Ahead of the release of Barbie (July 2023), renewed interest in the toy franchise has soared by 96.8% between February-April this year*. Not only this, but the popular release of the world’s first Barbie with Down’s syndrome has meant that the franchise is more inclusive now than ever.
With this in mind, BonusFinder.com investigated which Barbies were the most valuable to hold onto, and how much you could get for your old dolls in today’s market.
The top 10 most valuable Barbie dolls of all time:
| Rank | Barbie doll name | Release year | Maximum resale value ($) |
| 1. | Barbie #1 | 1959 | 27,450 |
| 2. | Dahlia Barbie | 2006 | 2,423 |
| 3. | Golden Gala Barbie | 2009 | 1,451 |
| 4. | Happy Holidays Barbie 1997 Brunette | 1997 | 1,201 |
| 5. | City Smart Barbie | 2003 | 1,151 |
| 6. | Byron Lars Coco Barbie | 2007 | 1,101 |
| 7. | Special 2000 Edition Celebration Barbie | 2000 | 1,051 |
| 8. | Barbie Baby-Sits Outfit | 1963 | 1,036 |
| 9. | Harvey Nichols Special Edition Barbie | 1995 | 900 |
| 10. | Bob Mackie Countess Dracula Barbie | 2011 | 886 |
BonusFinder.com can reveal that the most valuable Barbie doll is Barbie #1, aka the original Barbie doll released in 1959. If you own one of these dolls, you could fetch up to a whopping $27,450 by selling it. This is equivalent to over half of the average salary in the US.
In second place is Dahlia Barbie, a 2000s release designed by Robert Best wearing a strapless black and white lace gown complete with opera gloves, silver earrings and a brooch with Swarovski crystals. These dolls could fetch an impressive $2,423 if sold, though worth just over 11 times less than the original Barbie.
Taking third is another 2000s Barbie – Golden Gala Barbie. This Barbie wears a gold fishtail dress, a vintage-inspired jacket and long white gloves. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on this Barbie, she could now be worth $1,451 today. The Golden Gala Barbie is one of five Barbies from the 2000s that could earn you over $1,000.
The most valuable decades for Barbie dolls:
Fintan Costello, Managing Director atBonusFinder.com, states:
“As popularity and availability increases, resale value goes down. As a rule of thumb, the older the Barbie, the more she’ll be worth – especially in mint or good condition.
“If you’ve still got any Barbies from the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s it could be worth checking their condition and value. When looking to sell your Barbie dolls, or any collectible for that matter, always check other listings to make sure your Barbie comes with all of the extra items she should – if not, value may decrease significantly.”
The Music City Drive-In 
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