How to Find Rare Barbie Dolls

You need to have patience and a good eye to find rare Barbies. They can be purchased from other collectors or from people who don't realize their true value.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Barbie Accessories
• Barbie Dolls
• Barbie Bazaar Subscriptions

1. Understand that rare Barbies are called that because they're hard to find. They're often very expensive.

2. Realize that dolls never removed from their cases are far more valuable than those that have been removed.

3. Look in a Barbie valuation guide to determine what dolls you want to look for and what a fair price would be.

4. Set a price that you won't go over before you begin to look.

5. Go to local Barbie collector stores to view their collections.

6. Attend Barbie conventions. You'll see many rare dolls there.

7. Check out online and local auctions for rare Barbies.

8. Visit Barbie collectors' Web sites and look for dolls that are for sale.

9. Look in the classified section of your newspaper.

10. Subscribe to "Barbie Bazaar" magazine and watch for the doll you want to purchase in ads.

11. Read doll collector magazines and see if any rare Barbies are advertised.

12. Stop at garage sales and flea markets. You never know what gem you might buy for a song.

13. Examine all the dolls you come across very closely to be sure they are, in fact, the dolls you're looking for. Many look very similar.

14. Be sure the doll you buy has not been altered, restored or had parts replaced.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to ask questions of sellers. You want to be sure that the doll you're buying is exactly what you're paying for.