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#2 Barbie Doll, ca. 1959

Value (2017) | $3,000 Auction – $3,500 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I brought my Barbie doll that I got when I was a little girl, not too long after Barbie first came out, and I'm just interested in finding out a little bit about her. I had an aunt that never had children, and she would take all of her nieces and nephews... I grew up in Central Illinois. And she would take all of her nieces and nephews by train up to Chicago at Christmas, and she would give us all five dollars, and we were able to go to Marshall Field's at the toy store and buy our Christmas present from her every year. And I bought Barbie. I was in love with her. APPRIASER: Well, I think you made a wonderful choice. We do see a lot of Barbies that come in every season to the ANTIQUES ROASHOW. And most people will put them down and say, "I have the very first Barbie that came out."

GUEST:
Yes. APPRIASER: And most people don't have the very first Barbie that came out, and actually, neither do you.

GUEST:
(laughing) Right. APPRIASER: But this Barbie came out at the same time approximately, just shortly after the number one. This is a number-two Barbie.

GUEST:
Okay. APPRIASER: There is only one difference between the number-one and the number-two Barbie, and that is the lack of holes in the number-two doll's feet.

GUEST:
Oh, really? APPRIASER: Number one had holes that were there that had a stand that the doll stood on.

GUEST:
I did not know that. APPRIASER: And they decided, I think, that that... the doll didn't stand on it very well. So shortly after starting production, they came out with number two. Barbie was made in 1959 by Mattel. And the number-two Barbie came out in 1959, also, until 1960, but for only about three months. She has the pointed eyebrows.

GUEST:
Uh-huh. APPRIASER: She has a heavy vinyl body. She has white iris. And kind of sharp features identical to number one, except for those feet. What I like about your doll is the fact that she's in wonderful condition.

GUEST:
Oh, really? APPRIASER: And yet you did play with her.

GUEST:
Yes, yes, I did. I played with her all the time. And in fact, my daughter played with her. APPRIASER: She is in beautiful condition. She not only has her hair in its original set...

GUEST:
Uh-huh. APPRIASER: It doesn't look like you have ever done anything to it.

GUEST:
No, I never combed it or never... no, I never did. APPRIASER: It's beautiful. The brunette Barbie is a little bit more rare for the number-one and number-two Barbie than the blonde doll is. She has a pearl earring, which actually, the number one always had a gold hoop. Number two frequently had a gold hoop, but there were some that were done with the pearl earring.

GUEST:
Pearls, okay. APPRIASER: The good thing, looking at this one, is that even though it doesn't look like you've ever taken those earrings out, you do not have green going down the side of the doll's face from her earring.

GUEST:
Oh. APPRIASER: And that was a real common occurrence, and it devalues the doll by a lot.

GUEST:
Oh. APPRIASER: She is rare in that the number two actually was made for a shorter period of time than the number one. There are fewer of the ponytail number twos than there are number ones. Number one is a little bit more expensive because people want number one. But you have, actually, a rarer doll and a beautiful example.

GUEST:
Really? APPRIASER: If I were to see her at a doll show, I would expect that she would bring somewhere in the $3,000 to $3,500 price range. And wonderful example.

GUEST:
Thank you, Aunt Mary! Thank you so much! I did not expect this. I, so... wow. (laughs)

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Julie Scott
Collectibles, Dolls, Toys & Games
None
Redmond, WA
Appraised value (2017)
$3,000 Auction – $3,500 Auction
Featured In
Green Bay, Hour 3 (#2215)
Event
Green Bay, WI (June 17, 2017)
Category
Dolls
Period
1950s , 1960s
Form
Doll
Material
No Materials Defined

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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