The release of the Barbie film was monumental for the Barbie franchise, and a renewed interest in the toy franchise saw interest soar by 96.8% between February-April last year* Not only this, but the popular release of the world’s first Barbie with Down’s syndrome has meant that the franchise is more inclusive now than ever.
With this in mind, BonusFinder investigated which Barbies were the most valuable to hold onto, and how much you could get for your old dolls in today’s market.
Key Findings:
- Barbies lying around your attic could earn you up to a huge £21.9k
- The Barbies from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s are discovered as the most valuable
- The most popular decade for purchasing Barbies was the 2010s
The top 10 most valuable Barbie dolls of all time:
BonusFinder can reveal that the most valuable Barbie doll is Barbie #1, aka the original Barbie doll released in 1959. If you own one of these dolls, you could fetch up to a whopping £21,995 by selling it.
In second place is Dahlia Barbie, a 2000s release designed by Robert Best wearing a strapless black and white lace gown complete with opera gloves, silver earrings and a brooch with Swarovski crystals. These dolls could fetch an impressive £1,940 if sold, though worth just over 11 times less than the original Barbie.
Taking third is another 2000s Barbie – Golden Gala Barbie. This Barbie wears a gold fishtail dress, a vintage-inspired jacket and long white gloves. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on this Barbie, she could now be worth £1,162 today. The Golden Gala Barbie is one of five Barbies from the 2000s that could earn you over £1,000.
The most valuable decades for Barbie dolls:
Fintan Costello, Managing Director at BonusFinder, states:
“As popularity and availability increases, resale value goes down. As a rule of thumb, the older the Barbie, the more she’ll be worth – especially in mint or good condition.
“If you’ve still got any Barbies from the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s it could be worth checking their condition and value. When looking to sell your Barbie dolls, or any collectible for that matter, always check other listings to make sure your Barbie comes with all of the extra items she should – if not, value may decrease significantly.”
