Barbie

Since the first Barbie doll was introduced to the market in 1959 it has been a staple on little Girls Christmas lists everywhere. Over the years the huge Barbie family has grown and continues to grow with new branches of Barbie and new special occasion dolls that have not only attracted the eyes of children but have also attracted the eyes of collectors everywhere. Barbie is one of the biggest toy collectors pieces of affection and unfortunately for little girls everywhere this makes the really great and newer dolls a little harder to find when they come out.

Barbie dolls are a huge collectors item and the dolls that children really request around the holidays are the special occasion Barbies that also attract the attention of the collectors out there. Some of the top current collectible barbies that will complete any collection are as follows:

Barbie Mackie Goddess
Inuit Legend Barbie Doll
Barbie - Byron Lars Sugar - Chapeaux Collection
The Munsters Barbie & Ken Giftset - Barbie Doll
Barbie & Ken Tales of the Arabian Nights Magic & Mystery Collection Limited Edition
Barbie Hard Rock Cafe Barbie Collector Edition (2004)
Barbie Collectibles Barbie and Ken in The Waltz
Reem Acra® Bride Barbie® Doll
Zac Posen Barbie & Ken Doll Gift Set
Barbie Katiana Jimenez Designer Spotlight Limited Edition
Fountain Mermaid Barbie
Mattel Christian Dior Barbie
Barbie Spirit of the Earth Collector Doll
Barbie Lily Limited Edition (1997)
Limited Edition Barbiie Collectibles Wedgwood Barbie
Barbie Collector Platinum Label - Pink Grapefruit Flavor Obsession
Barbie (2000) Elizabeth Taylor

Many of these dolls are now out of stock or production since the Bratz dolls have been around for such a while now, you will have to do some real seraching to find them. However if you are looking for some of the more modern Barbies try searching these stores:

Toysrus.com
Amazon.com
KBToys.com
Etoys.com
Hasbro Toyshop
Boscovs
Sears.com
Target.com
Walmart.com
Kohls
Kmart
Sams Club
BJ's Warehouse
Smaller local and privately owned toystores

If you are still unable to find the doll you are searching for you can resort to Ebay or Amazon marketplace sellers, a word of caution, ALWAYS make sure you stipulate the condition of the item you are looking for before purchasing from someone who is not an accredited seller of these toys. Amazon does regulate their sellers as best they can; however, there are always some people who find a way around the rules so pay a lot of attention to feedback complaints and previous "deals" these people have done with other customers.

IF you are hellbent on finding the real collectors items please take the following article in to consideration prior to making your purchase. This article can be found here and was written by "eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor"

Introduction

You need to have patience and a good eye to find rare Barbies. They can be purchased from other collectors or from people who don't realize their true value.

Steps

Step One

Understand that rare Barbies are called that because they're hard to find. They're often very expensive.

Step Two

Realize that dolls never removed from their cases are far more valuable than those that have been removed.

Step Three

Look in a Barbie valuation guide to determine what dolls you want to look for and what a fair price would be.

Step Four

Set a price that you won't go over before you begin to look.

Step Five

Go to local Barbie collector stores to view their collections.

Step Six

Attend Barbie conventions. You'll see many rare dolls there.

Step Seven

Check out online and local auctions for rare Barbies.

Step Eight

Visit Barbie collectors' Web sites and look for dolls that are for sale.

Step Nine

Look in the classified section of your newspaper.

Step Ten

Subscribe to "Barbie Bazaar" magazine and watch for the doll you want to purchase in ads.

Step Eleven

Read doll collector magazines and see if any rare Barbies are advertised.

Step Twelve

Stop at garage sales and flea markets. You never know what gem you might buy for a song.

Step Thirteen

Examine all the dolls you come across very closely to be sure they are, in fact, the dolls you're looking for. Many look very similar.

Step Fourteen

Be sure the doll you buy has not been altered, restored or had parts replaced.

Tips & Warnings

Don't be afraid to ask questions of sellers. You want to be sure that the doll you're buying is exactly what you're paying for.