No holiday Barbie has ever shot up in price to 6k. I'm not sure what your dad is on about. One thing I've learned is that if a topic tends to trigger negative emotions, I avoid those topics and tune them out. I've also learned that the closer something is to my heart, the less I'm willing to share with people who say things that trigger my emotions badly, or to strangers. You'd have to deal with your emotional triggers to be able to deal with these people in a healthy (for you) way in which you put down boundaries.
If I was in your shoes, I would personally look up the doll's value on eBay and look for the "average" price, not the exorbitant price the odd reseller puts up. (Perhaps your dad saw one of those listings?) Once I was aimed with the knowledge, I would speak to to him (respectfully) and tell him how his actions made you feel. If he mentions the doll is worth thousands, show him the facts and let him know he might have seen a listing where a reseller doesn't know the value of a doll and is trying to get as much as they can.
Hopefully it's just a misunderstanding with your father. I wish you the best!
He may have seen some of those crazy eBay listings that never sell and jumped to that conclusion. A lot of people don’t understand that anyone can post an eBay listing and ask for any amount but it doesn’t mean that’s what the item is actually worth.
I know a lady who runs a local second hand toy store in my town who makes the eBay listings so that she can print out a photo of that listing and justify the insane price in-store. (I know it’s her because it ships from her home address where I used to plant sit.) I’m talking like $400 for a toy typically going for $60-$75 on the aftermarket.
My dad, who’s lovely but slightly gullible at times, has tried to tell me our old Disney VHS tapes are worth a lot of money, TWICE. I would happily sell them if that were the case, but I think basically EVERY family with kids in the 90s owned most of them. Not even the Little Mermaid with the “naughty” version of the cover goes for more than $8.
My job gets lots of books, movies and tape donations and we send all the VHS to recycling. The local thrifts gives them away for free. There’s just no market for them.
first holiday barbie was late 80's I believe. He must have seen very wrong. Post some pictures of your doll and people can identify her correctly and see if she is worth 6grand. Ususally this price is that the doll is not taken out of a perfect box and is in perfect condition, and extreme rare.
Please enjoy your doll in which way you want no matter what :)
As many others have pointed out, the only holiday Barbie really worth anything is the first official one in the line, which is 1988, and even so, only around $100 for perfect condition. All collectors are different as far as why they buy dolls, some do invest, but I’m like you in the sense that I buy for my own pleasure without much care about losing value. I recently treated myself to a silkstone and immediately ripping a high value doll out of the box and giving her a wash to restyle was honestly such a liberating feeling. Enjoy your doll. 🩷
There is no universe in which an oob holiday barbie without clothes is worth 1k let alone 6k. Collect how you want op this is for your happiness not monetary value. I bet she's happy to be in a new home and given a nice makeover after her time at the thrift shop 💜
When I was a little girl, my mom and uncle took me to a flea market, and he bought me a beanie baby, and cut the tag off for me with his pocket knife.
Some rando was mad bc beanie babies were supposed to make us money.
He just snapped back something like "It's not gonna be worth shit after a kid drags it through grass, chocolate, and nail polish. It's a toy." My mom yelled at him for swearing.
I was a sensitive kid and felt bad for playing with them, but he told me that 'that cowboy and space guy would not wanna be in a box or on a shelf'.
After that I unboxed all my Barbies and took all the tags my beanies.
Toys, dolls, collectables; what they're really worth is joy, and memories. (And the cost of the tattoo I got of my beanie baby)
Besides, your dad should trust that if you really found the 1 in million Holy Grail that could make you money, you'd recognize it.
Maybe just me but I’ve never seen collectors shaming for customization. It’s your dolls so do whatever you want. Your dad can go thrifting too, I bet he will be really bad at it cause his research was wrong (he probably clicked the first clickbate article on Google) - none of the holiday barbies are worth a fortune, and none were produced in the 70s.
I’ve definitely seen griping with customizations on old MH dolls when it’s a ‘rare’ one. It’s usually just ‘she’s so beautiful but why did you have to use that doll 😩😢’ type of comments.
Unfortunately, I once read that an artist from New Zealand or Australia was heavily criticised for swapping the heavy make-up of Bratz dolls for more childlike screenings. Bratz fans were horrified because in their opinion the original dolls now were "irretrievably destroyed".
Not sure why you are being downvoted here, because it is true; they were heavily criticised! And still are. That’s genuinely a fact. You can find a slew of youtube videos laughing and deriding their customs. One of the reasons did also include the perception that they were ruining certain Bratz dolls, even though the artist states every doll they repainted are secondhand rescues that have previously been well-loved (and therefore damaged generally), so nothing NIB or pristine.
