By Terry Edwards

Barbie doll collecting has been around for quite a long time. Barbie has accomplished many things; she has been everything from a fashion model to an astronaut. It is safe to say that Barbie is so popular that almost every little girl owns at least one. But Barbie is not just for little girls — she is a highly collectible doll. There are Barbies made for play and there are Barbies made for collectors.

The first thing that you need to decide when you start collecting Barbies is what kind do you want to collect? There are thousands of different types of Barbies out there. Very few people would have the money or the storage space to collect them all.

Let’s look at the different types of Barbies that you can collect:

• Vintage Barbie dolls. These are dolls made before 1972. These are the dolls that you will most likely pay the most for. Some vintage Barbies can sell for over a thousand dollars.
  
• Pink Box Barbies. The pink box Barbies are the Barbies that are meant for play. They are inexpensive and can be found in abundance in the toy aisle of your favorite store.
  
• The collectible box Barbie is especially designed for adult collectors. They cost a little more, but are usually not outrageously expensive.
  
• Collect by themes. There are many types of themes for Barbie collectors. There are movie themes, such as Gone With The Wind or Wizard of Oz; celebrity themes, such as Barbie as I Love Lucy; holiday themes; fantasy themes; and the list goes on and on.
  
• Fashion designer collection. These are Barbies who have been designed by famous fashion designers such as Bob Macke or Christian Dior. 

Barbies have a condition grading system much like baseball cards. The grades range from C10 being the best to C1 that is the absolute worst and looks like your dog’s chew toy. It is important to know this grading system by heart if you are going to do some serious collecting. It can help you determine the value of any Barbie you may find. 

Once you start your Barbie collection it is also vitally important that your learn how to store them properly. Improper storage of your doll can cause irreparable damage to the doll and its clothing. The garage, attic or basement is not the place to store your dolls. These places are not climate controlled, and the fluctuation between hot and cold can damage the doll. Moisture can seep in and cause mold, and the doll may make good nest building material for rats or mice.

Do not store your dolls in closed plastic bags or plastic Tupperware type containers. These containers can trap in moisture and cause mold to form on your dolls. Some plastic containers will emit gases that can harm plastic or vinyls; some papers can do that as well.

Storing your dolls in their original boxes may seem like a good idea; however, it can actually damage the dolls due to the acid in the boxes. If you want to store your doll in the box, wrap it in acid free tissue paper first. Remove any jewelry or metal items from the doll because over time they will discolor plastics.

The best place to store your dolls would be in a trunk or chest of drawers in an area of the home that maintains a constant temperature. Wrap everything in acid free tissue paper prior to storage and check your dolls periodically. Under the right storage conditions, your Barbie dolls will still look brand new decades from now.

Terry Edwards writes for the All About Barbie site where you can learn much more about Barbie doll collecting and everything to do about Barbie.

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