Vintage Barbie Identification & Value Guide

early barbie dolls from the years 1959 to 1961

update: 2023


1959 Ponytail #1 & #2	1960 Ponytail #3	1960 Ponytail #4	1961 Ponytail #5	1961 Bubble Cut #1	1961 Ken #1

#1 & #2 Ponytail Barbie

The 1st and 2nd Barbie dolls can't really be mistaken with any other Barbie dolls because of the distinctive eyes -- white irises and dramatically arched eyebrows. The #1 and #2 are just alike except the #1 has holes in her feet to accommodate the metal prongs on the first-issued stand (photo below). The #2 was only produced for three months making the #2's even more rare than the #1's. Both will likely be faded to a whitish color, or possibly ghostly green, because the vinyl Mattel used fades over time.

Issued:

1959

Model:

850

Box Date:

1959

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 11.5" tall

Hair:

Poodle curls & a ponytail with a hard curl at the end. Soft floss hair. Flocked head. Brunette or Blonde (might look strawberry blonde).

Face:

No iris eye color. Heavy eyeliner with medium blue eye shadow. Arched light or dark brown eyebrows. Red lips (might fade to reddish-orange).

Body:

Heavy solid body that smells of crayons, faded flesh tone, small neck knob. Possible mold marks on hips (see photo under #3 Barbie). The #1 has holes in the feet with copper tubes inserted. The #2 does not. Some bodies have nipples. Red nails.

Marked:

Barbie™ Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel, Inc.

		Box and Accessories sold with this Barbie doll:
			1959 Box (Gay Parisienne fashion bottom-right) 1959 Barbie Fashion Booklet: #1 Barbie - 1959 Version #1, TM, w/Easter Parade, Roman Holiday & Gay Parisienne #2 Barbie - 1959 Version #2, R, last booklet with Commuter Set Black Pedestal Stand (#1 stand has prongs/#2 stand has a t-wire) Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Gold Hoop Earrings White Sunglasses

Value: $4000 - $15,000
value guide key

#3 Ponytail Barbie

The 3rd Mattel Barbie had more lifelike eyes and eyebrows. The brown eye shadow and the same faded vinyl skin tone makes the #3's look rather anemic, but collectors love that look. There were fewer #3's produced with blue eye shadow. It can be difficult to tell the #3 and #4 Ponytails apart when they have blue shadow. If you rely on skin color, it can still be confusing because Mattel cross-utilized body parts creating "transitional" dolls. See this photo.

Issued:

1960

Model:

850

Box Date:

1959

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 11.5" tall

Hair:

Poodle curls & a ponytail with a hard curl at the end. Soft floss hair. Flocked head. Brunette or Blonde (might look strawberry blonde).

Face:

Blue eyes. Light or dark brown eyebrows. Blue or brown eye shadow. There were less dolls painted with blue eye shadow. Red lips.

Body:

Heavy solid rubbery body that smells like crayons, faded flesh tone unless she is a transitional doll, small neck knob. May have indented lines on hips. Some bodies have nipples. Red nails.

Marked:

Barbie™ Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel, Inc.

		Box and Accessories sold with this Barbie doll:
			1959 Box (Gay Parisienne fashion bottom-right) 1960 Barbie Fashion Booklet, third version with 1960 fashions Black Pedestal Stand with T-Wire Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Gold Hoop Earrings White Sunglasses

	Value: $700 - $5000 value guide key

#4 Ponytail Barbie

Originally, the 4th Mattel Barbie looked like the #3 Barbie, minus the brown eye shadow, but Mattel used a new kind of plastic for the #4 dolls that doesn't fade the skin color like the previous dolls. The body is still the heavy solid body with some being marked "R" during the transition into 1961. These #4 Ponytails have aged wonderfully and retain much of their beauty from when they were brand new dolls. In my opinion, the #4 Barbie dolls are very underrated.