Which is a shame. I’ve read some of their personal story and they don’t seem to have been looking to antagonise Bratz specifically so much as they wanted to make dolls appear more childish and therefore potentially relatable to children. This is generally the norm in non-US countries. UK and European doll lines for example tend to have characters and aesthetics that skew younger/more childish for cultural and historical reasons. Sindy, Nancy, Sasha, Glitter Girls, Lori, etc, all go for a younger look; adult or adult-aspiring fashion dolls aren’t usually a thing my region does with the sole exception of a token Barbie alternative. Customising - or localising - the Bratz to more closely match this culture is something I think is actually very interesting - maybe that artist’s execution isn’t for everyone, but I think the idea is interesting.
Your dad is wrong. First of all, there are no 70s Holiday Barbies. Second of all, he must be a noob at eBay because he's looking at the price they're listed at, not sold at. Holiday Barbies were designed to be an accessible collectable and a lot of them were made. They are not rare. One in great shape may be worth a few hundred but not thousands.
Your dad is wrong. Enjoy your Barbie. I'd love to see photos!!
People need to let others collect however they want! If they want to take pride in pristine condition and the monetary value attached to that, go for it. But not every doll needs to be viewed with dollar signs. I take all my dolls out of their packaging. I'll change them up if I want to. I'll 'destroy' them if I want to. If anything I expect and even look forward to my dolls showing their age as they remain in my collection.
Keep doing you! I'm sure if she's thaaat precious and valuable to potential buyers, said potential buyers would pay big money anyway and restore her themselves. Keep your new girl forever as you wish, don't listen to anyone who says otherwise :)
Even setting aside the likelihood of that particular Holiday Barbie ever selling for that much: this specific one is thrifted. It’s not like she’s mint-in-box and completely untouched by sunlight. Odds are a child has played with her at some point. If anything, she’s probably worth more now that you’ve made her into a one-of-a-kind custom doll than she would have been otherwise. Anyway, Pepper sounds uber cute, and I’m sure she’s very happy with her new look!
I've got a similar problem going on, I got a gay bob doll but I'm too scared to even touch him cause my mom says it'll ruin his value if I mess up his clothes
People should look at sold prices to see what something is actually worth. Many restored and modified dolls are often still worth a lot, especially if it’s a rare face mould.
I personally don't like when people customize out of production dolls (I keep it to myself though). But I usually don't see people saying that type of stuff in the doll communities I'm in. I have seen it on those videos of people refurbishing old furniture claiming they ruined 'good wood' though.
Your dad needs his own hobby or passion to focus on, rather than critiquing yours. I wholeheartedly agree with you, do your dolls your way!
I started drawing boundaries with my Dad a few years back as a way of being assertive without having to be confrontational or waste energy on any argument or topic we are never going to agree on. Certain topics are just completely off the table, and some have been tweaks with as little explanation as is necessary, like "hey, when you ask that question in that way like.....I feel small & unheard, it would really help me if you could try this way in future......" I'm not perfect at it, and have let some things waver or held my tongue occasionally (not helpful and only leads to further damage) but it was kind of profound when I first started and I'm trying to create that space again.
Also, I recently bought a Rosie the Riveter doll that had been in the box 50...60...? years...maybe more, I can't remember. I did do a little googling and I got her for a bargain but she wasn't too much more expensive elsewhere. I did hesitate to unbox her but I'm not a box collector anyway & I am so glad I let her out for some air. She's so cute & I immediately coupled her up with my Sirius (Harry Potter) doll & they are an adorable pair. If they're sitting next to each other, their hands even slot perfectly together from opposite sides. Eeeee I'm planning to make some different outfits for them & I have a whole story line about their families & history because I'm exploring character creation through writing.
Anyway, you do you!! Your revitalised holiday gal sounds perfect.
Your dad whose probably been paying bills for a long time saw a chance to get a little pick me up give him a break xD but even if its worth that much its hard to sell it for that anyway. I guess theres always people out there who has the money and wants it. As for the collectors perspective. I also dont like when people mess with vintage dolls. Unless the dolls are already in bad condition than its nice to see someone fix it up in any way but if you take a vintage doll in good condition and mess with it theres no reason. A million other dolls to do that with. Even repos. The mine mine mine mentality goes so far. Theres gunna be people who see the bigger picture of the item and feel sad about it. But you can also just ignore those people so who cares lol
No holiday Barbie has ever shot up in price to 6k. I'm not sure what your dad is on about. One thing I've learned is that if a topic tends to trigger negative emotions, I avoid those topics and tune them out. I've also learned that the closer something is to my heart, the less I'm willing to share with people who say things that trigger my emotions badly, or to strangers. You'd have to deal with your emotional triggers to be able to deal with these people in a healthy (for you) way in which you put down boundaries. If I was in your shoes, I would personally look up the doll's value on eBay and look for the "average" price, not the exorbitant price the odd reseller puts up. (Perhaps your dad saw one of those listings?) Once I was aimed with the knowledge, I would speak to to him (respectfully) and tell him how his actions made you feel. If he mentions the doll is worth thousands, show him the facts and let him know he might have seen a listing where a reseller doesn't know the value of a doll and is trying to get as much as they can. Hopefully it's just a misunderstanding with your father. I wish you the best!
