The buzz surrounding the new "Barbie" movie in theaters now has driven up the value of old collectible Barbie dolls. Mattel has sold more than a billion Barbie dolls over the years, and if you've ever had a little girl in the house, you likely could find a few around the house. How do you find out what your childhood dolls are worth today?
There are websites devoted to putting a value on Barbie dolls, but you need to know which one you have. That can be a problem, particularly if she isn't in a box or wearing the clothes she came with.
An easy way to identify a Barbie doll or any collectible is by using your smartphone and the camera.
Google lets users search by text of course but it also has the ability to search by image. In the Google app next to the search bar is a camera icon. This is in the app for both Android and iPhones. Tap the camera icon which will open Google Lens.
It will then ask you to frame something using the camera. I tried this using several Barbie dolls my daughters kept through the years.
The first scan correctly identified a 1990s-era Barbie doll wearing a pair of flowered overalls and listed websites where the doll is shown on Etsy and eBay for $10. Another Barbie was listed for sale on eBay for $95.
That's helpful, but only shows what someone is selling it for. But in eBay, you can filter results to show only items that have been sold which should give you a better idea of what it is actually worth.
Google Lens can help you identify and price all collectibles such as baseball cards, Beanie Babies, and other toys.
Once you identify the doll you can visit an official Barbie doll collectors website or database to get a more detailed idea of its value.
Don't get your hopes up too high though. Those collectible limited edition Barbie dolls from the 1990s and 2000s you may have still in their boxes aren't valued as high as you might think. Still, it's fun to see for yourself.