Issued:

1960

Model:

850

Box Date:

1959

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 11.5" tall

Hair:

Poodle curls & a ponytail with a hard curl at the end. Soft floss hair. Flocked head. Brunette or Blonde (might look strawberry blonde).

Face:

Blue eyes. Light or dark brown eyebrows. Blue eye shadow only. Red lips.

Body:

Heavy solid rubbery body that smells like crayons, small neck knob. Skin color is flesh tone unless she is a transitional doll (this image). May have indented lines on hips (see photo on #3 Barbie). Some bodies have nipples. Red nails.

Marked:

Barbie™ Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel, Inc. or
Barbie® Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel, Inc.

		Box and Accessories sold with this Barbie doll:
			1959 Box (Gay Parisienne fashion bottom-right) 1960 Barbie Fashion Booklet, third version with 1960 fashions Black Pedestal Stand with T-Wire or Black Wire Stand Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Gold Hoop or Pearl Earrings White Sunglasses

Value: $350 - $1500
value guide key

#5 Ponytail Barbie

The 5th Barbie doll lost the little poodle curls gone in favor of big coarse curls. They also have a new hollow body. Unfortunately, the plastic used for the head sometimes "sweats" and results in what collectors call "greasy face." Sometimes the head color darkens as well. Leg stance is often splayed. Despite being produced in great numbers by this time, the 1961 #5 Ponytails are still very detailed and individual in appearance like the earlier Ponytails, and they still have those big gorgeous red lips.

Issued:

1961

Model:

850

Box Date:

1959

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 11.5" tall

Hair:

Larger coarse curls & a ponytail with a hard curl at the end. No flocking under hair. Blonde, Brunette or Titian (red).

Face:

Eyes and eye shadow are shades of blue to turquoise. Reddish or light or dark brown eyebrows. Red lips. Some #5's have a greasy-looking face or darkened face.

Body:

Lightweight hard plastic body with hollow torso. Small neck knob. Beginning with the new hard plastic bodies, the skin color does not fade as the previous dolls do and there are no mold marks on hips. Leg stance is often splayed. Red nails.

Marked:

Barbie® Pats. Pend. ©MCMLVIII by Mattel, Inc.

		Box and Accessories sold with this Barbie doll:
			1959 Box (Gay Parisienne fashion bottom-right) 1961 Barbie & Ken Fashion Booklet Black Wire Stand Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Pearl Earrings Optional White Sunglasses Mattel Barbie Wrist Tag

Value: $250 - $700
value guide key

#1 Bubble Cut Barbie

A new kind of Barbie doll called "Bubble Cut" (spelled as two words by Mattel) joined the Ponytail Barbie in 1961. She had a new bouffant hairdo. The first-issue Bubble Cuts generally have shorter, tighter hairdo's and thinner faces than the later ones. They still have the beautiful red Barbie lips as well (except for the White Ginger). They share the same problems as #5 Ponytails with possible greasy or darkened face and splayed leg stance. The rare 1961 Bubble Cut is the Brownette and the harder-to-find White Ginger.

Issued:

1961

Model:

850

Box Date:

1959

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 11.5" tall

Hair:

Bouffant hairdo, usually smaller/tighter than later Bubbles. Hair is more wiry than soft. Blonde, Raven (black), Titian (red), Brown Sable (Brownette) and White Ginger (platinum). The hair on the White Ginger has oftentimes oxidized to a darker blonde over time.
1961 White Gingers can be difficult to verify. Do your research when looking to purchase one.

Face:

Eyes and eye shadow are shades of blue to turquoise. Reddish or light or dark brown eyebrows. Red lips, except for the White Ginger's bubblegum pink lips which oftentimes has faded to white. Some 1961 Bubbles have a greasy-looking face or darkened face.

Body:

Lightweight hard plastic body with hollow torso. Small neck knob. 1961 Bubbles have a thinner face than post-1961 Bubbles. Leg stance might be splayed. Red nails.