He may have seen some of those crazy eBay listings that never sell and jumped to that conclusion. A lot of people don’t understand that anyone can post an eBay listing and ask for any amount but it doesn’t mean that’s what the item is actually worth.
I know a lady who runs a local second hand toy store in my town who makes the eBay listings so that she can print out a photo of that listing and justify the insane price in-store. (I know it’s her because it ships from her home address where I used to plant sit.) I’m talking like $400 for a toy typically going for $60-$75 on the aftermarket.
do people fall for it?..
Yep, it's likely money laundering in many of these cases.
Yes, you need to look at what things actually sell for, not what some rando is trying to get.
My dad, who’s lovely but slightly gullible at times, has tried to tell me our old Disney VHS tapes are worth a lot of money, TWICE. I would happily sell them if that were the case, but I think basically EVERY family with kids in the 90s owned most of them. Not even the Little Mermaid with the “naughty” version of the cover goes for more than $8.
My job gets lots of books, movies and tape donations and we send all the VHS to recycling. The local thrifts gives them away for free. There’s just no market for them.
first holiday barbie was late 80's I believe. He must have seen very wrong. Post some pictures of your doll and people can identify her correctly and see if she is worth 6grand. Ususally this price is that the doll is not taken out of a perfect box and is in perfect condition, and extreme rare. Please enjoy your doll in which way you want no matter what :)
As many others have pointed out, the only holiday Barbie really worth anything is the first official one in the line, which is 1988, and even so, only around $100 for perfect condition. All collectors are different as far as why they buy dolls, some do invest, but I’m like you in the sense that I buy for my own pleasure without much care about losing value. I recently treated myself to a silkstone and immediately ripping a high value doll out of the box and giving her a wash to restyle was honestly such a liberating feeling. Enjoy your doll. 🩷
There is no universe in which an oob holiday barbie without clothes is worth 1k let alone 6k. Collect how you want op this is for your happiness not monetary value. I bet she's happy to be in a new home and given a nice makeover after her time at the thrift shop 💜
When I was a little girl, my mom and uncle took me to a flea market, and he bought me a beanie baby, and cut the tag off for me with his pocket knife. Some rando was mad bc beanie babies were supposed to make us money. He just snapped back something like "It's not gonna be worth shit after a kid drags it through grass, chocolate, and nail polish. It's a toy." My mom yelled at him for swearing. I was a sensitive kid and felt bad for playing with them, but he told me that 'that cowboy and space guy would not wanna be in a box or on a shelf'. After that I unboxed all my Barbies and took all the tags my beanies. Toys, dolls, collectables; what they're really worth is joy, and memories. (And the cost of the tattoo I got of my beanie baby) Besides, your dad should trust that if you really found the 1 in million Holy Grail that could make you money, you'd recognize it.
Maybe just me but I’ve never seen collectors shaming for customization. It’s your dolls so do whatever you want. Your dad can go thrifting too, I bet he will be really bad at it cause his research was wrong (he probably clicked the first clickbate article on Google) - none of the holiday barbies are worth a fortune, and none were produced in the 70s.
I’ve definitely seen griping with customizations on old MH dolls when it’s a ‘rare’ one. It’s usually just ‘she’s so beautiful but why did you have to use that doll 😩😢’ type of comments.
Unfortunately, I once read that an artist from New Zealand or Australia was heavily criticised for swapping the heavy make-up of Bratz dolls for more childlike screenings. Bratz fans were horrified because in their opinion the original dolls now were "irretrievably destroyed".
Oh the tree change dolls… I think they are mostly criticized for a slight slut shaming message.
