How to Buy a Barbie Playhouse

Ever since the Barbie doll was released in the late 1950s, virtually every girl who has played with Barbie has dreamed of becoming Barbie herself. For years, girls were limited to playing with miniature playsets that accommodated Barbie's height. These days, in addition to doll-sized playhouses, there are indoor and outdoor Barbie houses big enough to let little girls live out their dreams of being in their own Barbie houses.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Buy a Barbie Playhouse

1. Visit eBay to find private sellers offering various types of Barbie playhouses (see Resources below). Click on the listing for the Barbie playhouse of your choice. Keep in mind that you may have to outbid someone else who wants that playhouse.

2. Buy the Barbie 3-Story Dream House Playset at a major online retail seller (see Resources below). This is a large doll house that comes with many accessories. It is moderately expensive.

3. Get a realistic Barbie playhouse/doll house by buying the Barbie Totally Real House, which features home-related sound effects, such as a shower sound. You can find this playhouse at discount retailers.

4. Get your kids a Barbie-themed hideout by purchasing the Barbie Hideaway Playhouse. This is not a doll house, but a tent-like playhouse the kids can use for hiding and pretend.

5. Buy a used Fisher Price Barbie Playhouse as a large collectible (it's an indoor/outdoor full-sized playhouse) or to give your child a classic toy. This Barbie Playhouse is no longer available from the manufacturer, so you will need to buy one from a private seller.

6. Choose, if you like, to forego the hard plastic of the Fisher Price Barbie Playhouse and go with the soft material of the Barbie playhouses made by Dekker. Dekker playhouses are actually simple fold-up tents, so be careful not to tear the material when setting them up. Also caution any children that play in or around the playhouse not to be too rough with the tent, as they may rupture the material.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to buy other Barbie products in addition to a playhouse, consider shopping at a venue that specializes in Barbie paraphernalia. You can see an extensive list of official Barbie products at Barbie.com (see Resources below).