Collections

The value of a Barbie goes up when consumers collect multiple dolls. Some collections include fantasy, fashion, vintage, and world culture, with vintage being the most valuable. There are over 100,000 Barbie collectors. 90% of these collectors are women above the age of 40. 45% of these women spend over $1,000 each year on their collections. Barbies that originally sold for $3 are now worth up to $5,000. The highest price ever paid for a Barbie was $17,000 in 1965. The doll was part of a private collection of 4,000 dolls.

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/barbie_doll/index.html
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