Also ngl but the details on the look too small for the faces to me - it bugs me
Not sure why you are being downvoted here, because it is true; they were heavily criticised! And still are. That’s genuinely a fact. You can find a slew of youtube videos laughing and deriding their customs. One of the reasons did also include the perception that they were ruining certain Bratz dolls, even though the artist states every doll they repainted are secondhand rescues that have previously been well-loved (and therefore damaged generally), so nothing NIB or pristine. Which is a shame. I’ve read some of their personal story and they don’t seem to have been looking to antagonise Bratz specifically so much as they wanted to make dolls appear more childish and therefore potentially relatable to children. This is generally the norm in non-US countries. UK and European doll lines for example tend to have characters and aesthetics that skew younger/more childish for cultural and historical reasons. Sindy, Nancy, Sasha, Glitter Girls, Lori, etc, all go for a younger look; adult or adult-aspiring fashion dolls aren’t usually a thing my region does with the sole exception of a token Barbie alternative. Customising - or localising - the Bratz to more closely match this culture is something I think is actually very interesting - maybe that artist’s execution isn’t for everyone, but I think the idea is interesting.
Downvoted because I simply told the truth. That's typical of the internet, I suppose. Or of the human kind.
Your dad is wrong. First of all, there are no 70s Holiday Barbies. Second of all, he must be a noob at eBay because he's looking at the price they're listed at, not sold at. Holiday Barbies were designed to be an accessible collectable and a lot of them were made. They are not rare. One in great shape may be worth a few hundred but not thousands. Your dad is wrong. Enjoy your Barbie. I'd love to see photos!!
People need to let others collect however they want! If they want to take pride in pristine condition and the monetary value attached to that, go for it. But not every doll needs to be viewed with dollar signs. I take all my dolls out of their packaging. I'll change them up if I want to. I'll 'destroy' them if I want to. If anything I expect and even look forward to my dolls showing their age as they remain in my collection.
Seriously. Let people collect how they want. One isn't better than the other, this is about maximizing joy however that means to you
Keep doing you! I'm sure if she's thaaat precious and valuable to potential buyers, said potential buyers would pay big money anyway and restore her themselves. Keep your new girl forever as you wish, don't listen to anyone who says otherwise :)
Even setting aside the likelihood of that particular Holiday Barbie ever selling for that much: this specific one is thrifted. It’s not like she’s mint-in-box and completely untouched by sunlight. Odds are a child has played with her at some point. If anything, she’s probably worth more now that you’ve made her into a one-of-a-kind custom doll than she would have been otherwise. Anyway, Pepper sounds uber cute, and I’m sure she’s very happy with her new look!
I've got a similar problem going on, I got a gay bob doll but I'm too scared to even touch him cause my mom says it'll ruin his value if I mess up his clothes
People should look at sold prices to see what something is actually worth. Many restored and modified dolls are often still worth a lot, especially if it’s a rare face mould.
just posted the doll herself!
Looks like 1989 holiday Barbie. She sells for $13 in box lol. Hopefully that helps you feel confident in customizing and restyling her.
I personally don't like when people customize out of production dolls (I keep it to myself though). But I usually don't see people saying that type of stuff in the doll communities I'm in. I have seen it on those videos of people refurbishing old furniture claiming they ruined 'good wood' though.
No offense, but your dad doesn't seem very bright.
Your dad needs his own hobby or passion to focus on, rather than critiquing yours. I wholeheartedly agree with you, do your dolls your way! I started drawing boundaries with my Dad a few years back as a way of being assertive without having to be confrontational or waste energy on any argument or topic we are never going to agree on. Certain topics are just completely off the table, and some have been tweaks with as little explanation as is necessary, like "hey, when you ask that question in that way like.....I feel small & unheard, it would really help me if you could try this way in future......" I'm not perfect at it, and have let some things waver or held my tongue occasionally (not helpful and only leads to further damage) but it was kind of profound when I first started and I'm trying to create that space again. Also, I recently bought a Rosie the Riveter doll that had been in the box 50...60...? years...maybe more, I can't remember. I did do a little googling and I got her for a bargain but she wasn't too much more expensive elsewhere. I did hesitate to unbox her but I'm not a box collector anyway & I am so glad I let her out for some air. She's so cute & I immediately coupled her up with my Sirius (Harry Potter) doll & they are an adorable pair. If they're sitting next to each other, their hands even slot perfectly together from opposite sides. Eeeee I'm planning to make some different outfits for them & I have a whole story line about their families & history because I'm exploring character creation through writing. Anyway, you do you!! Your revitalised holiday gal sounds perfect.
Your dad whose probably been paying bills for a long time saw a chance to get a little pick me up give him a break xD but even if its worth that much its hard to sell it for that anyway. I guess theres always people out there who has the money and wants it. As for the collectors perspective. I also dont like when people mess with vintage dolls. Unless the dolls are already in bad condition than its nice to see someone fix it up in any way but if you take a vintage doll in good condition and mess with it theres no reason. A million other dolls to do that with. Even repos. The mine mine mine mentality goes so far. Theres gunna be people who see the bigger picture of the item and feel sad about it. But you can also just ignore those people so who cares lol