Selling 1980s Barbies
My daughter asked me to sell her Barbies and Kens from the mid 1980s. I'm not having much success finding the exact dolls. I've looked at some websites, but they only list dolls up to 1978 or so. Should I put in the place they're made when searching for comps?
Also when trying to ID the outfits, do genunine Barbie outfits always have a Barbie tag? There's about 100 pieces and only a few have tags, but many look like they're put together the same way, with velco.
Thanks for any guidance.
2 comments
kathiec
·1 year ago@cambriachick
I replied to your post on the Toys & Hobbies forum, but I'll some info relating to the new questions you asked here.
I listed one ID site for 1980s dolls in your other post. There are several others. Google 1980s Barbie identification. The place they're made will only confuse matters. Dolls were manufactured is some of the Mattel plants for 30 years or more, plus some dolls may have been made more than one place.
Every Mattel outfit has a label on one piece of the outfit. That means if there were multiple pieces, for example a blouse and a skirt, only one of them will have a tag. And there were countless knockoffs made, so construction isn't a good indicator of it being Mattel.
Bottom line is this: any doll in its original outfit is worth listing and should be fairly easy to ID. Nude dolls and clothing in played-with condition will probably not be worth the hours and hours it will take you to ID them. Put them up in lots and see if they sell. Looking at sold listings shows several big 80s clothing lots selling for $15-$20. Or donate to a child who would love to have them.
cambriachick
OP1 year agoThanks for your help.