10 Most Expensive Barbie Dolls Ever Sold in the History (Update March 2023)

Do you know which are the Most Expensive Barbie Dolls Ever Sold in the History?

Hello readers! Growing up all of you had come across Barbie dolls whether you are a guy or a girl. Barbie dolls are the most common toy we have had until now. They are pretty dolls with pretty clothes and a whole lot of accessories.

Young children, especially girls love Barbies. They love to dress them, decorate them, and play with them. They want to make their Barbies beautiful. However, this blog points to those Barbie dolls which are fancied by grown-up collectors.

Not just any collector but the extremely wealthy ones. So, if you happen to have any classic old Barbie dolls in mint condition, you might want to check their worth. Because there is a possibility they can make you rich! Few dolls are known to be the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world!

List of the Most Expensive Barbie Dolls

Dolls are commonly made of plastics and other inexpensive products which can be easily handled by a child. But here we are talking about those dolls which are made extraordinarily and are the collector’s favorite. These Barbie dolls have astronomical worth in the collector’s market. The reason behind these expensive Barbie dolls being so expensive is their one-of-the-kind trait. The factors that boost the popularity of these dolls are rarity, age, brands, and diamonds. Confused? Read along, you will get to know that these toys are the best investment for grown-up collectors with an insane amount of money.

10. Porcelain Rumba Barbie Doll Prototype ($2,640)

Dolls are commonly made of plastic but this is not a common Barbie doll. This doll is made of Porcelain! Dressed in a Rumba dress with a fitting 1920s retro hairstyle makes this Barbie doll even more attractive. This fashionable doll is worth thousands because of its singularity. The price of this one-of-a-kind doll was set to be $2,640 when it was an auction in the year 2015.

There were assumptions that this doll will fetch more than that if auctioned again in the future. It is positioned on a display stand which makes it even more appealing. This gorgeous and expensive Barbie doll comes with a rare sheet signed of concept art. This Barbie is well-fitted to be on the list of the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world.

9. Karl Lagerfeld Barbie ($3,500)

This limited edition expensive Barbie doll was released in 2014. What’s special about this Barbie is that this edition was the first slot of Barbie dolls to have a new face sculpt. This new sculpt later became famous the name as the Karl Lagerfeld Face Sculpt. This edition of Barbie dolls was a Platinum Label collection that was created in collaboration with the popular fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and designed by Robert Best. Only 999 pieces were produced making it a limited edition for collectors.

The dolls are dressed in an iconic Karl’s silhouette, i.e. black jacket, white men’s shirt with French cuffs, and black cravat paired with black all-over head print jeans. She has accessories like black ankle boots, a black leather purse with metallic accents in silver, fingerless gloves in black, and sunglasses! After the death of Lagerfeld, the worth of this edition is estimated even higher.

8. Signed Pillow Talk Barbie Set ($7,680)

Based on the lead characters of the iconic movie “Pilow Talk” released in 1959, this Barbie set consists of two dolls. This set has the depicting dolls of the lead characters played by Doris Day and Rock Hudson. However, the doll set was released in 2011 much later after the movie came. This Barbie doll set might not attract the interest of kids but it surely is a fantastic collective item for a passionate collector. Amongst the ‘pillow talk Barbie set’ edition there is one set whose cost had made its name in the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world list.

This expensive Barbie doll set is signed by the actress in the movie itself! That’s right the female lead of the movie ‘Pillow Talk’ signed this Barbie set with her name and on behalf of her co-actor Rock Hudson! The inscription on the box of the doll set pushed its worth even higher making it one of the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world!

7. Gala Abend Barbie ($13,650)

This expensive Barbie doll edition is listed in the top 10 most expensive Barbie dolls in the world because of its age and scarcity. This edition was available only for European buyers when it was released in 1965. This factor boosted the demand and craze for this doll in the market. Collectors were eager to get a hold of this exceptional and popular piece. This limited edition Barbie was most precious for its dress. This Barbie wears a quilt-like hand-sewn brocade coat with satin lining and fur collar.

The other accessories are like its white gloves, a silver pouch, silver glittery crystal shoes, and a pearl necklace of fine details. This Barbie looks pretty much normal but the details in her attire and accessories in addition to its scarcity in the market make it more desirable in the collector’s eye. This Barbie fetched a humongous value of $13,673 in Christie’s auction for the year 2006.

6. Pink Diamond Barbie ($15,000)

This Pink Diamond Barbie is all bright and blingy, both in terms of looks as well as worth. This limited edition was designed by David and Phillip Blond. The designers debuted this edition in their Blonds Spring show for New York Fashion Week 2013. These beautiful Barbie dolls are dressed in a vibrant fuchsia ensemble. Her bright fuchsia mini-dress is covered with hand-embellished pink diamonds! This expensive Barbie doll comes with diamond earrings, a ring, a bracelet, glittering shoes along with pink faux-fur coat. She is known to be one of the most fashionable and luxurious dolls globally.

This pretty and precious piece was up for a charity auction to benefit the MAC Aids Funds organization. The agreement attached to the sale of this exceptional doll made this doll even more unique and expensive. This doll was sold with an agreement of no resale or re-auction clause. This made the Barbie highly desirable. $15,000 was the massive amount bid for this glamorous and expensive Barbie doll.

