Some 351,000 Barbies were sold in that first year. The real money-spinner, though, was Barbie’s wardrobe full of fashion clothes and accessories – sold separately. Sell one doll but an infinite change of clothing. Selling 150 new varieties of Barbie each year, plus friends, on a worldwide market achieved a sales record of two dolls per second. Multiply that figure by the number of fashion items for each doll – mind-boggling, isn’t it?

It was a serendipitous meeting when Ruth Handler, founder of Mattel, mother of Barbie, saw Lilli in the window of a toy shop in Lucerne, Switzerland. Lilli was 11½ inches tall. So is Barbie. What a coincidence. Lilli was a shapely blonde of rigid plastic. So was the first Barbie. Another coincidence?

Barbie American Girl with ash blonde hair before bendable knees were introduced. 

When Mattel acquired the patent and legal rights, the cloning of Barbie began. Named after Handler’s daughter, Barbie officially debuted at The New York Toy Fair in 1959. The introduction of a petite plaything caused a sensation as the American market at that time was flooded with "bigger is better" life-size dolls. Three-foot pseudo sisters of young girls who struggled to dress those cute, but monstrous, packages.
 
Two variations of the 1965 American Girl.  Prices vary widely depending on hair colour.

Then along came Barbie, all 11½ inches of her. The right size for small hands, with promotional catalogues of designer clothes for Barbie included in the packaging. The hand of a superior merchandiser was obvious.

Barbie was not an overnight success, however. Former buyers of dolls with cute baby faces were hesitant about Barbie’s adult features.

Barbie’s best friend Midge is a favourite among collectors. 

But superior merchandising won the day. Barbie arrived simultaneously with a newly emerging teen-culture and reflected their individual style. In the testing rooms at Mattel, innovation was constant: Packaging changed, as did her facial makeup in 1960. She acquired a new hairdo and a boyfriend, Ken, in 1961. By 1963 she had a best friend, Midge, eyes that opened and closed, legs that bent at the knee, and wigs that buttressed the acquisitive instincts of indecisive pre-teenagers.

By 1964-1965 Barbie had a little sister, Skipper, a boyfriend for Midge and two new friends for Skipper. All needed new changes of clothing....

The first Skipper doll was issued in 1964.

So did the lifestyle of one American mother with a young daughter. The first, second and third Barbie arrived in quick succession, spawning an addiction that lasted until the little girl was grown and married. But the Barbies kept on arriving, to satisfy the collecting instinct of the mother, for Barbie is an adult doll, too and is collected as much by women as by girls.
 
Twist N Turn Barbie first appeared in 1966. 

Today, this private collection is impressive. On three 4-foot shelves of her basement Barbie shrine, 71 dolls are visible. There are other shelves and cabinets, a six-foot long display case, plus more Barbies including the 18-inch Super Barbies and the miniatures. Investors may salivate as they note Barbie’s cousin Francie, a 1966 introduction as a blonde or brunette with bendable legs now worth almost £300, or the original Twist N Turn Barbie valued at more than £500?

Even this rarity can be topped - by the 1968 speaking Barbie and her 'friend' Stacey, who chatter on, saying: "What shall I wear to the prom?" "Would you like to go shopping?" or "Stacey and I are having tea."
 
Mod Ken with long hair and polyester trousers was issued in 1972.

On average, your best place to buy these luscious bits of make-believe is at auction. Most dealers will deny this, but most of them buy at auction themselves. Consider most auction prices as wholesale. That two-bidder scenario is only one reason why some dolls appear to be worth more. The best and most frequent reasons for price variation are, as with most other collectables, age condition and scarcity.

It’s only common sense that a doll in mint condition is worth more than one that has been used, and frequently abused, or that a heavily-advertised doll backed up by a huge production run will not be worth as much as one with limited availability.
 
Late model Pink & Pretty Barbie issued in 1992.

Other sources are local newspapers, the Internet and dolls clubs. Check out antique shops, toy shops, or write a letter to Mattel themselves. The public relations department just may provide a few leads for Barbie-hunters.

Explosive demand for Barbies caused prices to rise. One collectors price guide lists 886 Barbie dolls from 1959 to 1997, with prices ranging from £6 upward. Many more Barbie related items are unknown and unlisted.

Barbie’s Dream House first appeared in 1975. Standing about 4 feet high and  almost 5 feet across, it comes complete with a working lift.

Uniqueness, can bring great rewards. Barbie #1, an original from 1959 that fetched £2,760 at a Christies in London on July 22, yet high prices can have their own drawbacks. Another one-of-a-kind – Diamond Barbie – created jointly by Mattel and DeBeers to celebrate Barbie’s 40th anniversary – failed to sell at the same auction. Dressed in a lustrous aquamarine gown studded with 160 diamonds weighing nearly 20 carats set in 18-carat gold, the doll carried a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-£40,000 - evidently out of the reach of Barbie fans.