| Tips to buy and sell Barbie Dolls online | | | | rush (desperate for money; family emergency, raising |
| It is not unnatural that the online sellers repent for | | | | cash), your warning system should go off. Another |
| not saving their Barbie Dolls when they come to | | | | doll will come along; PASS |
| know the big bucks behind pretty doll business. | | | | 8. Get a PHONE NUMBER and an ADDRESS. |
| Barbie, the doll which has been attracting the | | | | Don’t rely on an e-mail address and a post-office |
| worldwide kids and elders since 1959, is available for | | | | box; both can be ignored or disappear. Call the phone |
| wide range of prices from $5 to $5,000. | | | | number. |
| One has to know the nuances of doll business to buy | | | | 9. KEEP CORRESPONDENCE: Keep all computerized |
| or sell Barbies online. For example, just handful of | | | | correspondence until the doll is delivered, in case |
| profit you can see if you put up a classic Bubble-cut | | | | there is a dispute. |
| Barbie for sale at low opening bid with no reserve. | | | | 10. Do NOT Take Part In A THIRD PARTY |
| Web reference | | | | Transaction: Don’t buy a doll from x who is |
| Thanks to Internet, one can get lot of information, | | | | either selling or shipping it for y. This is a recipe for |
| pictures, quotes and suggestions on doll collection | | | | disaster; you can get caught in the middle of a |
| through browsing hundreds of websites. However, | | | | dispute between the two parties. This has happened |
| three websites are worth watching for latest | | | | to me; a lady went on a long vacation, left a doll with |
| updates and vast information of Barbie dolls. | | | | a friend to ship when my $$ were received. They |
| Doll Reference ( is the best place to start off. This is | | | | had a dispute over postage and shipping costs (and, |
| a large, doll-collecting site, and the Barbie Menu is | | | | she stiffed her friend on the electricity bill). I had to |
| provided separately to find vintage Barbie & Friends | | | | pay postage and handling on the doll AGAIN (my |
| of 1959 - 1976. There are more than 156 pages and | | | | cheapest option to get out of this), while the two |
| nearly 2 thousand pictures in this section. | | | | parties continued to argue and I didn’t get my |
| Official site for Mattel’s Barbie Dolls, Barbie | | | | doll for nearly a month! |
| Collectibles, ( cannot be ignored for your | | | | 11. Does The Transaction Sound Too Good To Be |
| comprehensive information on Barbie Dolls business. | | | | True? Is someone offering you a perfect Jumeau for |
| From 1959 till today, it presents both classic and | | | | $500? RUN, quickly, in the opposite computerized |
| modern collection of Barbie Dolls and friends. Barbie | | | | direction. |
| fashions, newsletter to the members and space for | | | | 12. Don’t Buy Dolls that are TOO EXPENSIVE |
| showcasing member’s collection are the additional | | | | Online: Set a limit that won’t be TOO painful if all |
| advantages of this website. | | | | of your precautions are of no use, and you get stuck |
| To get acquainted with the business lingo of Barbie | | | | with the dog doll of the century, or, even worse, no |
| Dolls, "Barbie Collecting Terminology" ( is a must | | | | doll at all after payment. Remember, only YOU know |
| watch. The website rolls out all kinds of letters | | | | what is too big a risk for you to take--for one |
| characters, abbreviations related to the title and their | | | | person, it might be $50. For another, $5,000. |
| detailed information. | | | | 13. SHIPPING INSURANCE: It is a good idea to have |
| Tips to identify your Barbie | | | | this, in case your doll is lost or damaged in transit. |
| Markings encrypted on backside and back of the | | | | SELLING: |
| neck indicate the product details, in the absence of | | | | 1. Get REFERENCES. Does the buyer pay their bills? |
| pictures. The condition of doll affects the cost like all | | | | Get e-mail and phone references from online |
| other collectibles. Clothing, paint, torso, face and the | | | | transactions to make sure. |
| condition of hair help you in determining the price. For | | | | 2. MONEY ORDERS AND CHECK CLEARANCE: When |
| a seller, it is important to know the advantages and | | | | you sell, money orders are best for YOU. Money |
| disadvantage of these features. It is advisable that a | | | | Orders are best. If you accept checks, make 100% |
| buyer should ascertain the above, by sending an | | | | sure it has cleared your bank before you ship the doll. |
| email or calling the seller if they are not found in the | | | | .3 Get a PHONE NUMBER and ACTUAL ADDRESS. |
| specifications. | | | | Don’t rely on an e-mail address and post office |
| Source Edited Part | | | | box or a PMB. Call the phone number. |
| 486 words 366 words | | | | 4. DISCLOSE ALL FLAWS: As mentioned above. Be |
