this by surfing the Net about the latest items, auctions and price ranges.
2. Take time to read books and magazines. Reading books about doll collecting can give you better ideas what to look for when buying a vintage doll such as Barbie. Collecting and reading magazines that contain articles about Barbie collectors and collecting can also help you find rare and valuable pieces.
3. Try to go to shows. Shows that feature Barbie and Barbie collectors will give better view on the prospective career.
4. Look and join local clubs. Barbie collectors clubs are popular nowadays. If you can join at least one or two, you can get the latest updates in the world of Barbie collectors in your area or around the world.
5. Make sure that you know and you are updated with prices. Being updated with the prices of certain Barbie pieces can help you determine if the item you've seen in a flea market or a store is worth your money.
6. Familiarize yourself with the Barbie doll's qualities, uniqueness, and workmanship. Getting the facts about the Barbie doll's unique characteristics and workmanship will help you identify its present and future value.
7. Buy those pieces that appeal to you the most. This will develop your keen eye in knowing what is valuable or not.
To help Barbie collectors, Barbie Collector introduced a color-coded "tier structure" in 2004. This system offers tiers that represent an identifiable level of doll collecting and also comes with special retail destinations and elegant packaging designs. The system sets label colors to segment Barbie Collector dolls that include Pink Label, Silver Label, Gold Label and Platinum Label.
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