How to Appraise a "Gone With the Wind" Barbie Doll

The Barbie doll, currently manufactured by toymaker Mattel, was invented and sold in 1959 1. Since then, more than 50,000 different Barbie dolls have been released. Some doll models decrease in value as they age while others increase exponentially and can be appraised to see how much they are worth. In 1994, Mattel released a "Hollywood Legends Collection" of dolls depicting Barbie and her male counterpart, Ken, dressed as characters from Hollywood films like "Gone With the Wind." One doll featuring Ken as Rhett Butler and four dolls depicting Barbie as Scarlett O'Hara were released in the "Gone With the Wind" series.

Examine the box that the “Gone With the Wind” Barbie came in, if the Barbie is still in the box. Look for any tears, dents or punctures to the box as well as for any color distortion or water damage. If the box looks to be in perfect condition, the doll inside should be as well. Barbie dolls that are still in their original box are always worth more than ones that have been removed from the box.

Examine the Barbie if it is out of the box. Take off the doll’s clothes and inspect her entire body and hair. Look for any scratches, marks, or other defects that may devalue the doll. If needed, attempt to fix the defects on the doll yourself or take it to a doll repair professional.

Examine the outfit on your Barbie or Ken doll. Depending on which "Gone With the Wind" doll you have, Barbie may be wearing a white gown with black lace trim and a white hat; a red velvet and feather gown with red gloves, stole, bracelet and hair decoration; a green and white gown with a sun hat, parasol and shoes; or a green gown with a green hat and shoes. Each doll should also include a clear plastic doll stand. If you have the Ken doll, he should be wearing a black suit with a black top coat and top hat. Look the garment over carefully to see if there are any missing pieces or for any rips or tears. Further inspect the garment for overall cleanliness. Clean or sew the garment as needed. Place the clothing back on the doll once it meets your approval. Verify that your doll has all of the accessories that were originally included.

Consult a Barbie doll collector’s book that features the estimated values for every Barbie released 2. Search for the year in which your "Gone With the Wind" Barbie was first released – 1994 – and also look for the exact name and model of your Barbie. Use the information you gathered from your doll inspection, such as cleanliness and if the doll is in the box, and find the corresponding price. If your doll is still in the box and the box is in fine condition, it is a safe bet that your Barbie will be considered to be in mint condition.

Check online auction websites. Find the listing for your Barbie, if there is one, and see how much the doll is going for at auction. This will give you a fairly accurate idea of how much other collectors would be willing to pay for your “Gone With the Wind” Barbie doll.