5. Barbie in ‘Midnight Red’ ($17,065)

This 1965 Twist ‘n Turn head brunette Barbie is a vintage doll and comes under the top 5 most expensive Barbie dolls in the world. Vintage dolls have a huge worth in the market. Not only the dolls but their vintage dresses and accessories also sell out bagging fortunes! So, just imagine how much the combination of all these will cost. This complete vintage Barbie doll has surpassed all of its other variants becoming one of the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world.

This edition was a variant of the common Barbie collection called ‘Midnight Blue’. However, the ‘Midnight Red’ became more famous and fetched a great worth. Getting a vintage Barbie doll in mint condition is so rare. Getting a mint condition ‘Midnight Red’ Barbie means you got treasure! This doll was sold in 2006 at a whopping price of $17,065 making it one of the most expensive Barbies.

4. #1 Ponytail Barbie ($27,450)

This is the very first edition of Barbie dolls ever made. The era of 1959 was the debutant era for Barbie dolls made for young girls. These dolls were given various styles and costumes portraying them as ambitious independent women. The Barbie dolls produced between 1959 and late 1960s hold a huge value and could bag a fortune! Although getting a mint-condition Barbie from this era is extremely difficult. Even the dresses of these dolls are worth thousands of dollars!

This no.1 ponytail original Barbie was auctioned for $27,450 even with minor flaws in it. However, this Barbie was made in a lot of approximately 300,000 making it a non-limited edition common Barbie. But the fact that it comes from the very first generation of Barbie dolls ever made makes it even more precious! Its historical significance is the reason for it being one of the most expensive Barbie dolls in the world.

The Top #3 Expensive Barbie Dolls are below

3. De Beers 40th Anniversary Barbie ($85,000)

In 1999, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Mattel, the American toy-making company, this doll was introduced. Dee Beers is a highly popular and successful diamond-mining company. It decorated this gorgeous Barbie with 160 studs of diamonds! The design of this Barbie is not exactly child appropriate but it sure looks exceptional.

This expensive Barbie doll is dressed in a white gold bikini top paired with a gold and pink skirt jeweled with diamonds. This doll has given dark hair, unlike the common blonde hair Barbies. Made in honor of one revolutionary creation along with another honorable brand makes this Barbie is super expensive and extraordinary.

2. Barbie & the Diamond Castle ($94,800)

This doll is a one-of-a-kind doll. Why? Only one piece was made, that is why! For promoting the movie Barbie & the Diamond Castle (2008), this doll was designed. It is one of the most valuable Barbie dolls made by Mattel. However, several standard Barbie dolls were also released for promoting the movie but the diamond remained one.

This doll was so precious that it never went to auction! The doll wore a magnificent pink and purple gown with a necklace and tiara. Not just any simple dress or accessories but diamond studded. This Barbie doll is laced with 318 studs of 20.66 carats of diamonds! The top-quality diamonds have increased the doll’s worth even more. This expensive Barbie doll is estimated at $94,800.

1. Barbie by Stefano Canturi ($302,500)

Now it is time to know about the most expensive Barbie doll in the world! The extraordinary worth of the Barbie dolls that you have read about earlier is nothing compared to Stefano Canturi Barbie. This Barbie doll holds the record for being the most luxurious Barbie doll worldwide. If you look at the Stefano Barbie, it may not look any special. She is a Barbie wearing a simple black dress with frills paired with pastel pink shoes. But if you look closer you will notice the gorgeous diamond necklace that makes it worth the highest in the world.

The necklace is made designed in a haphazard form cubism necklace featuring three carats of pure white diamonds. The white diamonds are arranged surrounding a large one-carat pink diamond of emerald cut. If you have read my blog on the most expensive gemstones in the world, then you know that pink diamond is very precious and rare. It is the rarity of this extraordinary gemstone that makes this doll the most expensive Barbie doll. This necklace was designed in six months by the famous designer Stefano Canturi. This doll was auctioned bagging an astronomical price of $302,500!

Conclusion of the Expensive Barbie Dolls

Coming to the end of this enlightening blog, you can gather that various factors make these expensive Barbie dolls worthy and precious. Some of us may think it’s absurd to buy a doll worth a fortune. But those who know the value of extraordinary and vintage collections will beg to differ. They know that these kinds of rare collectibles are a pretty good way to invest! However, taking care of these costly collectibles is expensive too. But as long as you have a rare vintage and one of the most expensive Barbie dolls in your possession, it’s all worth it.

Summary

Here is the list of the Most Expensive Barbie Dolls in the World.

1. Barbie by Stefano Canturi
2. Barbie & the Diamond Castle
3. De Beers 40th Anniversary Barbie
4. 1 Ponytail Barbie
5. Barbie in ‘Midnight Red’
6. Pink Diamond Barbie
7. Gala Abend Barbie
8. Signed Pillow Talk Barbie Set
9. Karl Lagerfeld Barbie
10. Porcelain Rumba Barbie Doll Prototype

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