Vintage Barbie Identification & Value Guide

1959 to 1961: the early barbie dolls

updated 2026


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

#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 with Gay Parisienne fashion marked Barbie™ 1959 Barbie Fashion Booklet. Two different versions. Both have the single Barbie graphic and are marked @MCMLVIII (1958) Mattel, Inc. #1 Barbie: Marked ™ (Barbie logo) and includes images of Easter Parade, Roman Holiday & Gay Parisienne. #2 Barbie: Marked ® (Barbie logo) and does not include the three fashions from the previous version. Black Pedestal Stand (#1 stand has prongs and #2 stand has a t-wire) Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) The #1 shoes will have holes in them. Gold Hoop Earrings White Sunglasses

Value #1: $8,000 - $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 with Gay Parisienne fashion marked Barbie™ Pink Barbie-Only Barbie Fashion Booklet marked ® Black Pedestal Stand marked ™/® Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Gold Hoop Earrings White Sunglasses

	Value: $900 - $2,000 value guide key

#4 Ponytail Barbie

Originally, the 4th Mattel Barbie looked like the #3 Ponytail Barbies, 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, so the #4 Ponytails are what the #3's actually looked like when new, and all these years later, we can still see that. Absolute beauties. She still has the rag curls, the impressive red lips, and the body is still the heavy solid body with some being marked ® during the transition into 1961.

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 with Gay Parisienne fashion marked Barbie® Pink Barbie-Only Barbie Fashion Booklet marked ® Black Pedestal Stand marked ® or Black Wire Stand Black & White Zebra-Striped Swimsuit Black Mules (open-toe shoes) Gold Hoop or Pearl Earrings White Sunglasses

Value: $350 - $900
value guide key

#5 Ponytail Barbie

The 5th Barbie doll lost the little poodle curls 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 and leg stance is splayed. Despite it all, the 1961 #5 Ponytails are still very individual in appearance like the earlier girls, and they are the last of the Ponytails with the signature red nails and 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 with Gay Parisienne fashion marked Barbie® Pink Barbie & Ken Barbie 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: $150 - $700
value guide key

#1 Bubble Cut Barbie

A new kind of Barbie doll called "Bubble Cut" 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 gorgeous Barbie red 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. There was also a Brownette and the White Ginger Bubble Cut made in 1961.

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.

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 Bubble Cut Box with the Gay Parisienne fashion Pink Barbie & Ken Barbie 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: $150 - $500
value guide key

#1 Ken (Flocked-Hair Ken)

The 1st Ken dolls had fuzzy "flocked" hair that can't be confused with the later painted-hair Ken dolls. Flocked Ken looks so vintage and iconic with his lifelike crew cut. If you find a Ken that still has most of his flocked hair, grab him up. They're getting harder to find with flocking. There's a HTF Brownette Ken. Flocked Ken came in both the 1961 boxes and 1962 boxes with either a 1960 Booklet or 1962 Booklet.
See detailed info at SomethingAboutTheBoy.com, an amazing resource for Ken.

Issued:

1961-1963

Model:

750

Box Date:

1961

Size:

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

Hair:

Flocked hair. Blonde, Brunette and HTF "Brownette" (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 like the #1, #2 and #3 Barbies and some have "greasy" faces like the #5 Barbie.

Marked:

		Box and Accessories sold with this Ken doll:
			1961 Ken™ Box (graphic with Black Striped Trunks, bottom-right) -or- 1962 Ken® Box (graphic with Cabana Jacket, bottom right) 1960 Pink Barbie & Ken® Fashion Booklet -or- 1962 Blue Barbie & Ken® Fashion Booklet Black Wire Stand Red Cork Sandals Red Trunks with White Stripes or Red Trunks Optional Yellow Towel (Rare Red Towel) Mattel Ken Wrist Tag

Value: $100 - $300
value guide key

Explanation of Vintage Barbie Values

The 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, a particularly beautiful doll or 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-Issue dolls produced in 1961, not subsequent Bubble Cut dolls. The values for Ken are for the 1st-Issue 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.

Good:
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, 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, but they may not be tight like they were new. There is no major damage such as nose nips, neck splits or green ear.

Even though I haven't included values for dolls with damage, don't disregard them.
Restored & Display Dolls:
There's 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 can be treated and neck splits and nose nips can be repaired to bring back the beauty of the doll.

These dolls can be 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 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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