I'm working on making a collection for my daughter right now that I can flip for a profit in 12 years when it's ready for her to go to college since Bonds and CDs are out of the question with our broken economy in the US...
I've been trying to construct a basic blue book value for the dolls and I haven't been able to locate one specifically for the Happy Holidays Barbie collection...
I realize, even MIB some aren't 'worth' much right now, but in 12 years, who knows, but for the moment, while I'm BUYING them, I want to make sure I'm not getting ripped off either....
Here's what I'm looking to value -
Happy Holidays Barbies 1988 - 2012 MIB & Mint out of Box (including all variations, African American, Special Brunette/Blonde releases)
Happy Holidays Barbie Hallmark Ornaments MIB
And also, if anyone has any info on this, what is the entire collection MIB worth when sold all together, like if I was going to sell it tomorrow, Just curious on the matter there...
I plan on buying outside the collection once I have completed it up to this year (2012) of course I'll be looking forward to the 2013 version too, but while awaiting it's released I'll be picking up Gold and Platinum label Barbies where I can to add to the value as college is extremely important to me and I want to make sure my kids can go without any financial backlashes
For example, I've been looking for a 1994 Brunette Special Festival edition Barbie... however, the pricing is all over the place. I mean, I was looking at one that was being sold and the guy was selling it for $250, no one bid on it and it ended, I was actually gathering the money to get it at the time, I knew I couldn't bid and then ask him to wait for me on my end if I won, but I figured if no one bid on it, he'd relist it...
and he did relist it,
but he jumped the price to $550! I have no idea why, complete shock to me, now I know I can't get it for that price, and it bothers me that it might not even be worth that much, no one bid on it for $250, why would anyone buy it for $550? I don't want to feel like I'm throwing my money away. 😞
Thanks for the information, much appreciated!
I understand what you all are saying.
As far as my daughter 'keeping' the dolls when she gets older, well, that's a risk I know we'll have to work our way through but my daughter is very intelligent and we've sat down together and talked about the Barbies. They are displayed in her room on high shelves that she could reach if she wanted to, but she knows and understands their value (or they'd of been opened a long time ago lol) and what they are going to be used for and she's actually looking forward to it. She brags about it to the rest of our family, and she understands that once she's old enough, they are going to put her through college.
She has many other Barbies that she 'plays' with and I've been working on purchasing each of the same Barbies but buying them mint OUT of the box so she's not tempted to remove the ones in the box.
As for other savings... I've been researching different routes for years, since she was born.
I'm not trying to sound smug but I am very gifted when it comes to mathematics and each of those saving routes end up at the same place, with maybe enough to buy a used car except this one.
We don't have thousands of dollars to put away, her father is a simple farmer and we live off of the bare minimum but my kids deserve a good college just like everyone else.
Savings Accounts in my area require that you put away a certain amount each month, which there are months we're scrounging at the end so we might not have it, which in that case, the banks will take from our checkings.
There is no growth in Bonds anymore, if you put away $25 for a $50 bond, you either wait the entire 18 years or you only get $25 back which means the bonds I got her on the same year of her birth are the only USEFUL bonds I could get.
With the market the way it is, CDs also contain barely any growth and they require a fairly large initial deposit and then yes, we've considered strictly college saving accounts, 529s, etc...
The Barbies we've collected are covered under our insurance if something were to happen to them so one way or another she'll get her college funds.
I'm not upset or anything by any comments, nor am I trying to sound mean myself, just trying to clarify a few things as to why we're going this way. Collecting is at your own leisure, it doesn't require monthly payments so if we're having a hard month, we can take a break from trying to find them, and it's not like we're buying them at the highest prices either, we're always looking for a good deal so just in case the values do drop further, we weren't out anything more then that we paid.
And in all honestly, the Market did drop for the Holiday Barbies back in the mid 90s... Only the first few are highly valued and then you'd have to collect the rarer exclusive versions of each, which we have.
The Holiday Barbies alone aren't going to pay her way through, I know that, we're also collecting different Platinum label Barbies and will all eventually add up. 🙂
