• Discover the History of Barbie Dolls

• Talk About Barbie Dolls: Common Terms

• Collect Barbie Dolls & Accessories

• Find Barbie Dolls on eBay Singapore

• Buy Barbie Dolls with Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Discover the History of Barbie Dolls

Discover the History of Barbie Dolls

Over the years, Barbie dolls have gone through a lot of changes. From teen model to fashion maven to modern working woman—and ultimately, a worldwide collectible obsession.

The first Barbie doll

The Barbie doll was first developed by Ruth Handler when she realised that her daughter preferred to play with paper dolls of grown ups rather than paper dolls of children. While visiting Germany, Handler bought a Lilli doll and presented it to her daughter. She then bought the rights to distribute Lilli dolls in the US and at the New York's annual toy festival in 1959, Barbie was born.

The first Barbie doll had a ponytail and a striped black and white bathing suit. Barbie made her first appearance as a “teenage fashion model”, although her now famous proportions were not very teenage.

Barbie as fashion plate

Barbie's wardrobe has changed with the fashion trends over the years. Barbie wore fashions like Fashion Luncheon and Silver Flame. She joined the British Invasion around the time she acquired the Twist ‘N Turn waist.

Barbie's trendy fashion flair was acknowledged when she modeled the full range of ‘70s styles, including daring disco glam, the granny dress and a “California Girl” suntan. She underwent a face sculpting change with brighter eyes and a wider smile in 1977 and Superstar Barbie was launched.

In the ‘90s, some of the world's most famous designers such as Vera Wang, Christian Dior, Nolan Miller and Bob Mackie started designing fashions specially for Barbie. A makeover by Bob Mackie rejuvenated Barbie with a youthful lift to the face, more prominent lips and updated makeup in Neptune Fantasy Barbie.

Barbie collections

Barbie's original fans had grown up by the ‘80s. Now in their 20s and 30s, these fond fans still continued to collect Barbie. To meet the needs of her growing adult fan base, Mattel released Blue Rhapsody Barbie in 1986. This was Mattel's first porcelain Barbie and marked the launch of a collector's line.

For many, Barbie doll collecting has become a full time passion. From vintage Barbie dolls and Limited Edition or Collector Edition Barbie dolls to Barbie fashion and Barbie furniture, one thing is certain: Barbie collectors will never run out of options, inspiration or imagination to fuel that passion on eBay Singapore. 

Talk About Barbie Dolls: Common Terms

Talk About Barbie Dolls: Common Terms

Over the years Barbie collectors have developed their own vocabulary to define their passion.

• A/O: All original Barbie dolls come complete with everything it came with originally.    

• Book value: Price of a particular Barbie doll.   

• C grading system: A system used to rate the condition of your Barbie doll. The grade goes from C-1 through to C-10, with C-1 being very poor and C-10 being NRFB and in pristine condition.    

• Collector edition : Collector edition Barbie dolls were intended for collection. More than 35,000 collector edition Barbie dolls were manufactured.    

• Customised Barbie dolls: Customised Barbie dolls were exclusively designed for a particular store.   

• HTF: Hard-to-find Barbie dolls.    

• Limited edition: Limited Edition Barbie dolls often have special features that make them unique and are produced in quantities of less than 35,000.   

• MIB: Mint in box. MIB dolls come in the original box and are in factory condition.    

• MIP: Mint in package Barbie dolls. Similar to MIB, MIP dolls come in the original box in factory condition, and with all accessories preserved in original packaging.    

• Mint & complete: The Barbie doll is in excellent shape and has all accessories.

• MNB: Mint no box.    

• Modern Barbie: Barbie dolls that are produced after 1972.    

• NM: Near mint.    

• NRFB: Never removed from box.   

• OSS: Original Swim Suit.    

• Timeless Treasures : Barbie dolls that were modelled after celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Elvis and Elizabeth Taylor.    

• Vintage Barbie: Barbie dolls that were produced before 1973.

Collect Barbie Dolls & Accessories

Collect Barbie Dolls & Accessories

In 2004 Mattel created a “tier structure” to identify Barbie dolls that will be collectible.

• Platinum Label: Platinum Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 1000. The Platinum editions of Faerie Queen Barbie and Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie are Platinum Label. Dolls for events like CAAF's (Children Affected by Aids Foundation) annual Dream Halloween events are also included under this label.    

• Gold Label : Gold Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 25,000 worldwide.     

• Silver Label: Silver Label Barbie dolls are produced in quantities of less than 50,000. Some Silver Label Barbies are the Barbie as Juliet doll and the Chocolate Obsession Barbie doll.    

• Pink Label : Pink Label Barbie dolls are collector’s items that do not have a production quota. Items like the Dolls of the World collection are Pink Label.

While there is definitely something to be said for dolls that have not been removed from their boxes, Barbie was made to be enjoyed. Many people hope to turn a profit by collecting Barbie dolls, but it is more important that you have fun. Buy the Barbie dolls and accessories that you like. If you want to take them out and change their outfit or comb their hair, that's fine. If you want to leave them in the box, that’s fine too.

Find Barbie Dolls on eBay Singapore

Find Barbie Dolls on eBay Singapore

Once you know what type of Barbie doll you want, go to the Dolls and Bears portal and start searching for item listings on eBay Singapore.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Dolls and Bears.    

• Keyword search: Search eBay Singapore listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Silkstone Barbie, type "silkstone" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Singapore's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Singapore will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Barbie Dolls with Confidence

Buy Barbie Dolls with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Singapore and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it is sent.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Singapore (with a bid or Buy It Now). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Singapore are not covered by eBay Singapore protection programmes.

• Never pay for your eBay Singapore item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Singapore sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Singapore and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to US$1,000.

• eBay Singapore Security Centre: Visit the Security Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Singapore's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Singapore veteran with just the information you're looking for!               

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

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