Barbie Doll Identification & Values

Introduced to Barbie doll as a child, J. Michael Augustyniak played with his older sisters' Barbie dolls alongside traditional boys' toys such as superhero dolls and the original Star Wars action figures. His most beloved childhood doll, a gift from his Grandma Clara, was the 1976 Ballerina Barbie, which was the first new Barbie doll Michael owned. Childhood toys are often discarded yet seldom forgotten, so Michael's love for Barbie was rekindled soon after graduating from high school in 1988 when a clearance-priced Rocker Derek doll wearing a gold stage costume proved too tempting to resist. At this time Michael was working at his first job as an associate with Kohl's department store, and he was fascinated by how Mattel's dolls reflected current fashion trends; California Dream Ken doll's fish necktie looked similar to the novelty neckties sold at Kohl's! Although thinking he could keep his new collection manageable by only buying Ken dolls, Michael soon found Barbie irresistible in 1989 when he paid double the issue price for the 1988 Happy Holidays Barbie. While in college, Michael worked for Sears, so collecting Sears exclusive Barbie dolls was inevitable. Within a few years, he owned thousands of dolls and fashions. He has attended 11 national Barbie Collectors' Conventions since 1991. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 1992 with a double major in English and social studies, and he put his love of writing and photography to use as a staff member of Barbie Bazaar magazine beginning in 1995. He also contributed to Dolls In Print magazine, where he collaborated on the first collectors' fashion doll photo soap opera, "Pink Intentions," from 2000 to 2001. Michael was promoted to Barbie Bazaar price guide editor in 2002 and is now considered a leading authority on Barbie. Michael's books include The Barbie Doll Boom (1996), Thirty Years of Mattel Fashion Dolls (1998), the bestselling Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Exclusives and More (1997, 2000, 2001, 2004), and Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Collector's Editions (2004). Michael welcomes comments at Dollboy@aol.com.Augustyniak, Michael J. is the author of 'Barbie Doll Identification & Values', published 2004 under ISBN 9781574324051 and ISBN 1574324055.