Marked:

		Box and Accessories sold with this Barbie doll:
			1959 Box (Gay Parisienne fashion bottom-right) 1961 Barbie & Ken Fashion Booklet Black Wire Stand Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Pearl Earrings Optional White Sunglasses Mattel Barbie Wrist Tag

Value: $300 - $1200
value guide key

#1 Ken - Flocked-Hair Ken

The 1st Ken dolls had lifelike fuzzy "flocked" hair and are easy to tell apart from the later painted-hair Ken dolls. The first batch of Ken dolls also had larger eyebrows than the painted-hair Ken's, although flocked-hair Ken's were produced with thinner eyebrows over time. Some have greasy faces, faded body color and painted legs like the Barbie dolls do. There was also a hard-to-find "Brownette" Ken produced in 1961. (see image with red towel).

Issued:

1961

Model:

850

Box Date:

1961

Size:

1:6 scale, approximately 12" tall. "Shortie" Ken is slightly shorter.

Hair:

Flocked hair. Blonde, Brunette and HTF "Brownette" (light brown hair).

Face:

Blue eyes. Reddish, light or dark brown eyebrows. Mauve lips.

Body:

Lightweight hard plastic body with hollow torso. Some early Ken dolls have painted legs. Some Ken dolls also fade to ivory or ghostly green and some have "greasy" faces.

Marked:

		Box and Accessories sold with this Ken doll:
			1961 Ken Box (graphic with Black Striped Trunks, bottom-right) 1961 Barbie & Ken Fashion Booklet Black Wire Stand Red Cork Sandals Red Trunks (red knit, red cotton, or red cotton with white stripes) Red & White Striped Cabana Jacket Yellow Terrycloth Towel (optional Red Towel with Brownette Ken) Mattel Ken Wrist Tag

Value: $150 - $650
value guide key

Explanation of Vintage Barbie Values

The 2021 values listed are meant to give someone with no knowledge of vintage Barbie an approximate idea of value of dolls in average to excellent condition. Values vary wildly for many different reasons including the condition of the doll, any original accessories included, the cycles of the market.

The values listed do not include values for rare versions of dolls. The values for Bubble Cut dolls are based on the 1st-Issued dolls produced in 1961, not subsequent Bubble Cut dolls. The values for Ken are for the 1st-Issued 1961 flocked-hair Ken dolls only.

Excellent:
This is based on dolls that have no missing fingers/toes, no swingy arms/legs and have excellent face paint or small minor rubs, no darkened face, no missing hair -- or in the case of ken, he has a full head of flocking or just a very tiny spot missing. Very few Ponytails have the original top and bottom bands because the rubber bands disintegrate, so a professional restyle is common.

Average:
This is based on dolls that have no major damage. Barbie may be missing the original hair bands and be out of the original style and she may even have some thinning on one or two inconspicuous hair plugs, but there are no haircuts or large amounts of hair missing. Ken may have some flocking missing, but he is not bald or almost bald. There may be rubs on the lips, eyebrows or eye ridges, but the doll is not missing significant amounts or all lip or eyebrow paint. The arms and legs aren't swingy or don't fall out of the sockets. There is no major damage such as nose nips or neck splits or green ear.

Even though I haven't included values for dolls with damage, don't disregard them.
Restored & Display Dolls:
There is still value in dolls with more extensive damage. Even poor condition early Barbie dolls are acquired and valued by collectors to use for diorama and display dolls. An early Ponytail with a major haircut can be restyled into a bun or some other creative hairstyle and can look fabulous. Even a bald flocked Ken can be the perfect display doll for an outfit that includes a hat, like Dreamboat and Casuals Barbie & Ken can also be re-rooted or re-flocked. Green ear that has spread way off the earlobes can sometimes be treated and neck splits can be repaired to bring back the beauty of the doll.

These dolls can be lovingly restored and go from poor condition to beautiful. I don't have values for dolls with major damage or restorations, but these very early dolls from the first two years will always have value and are a very iconic period of Barbie.
(Any restorations/repairs should always be disclosed to prospective buyers when selling the dolls.)

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