Since its inception in 1959, Barbie dolls have been relished by young children across the world. The original toys were sold back then at just $3 back then, but you’d be surprised to know the price of some of the most expensive Barbie dolls available in the market. That’s true, the iconic brand figurine can go up to hundreds of dollars. The Original Barbie is considered the most iconic of all, and it was invented by Ruth Handler. It featured a blonde girl, with eyeshadow, red lips, gold hoops, and a black-and-white striped swimsuit.
De Beers Jewelers celebrated the 40th anniversary of Barbie by designing a special edition doll in 1999. This beauty came with a two-piece evening gown, which included a bikini top and belt, embedded with 160 diamonds. Sheer intricacies of the clothes were a good enough reason to bring one home for bidders. The celebratory doll was sold for a massive $85,000.
What is the most expensive Barbie doll?
As per the DailyMail report, from the $27,000 Original Barbie, there is a diamond-adorned doll, FEMAIL, available at the whopping price of $302,000. This latter was designed by Australian jeweler Stefano Canturi, and auctioned in 2020. The uniqueness of this item was its impeccable necklace, complete with a one-carat pink diamond in the center, and well complemented by a stunning diamond ring.
In the auction, it made history after it was bought by an anonymous bidder at Christie’s in Manhattan, making it the most expensive Barbie of all time. All the proceeds were donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
'Other expensive Barbie Dolls'
Among other popular and expensive Barbie dolls, was The Pink Splendor Barbie, which came on the market in 1966. Only 10,000 dolls with the same style were released under a limited edition project. Barbie wore a beautiful gown of pink satin and sparkling lace. This had rhinestones, a bodice made with gold lace and pink taffeta, and crystal jewelry, and also included pink silk undies and matching garters. This one is now available at $25,000, worth it for collectors.
The next on the list of the most expensive Barbie dolls comes Lorraine Schwartz Barbie. Introduced in 2010, it became a style statement and benchmark for other glamor toys. This figure dons a tight black dress, diamond earrings, accessories, and even black heels covered in bling. The last of these was auctioned for a huge sum of $7,500.