Today many people who would never be thought of as Barbie fans are collectors of Barbie.

Barbie® doll collecting is a passion for what some say might be as many as two or three hundred thousand hobbyists. Search engines routinely bring up thousands of web sites, email groups, and message boards dedicated to the 11-1/2 inch plastic princess, her family, and friends.

Most of the "Barbie-holics" on-line collect recent, rather than vintage Barbie friends and family. "Recent" encompasses Barbie from the mid-to-late Eighties to the present.

Dolls produced during this period have extremely volatile values. One doll may be worth less than it's original retail value, while another, such as the 1988 Happy Holidays Barbie, may be have a value of of ten to twenty times the original price.

Never forget that the Number One Ponytail Barbie doll, which often sells in a price range of $10.000, came out as a children's plaything -- with a retail price of $3.00  So it can be very lucrative, but in the overall scheme of collectibles it is not on par with say Sports Cards or Movie Memorabilia.

There are five types of Barbie collectors.

1. Those who collect dolls and never intend to sell them.
2. Those who collect dolls for a long term investment.
3. Those who collect dolls for resale to finance their permanent collection.
4. Children - who collect dolls to play with.
5. Secondary market retailers who buy whatever they believe will be "hot" for a quick resale profit.

Whichever type you are there are a few things you need to know.

The dolls that children love and play with today will be the dolls they are looking to buy twenty years from now. Children play rough, original clothing often is destroyed, and household pets, the weather, and brothers wreak havoc on play dolls, so if you like a current doll for your children it is sometimes a very good idea to buy two of them.  One to play with, and one to put away for the future.

Mattel and Barbie® doll are registered Trademarks of the Mattel Corporation. Neither 4Barbie.com, nor NutzMedia, or any of our partners are affiliated with Mattel, nor do these opinions signify any endorsement by Mattel or any of it's subsidiaries.