Vintage Malibu Barbie Dolls

Vintage Malibu Barbie was introduced in 1971. It was available to purchase up until the early eighties and it was one of the cheapest Barbie dolls to own at that time period.

This meant that it quickly gained in popularity and new dolls were introduced into the Malibu range such as Malibu Ken and Sunsational Malibu Barbie.

These days Malibu Barbie is still quite popular after she was reintroduced in the year 2002. However, for many people you cannot beat the vintage Malibu Barbie.

How to Recognize an Original Malibu Barbie

If you are interested in the vintage Malibu Barbie, then it would be a good idea to learn how to recognize it from its more recent predecessor. One way to do this is through the accessories that came with it. (article continues below)...

The original Malibu Barbie came with a fluffy yellow towel and pink sunglasses. Clothes wise she was dressed in an aqua one-piece bathing suit.

The newer Malibu Barbie comes with sun tan lotion and the box is designed differently too. The vintage Malibu Barbie is not posing in the box. Instead, there was just a clear cellophane window and the box was fairly thin. The newer boxes have the doll inside and they are wider too.

If you are purchasing a vintage Malibu Barbie these days then you need to make sure that all of the accessories are in good condition. You should also move the doll a little to see how well the limbs work. Are they stiff? Is there good movement?

These things need to be taken into account if you are a collector. You will also want to check for any signs of staining to the clothing or any signs of wear and tear. Of course, it mainly depends upon whether you plan to sell the doll or not as to what condition it is in when you purchase it.

If you just want a Malibu Barbie and you don't want to pay a fortune for one, then it might be a good idea to buy the more recent release. They look exactly the same and as mentioned, the only difference between the two is that the more recent version has sun tan lotion.

However, despite the similarities, the vintage edition will cost you up to ten times more than the more recent addition. This will obviously be a factor to consider if you are simply purchasing the Barbie for your children!

Overall, Malibu Barbie was extremely popular when she was first released. You can still pick up vintage versions of the doll today, though you may struggle to find one that hasn't been opened!