Since its debut in 1959, the Barbie doll has kept up with the times and trends. With more than 80 careers, from a teenage fashion model to a presidential candidate to a computer engineer, she has become a cultural icon who has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. She has inspired designers and professionals from around the world to create the fashions of their dreams. Today, we have some of the most expensive Barbie dolls of all time. Hit the jump to see them all…
1) Barbie by Canturi
This year, Mattel commissioned the famous jeweler Stefano Canturi to create the world's most expensive Barbie doll. This one was made to coincide with the launch of the Barbie Basics Collection in Australia. Priced at AUD $600,000 and featuring rare Australian pink diamonds, the Barbie by Canturi has a Canturi neckpiece made up of 3.00 carats of white diamonds around a collectible 1.00ct square.
2) Barbie and the Diamond Castle
Valued at $94,800, this Barbie was a promotional stunt done to promote the movie from the Barbie series, Barbie and the Diamond Castle, which was released back in 2008. This variant adorned 44 round-cut stones including 318 real diamonds on her attire. All of her accessories, including a tiara, slippers, earrings, necklace, bracelet and the ring have been made out of diamonds and white gold.
3) De Beers 40th Anniversary Barbie
Designed by De Beers, this diamond Barbie comes clad in a gown flaunting 160 diamonds complemented by white gold miniature jewelry. This Barbie was produced to mark the 40th anniversary in 1999 comes and was priced at $85,000.
4) Barbie No. 1
This is the world's first Barbie doll, in a zebra-print swimming costume and hoop earrings. It was sold for £2,880 ($4,370) to an anonymous collector at Christies in 2006. Currently, you can buy it from eBay for $8,000.
5) Lorraine Schwartz’s Bling Barbie
Starting this year, Mattel paired up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to bring out Barbie Basics Collection that wears little black dresses and come with accessory kits. The dolls went up for auction on January 28. The highlight of the collection was Lorraine Schwartz's diamond-studded Barbie that features $25K worth of diamond accessories. Anyway, it managed to fetch $7,500.
6) Bob Mackie Gold Barbie
Very popular with the collectors, the first Bob Mackie-designed Barbie called the "Gold Barbie" was launched in 1990. A rare personally signed Bob Mackie-designed Gold Barbie is up for grabs at eBay for a cool $1,200.
7) Devi Kroell's Barbie
Devi Kroell, a New York luxury fashion house, created this Barbie doll for the charity auction organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The Devi Kroell one-of-a kind Barbie went for $1,075.
8) Judith Leiber Barbie Doll
Judith Leiber, a known name in couture handbags, designed this dazzling Barbie doll. The doll come with a strapless cocktail dress of taupe lace. The full skirt and fitted corset are adorned with tiny golden sequins. Other embellishments include a golden minaudiere decked out with topaz-colored crystals and a Barbie “B” logo, leaf motif earrings and golden cuff bracelet with set-in crystals. The 2005 Judith Leiber Platinum Barbie is priced at $975 on eBay.
