Is there anyone left on the planet that doesn’t know what a Barbie doll is? Barbie dolls are sold nearly worldwide. They have been the subject of numerous books and controversies, plus the star in their own movies. There are even lines of Barbie-inspired cosmetics and clothing, and a new live Barbie stage show for 2006. All this for an 11 1/2 inch plastic vinyl fashion doll.

How can you make sense out of the thousands of Barbie dolls issued in the last 30 years–pink box, porcelain, celebrity, fashion, and more? Here are a few suggestions on ways you can rationally build a wonderful Barbie collection.

Almost all Barbie dolls are made of vinyl with a soft feel to it. However, a few collector Barbie dolls have been made of porcelain, and the collector Silkstone Barbie dolls are made of a hard vinyl with a porcelain feel. Hair on Barbie dolls is generally rooted synthetic fiber.

The late Ruth Handler created Barbie. One day she saw her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and Ruth thought that girls would enjoy a 3-D doll with outfits you could change, like paper dolls. The Mattel design team couldn’t envision what Ruth wanted. Then when in Germany, Ruth saw Bild Lilli, a doll with an adult-proportioned body, 11.5 inches tall. Ruth thought this doll was just right for her concept. So, she brought Bild Lilli to Mattel (owned by the Hanlders) and Barbie was born.

Historical (dolls such as The Great Eras Barbies), Bob Mackie Dolls, or Fantasy. Themed collections can span both Pink Box and Collectible Barbies–for instance, a collector focusing on Movie-Themed Barbies can also collect Pink-Boxed dolls such as 101 Dalmatians Barbie.

Of course, given the pink, fantasy presentation of Barbie these days, she appeals more to a 3-year old than to an 11-year old. But, bring those same 11-year old girls into my doll shop and show them a quality collector’s doll–the new Modern Circle dolls, or Elle Woods, or even Sandy in Grease, and they are fascinated.

Its not bad enough that Barbie is seriously pink, but she also comes packaged in a well-defined role–imagination need not apply. When I had Barbie as a child, she was just Barbie. She might have had a twist and turn waist, or a new “American Girl” hairdo, or real eyelashes, but she was a blank slate.

Prices for modern collectible Barbie dolls definitely peaked in the mid-to late 1990s when there was a “craze” for modern Barbies-they were a hot, new collectible that shops couldn’t keep in stock. Some collectors even speculated and stockpiled the dolls hoping they would increase in value.