The Magical World of Barbie Accessories

The world of Barbie has been the ultimate fascination for children and collector's since 1959 when Mattel introduced the first doll. Most collector's prefer the vintage Barbie accessories because of the realistic materials and nostalgia of the items. It is amazing to see how much more complex these toys have become - for example, the Barbie camper has grown from a simple trailer, to a deluxe motor home with dozens of built in accessories!

If you want to become a collector there are several books that can be purchased at your local bookstore or online from amazon. These books will show you past items made by Mattel and will provide a guide to give you the approximate value of each item.

Ebay is the best place for collector's to purchase Barbie items that are hard to find....or newer items. Some can be found in ebay stores and are sold at fixed prices. Other items are sold as an auction style listing giving you a chance to bid on the item. Usually the more expensive pieces are sold at fixed prices that are firm and cannot be negotiated. You can find some vintage items at reasonable prices but most are very expensive such as the Mint in Box items.

If you like vintage and don't have a lot of money Mattel has re-introduced some of the vintage dolls and clothing over the years with duplicates of the accessories to a whole new generation of girls. The reprodutions are not as expensive and will not cost an arm and a leg to purchase as the original item would. You can find a list of reproductions at Barbiecollector.com.

Vintage not for you? Just check the shelves at about any department store, or even search online, and you will find a great variety of new items that will make any child or collector happy. Barbie houses, modern furniture, cars, clothing, shoes, handbags. You name it, you can find anything you want to make your Barbie world magical.

Other Visitors Read