| It is a sad fact of life that some people are | | | | 100% honest, or you will end up with unsuccessful |
| dishonest, others forgetful, and others misinformed | | | | transactions and returns! |
| about dolls. Just like in a real life transaction at a doll | | | | 5. Have POLICIES ON PAYMENT: Also as mentioned |
| show or shop, you need to protect yourself from | | | | above, and stick to them |
| being "taken" by the less-than scrupulous when you | | | | 6. Offer a RETURN POLICY--I offer return for |
| buy or sell dolls on the Internet at such online auction | | | | anything that is NOT as described (purchaser finds a |
| houses like eBay or Amazon.com, or in | | | | flaw I didn’t describe, etc.) and a more liberal |
| person-to-person direct sales from web sites. Unlike | | | | policy if asked for it up front. |
| real life, when you purchase a doll online, you | | | | 7. Keep CORRESPONDENCE, DOCUMENTATION AND |
| can’t inspect it yourself. As a seller, your biggest | | | | PICTURES: Since you DO offer a return policy, you |
| fears are someone not paying you after the doll is | | | | need to protect yourself against the unscrupulous |
| sent, or someone returning a doll to you that is in | | | | buyer who may return to you a DIFFERENT doll of |
| worse condition than when you sent it. As a buyer, | | | | the same type, which is in worse condition than |
| your biggest fear is getting NO doll at all after you | | | | yours (this is not very common, but could happen). I |
| have paid for it, or a doll that is in much worse | | | | know one lady who sent out a mint #6 vintage |
| condition than described. Here are some things you | | | | Barbie, and what was returned to her was a very |
| can do to help protect yourself in online transactions, | | | | played with #6 Barbie. At least until the transaction is |
| as both a buyer and a seller: | | | | successfully completed, keep everything in case of a |
| BUYING: | | | | dispute. |
| 1. Get REFERENCES: If you are dealing with an | | | | 8. Make The Buyer Purchase SHIPPING INSURANCE. |
| unknown person or entity, find out the names of | | | | It will help you have peace of mind, in case the box |
| other people who have had successful online | | | | doesn’t arrive. Also, it gives you proof of |
| transactions with the seller, and CONTACT THEM, via | | | | successful delivery. |
| e-mail or phone. | | | | 9. Ship PROMPTLY, and let your customer know |
| 2. Send a CHECK, and not a money order, whenever | | | | when to expect shipment. If you are going on a one |
| possible (this is the reverse of what you would | | | | week vacation, and can’t ship that week, let |
| prefer as a seller). You can stop a check, but there is | | | | your buyers know in ADVANCE so they don’t |
| little you can do about a money order if things go | | | | get nervous when their e-mails to you aren’t |
| bad in the middle of a deal. | | | | answered. |
| 3. Get EXTENSIVE DESCRIPTIONS. Ask questions if | | | | 10. UPS VS. US MAIL?: This is a personal choice; I |
| the initial description is not detailed enough, and make | | | | have had good luck with Priority Mail, Insured. My UPS |
| sure you receive answers. If you sense resistance, | | | | packages are often received more mangled than my |
| or receive evasiveness or vague answers, PASS. | | | | post office ones, because UPS ships so many heavy |
| 4. Get PICTURES whenever possible. If the seller is | | | | packages. BUT, UPS has a marvelous tracking |
| not equipped to send them via e-mail, then request | | | | service; you can track a package with your |
| them via snail mail (computer-speak for US Postal | | | | computer. So, for my very expensive or large dolls, I |
| Service). | | | | DO use UPS. Both services offer return receipts for |
| 5. Get a RETURN PRIVILEGE; You WILL get dolls | | | | a fee, and for expensive dolls, I would purchase this |
| that are over-optimistically described, and you WILL | | | | extra peace of mind. |
| use this privilege if you buy many dolls online. | | | | 11. PACK the doll well. You DO NOT want to have an |
| 6. Use COMMON SENSE: If something feels "off" | | | | expensive doll ruined in transit. You will have a |
| about the doll, the seller, or the transaction, or you | | | | headache to deal with, a ruined sale, and an unhappy |
| just get a bad feeling, LISTEN to your inner self, and | | | | customer. |
| pass on the doll. It isn’t worth taking a chance, | | | | I hope these tips are helpful; in future articles, we will |
| and your inner warning system is usually reliable. The | | | | cover buying and selling dolls via eBay and other |
| few times I have been "burnt" on a doll, if I had paid | | | | online auctons, as well as buying and selling dolls via |
| attention to my misgivings, I wouldn’t have been! | | | | other methods on the Internet. |
| 7. Don’t be RUSHED: If the seller is in an undue | | | | |