Collecting Barbies can be lots of fun. Did you know Barbies made prior to 2004 were limited to a certain quantity? This is what was the called the Collector and Limited Editions series which had started in 2000. It is important to note by collecting Barbies in these series will actually increase the barbies value. Collector editions of Barbie Dolls were produced in quantities of 35,000 and Limited editions were produced in quantities of less than 35,000. So not only time makes a difference in the value of the Barbie Doll but also how many were produced. When collecting Barbies, it is important to note what type and edition your Barbies are.
In 2004 it was decided that the Barbie doll would no longer allow for collecting in collector or limited editions. Input was given from a Barbie doll Collecting Panel, Barbie doll dealers, and interactions at conventions and doll shows that "Barbies would like dolls to stay limited in production number yet reasonably available. They'd like us to make the doll collecting hobby more exciting." and they wanted to find new ways to features of the Barbies doll beauty in the packaging. At this point they changed from "Collector Edition" or "Limited Edition" to four-tiered structure which will organize the collecting of the Barbies during the release process. It gave the people doing collecting the Barbies an opportuntity to be on the "same page" when they added a Barbie doll to their doll collecting group. It is a color-coded level and it has limited quantities as well as advertising. This is great for someone who is collecting Barbie Dolls because they do not have to take the Barbies out of the box. The box is the display and makes the Barbie doll that more attractive to someone who is collecting. This encourages the doll collector to follow the NRFB principle and keep the doll in a more collectible condition. In the last few years, Mattel has changed its description for its Barbies collecting line from “Collectibles” to Barbie “Collector” Dolls. Their goal is to make these collector dolls in more limited quantity but still allow reasonable availability.
The Barbie Collectibles staff shared that the concept behind the tiers as follows: "because the Barbie doll has such a long and celebrated history with fashion, the names of the tiers have real fashion roots. Initially, the Barbie® Collecting team looked at some of the most successful fashion designers currently on the market. We were inspired by their innovative approach to representing their fashion lines. For example, you can go into an upscale boutique and buy an outfit from a famous designer and you can also walk into a major department store and purchase something from the same designer's more mainstream line. In a way, our new label colors are our way of segmenting our doll collecting and communicating to you where they might be found."
The Pink collector doll series tier includes Barbie keepsakes (Zodiac Dolls or Hello Kitty) Barbie princesses, and celebrity Barbie dolls. Their packaging is clear with pink trim.Now those of you collecting Barbie Dolls may think well I am not sure why this is considered a "special" Barbie because this doll is not limited on how many can be made and can be purchased at Walmart or Target and does not make the "hunt" for Barbie as difficult. This does appeal though to possibly the beginner collector and gives them a chance to start Barbie doll collecting.
The Silver Label includes the Birthday Wishes dolls or Chocolate Obsession Barbie . These are limited to no more than 50,000 dolls. It is a beautiful silver trimmed package. It is known as the "new version of the cake box package". This tier definitely represents the fun of collecting. For those of you who like taking your Barbie Doll out of the package this one you may not want to. It just looks so beautiful in there and it is like getting your very own present everyday. This reveal package can be converted into a easel-type display for the collector doll, encouraging the NFRB principle. It is available at select retailers such as ToysRus.
The next tier of collecting is Gold where no more than 25,000 pieces are made. These includes the popular series of Barbie Fashion Model Collection Model of the Moment or Hard Rock Cafe Barbie. When collecting these dolls you know that there are very few out there so you definitely have something special. You can find at Barbie Doll dealers or fine retailers. It also has the "cake box" type packaged with easel-style display and artistic photography or artwork. Barbie has reintroduced its number one collector doll under this label.
There is also the Platinum Tier which is one of a kind dolls for select events and only made in editions less than 1,000.
This is a dramatic change and should be observed by collectors when deciding what condition your "Barbie Collector" dolls should be kept to increase the value of your collectible Barbie doll . So remember when you are Barbie Doll collecting, a doll you add to your collection is determined by what type of edition the Barbie originated from. When collecting Barbies remember, this will determine the value because remember some of these collections there are very few made.
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